Quality Assurance Chemist

This position will provide technical assistance in environmental analytical chemistry to Maine CDC toxicologists and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF) PFAS Response Program. This support will be provided in the form of technical evaluation of laboratory results from testing of various agricultural food commodities and livestock tissues for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The position will conduct formal reviews of analytical laboratory data reports, review current laboratory methods for PFAS analysis, and assist with design, conduct, and interpretation of interlaboratory studies of PFAS testing of selected media (e.g., milk, bovine serum, muscle tissue, eggs). This position will additionally be trained to analyze agriculture food commodities and livestock tissues for PFAS using state-of-the-art methods and instrumentation and will be available to assist the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory as back-up capacity. 

Knowledge, Skills and Certifications

Identify specific qualifications needed to perform the job including knowledge, skills, education, experience, training, and technical skills.

• A bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related laboratory science and two (2) years professional level experience in analytical chemistry.  Equivalent experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.
• Experience with mass spectroscopy techniques such as liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS), high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (HPLC), or gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS).

Preferred candidates will also have:

• • Experience working both independently and within a team in an analytical laboratory 
  • A solid foundation in chemistry and instrumental analyses
  • Experience with sample preparation, especially solid-phase extraction
  • Experience providing quality assurance and quality control for analytical data
  • An understanding of AIHA, EPA, CLIA, and/or Maine laboratory accreditation/certification standards
  • A demonstrated ability to work with environmental samples (water, soils, and crops) and biological matrices (blood serum, animal tissue)
  • A demonstrated ability to follow complicated analytical procedures and to trouble-shoot when analyses or extractions do not work as expected
  • A knowledge of statistics
  • An ability to think critically and analyze data
  • An ability to manage several projects at once
  • Skills for establishing priorities and deadlines
  • The ability to keep detailed records and write comprehensive reports
  • The ability to identify issues or trends in data and reach logical conclusions
  • Good judgement – the ability to make sound decisions and recommendations based on and supported by data
  • Strong computer skills including Microsoft Excel
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Experience writing standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • Experience working with PFAS

Duties and Deliverable – Outline of specific job duties:

Identify specific duties required of the resource, as well as any expected deliverables.  Include necessary travel expectations in this section.

• Provide technical assistance in environmental analytical chemistry to Maine CDC toxicologists and the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (DACF) PFAS Response Program.
• Conduct formal reviews of analytical laboratory data reports
• Review current laboratory methods for PFAS analysis
• Assist with design, conduct and interpretation of interlaboratory studies of PFAS testing of selected media (e.g., milk, bovine serum, muscle tissue, eggs)
• Analyze agriculture food commodities and livestock tissues for PFAS using state of the art of methods and instrumentation
• Accept or reject Quality Control (QC) data
• Assess sample integrity for tests requested
• Queue and execute the types of testing requested
• Review quality assurance and analytical data
• Participate in the daily operations of the testing section of the laboratory
• Enter and maintain data in the laboratory information system (LIMS)
• Ensure the quality system by maintaining proficiency for assigned tests
• Follow quality system measures as defined by the State and Federal certification agencies
• Review and approve peer and contract laboratory analytical data reports
• Perform data analyses on interlaboratory studies of PFAS analyses of novel media
• Prepare and write reports on results from interlaboratory studies
• Maintain instrumentation
• Follow laboratory safety requirements

Schedule

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This job is scheduled for 40 hours per week. Normal working hours are between 8 am and 5 pm, weekdays. When not needed for in-person laboratory work, the position will have the ability to work remotely up to 3 days per week, with 2 days per week worked at the offices of the Maine CDC in Augusta, ME at the discretion of the Department and supervisor.