Microbiologist Supervisor

This position serves as a working supervisor within the Environmental Health Division’s Water Microbiology section. You will manage daily operations, oversee laboratory staff (including the media preparation team), and coordinate the development and implementation of advanced testing methods. To protect public health and water quality, you will perform routine and specialized microbiological testing, ensuring strict regulatory alignment with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and Clean Water Act (CWA), and maintaining compliance for accrediting agencies (EPA, DATCP). The Water Microbiology section conducts routine and advanced testing on drinking water and surface waters (lakes, streams, rivers) using culture techniques, enzymatic methods, microscopy, molecular methods, and MALDI-TOF.
 

The employee is expected to apply quality management principles to their daily work by consistently demonstrating exceptional customer service and maintaining collaborative, professional relationships with colleagues, management, and external clients. To support the mission of the State Laboratory of Hygiene, this role requires actively participating in continuous improvement through data-driven tools and constructive feedback. Additionally, the supervisor must use effective teamwork and communication skills to ensure efficient laboratory operations, execute assignments reliably, and commit to continuous learning through ongoing professional development.

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) is the state’s public, environmental and occupational health laboratory.  Founded in 1903, WSLH has a rich history in protecting and advancing the public health of Wisconsin’s people and environment while also embodying the Wisconsin Idea.  WSLH is part of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. This position resides within the Environmental Health Division of the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) located at 2601 Agriculture Drive, Madison, WI 53718 (off campus). Primary work hours are generally 7:45 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday but start and end times can be flexible.  Weekend and holiday work will be required on a rotational basis.

• Recruits employees and conducts employee performance evaluations -5%

• Contributes to the development of microbiology science through professional association conference attendance, presentations, and participation - 5%

• Monitors scientific reporting to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures - 10%

• Oversees schedules of operational work plans for a specialized technical laboratory area - 5%

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees - 5%

• Schedules logistics and secures resources for microbiology research activities - 5%

• Plans and conducts experiments and documents results according to research protocol - 5%

• Develops operating policies and laboratory procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and unit objectives to ensure quality control - 10%

• Develops, performs, and interprets microbiological tests or assays for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of illnesses or to determine sources of contamination in the environment -35%

• Inspects, maintains, calibrates, and repairs equipment to ensure optimal and safe operation - 5%

• Identifies, develops, and facilitates unit staff training opportunities - 5%

• Directs, develops, and evaluates research methodology, study preparation, and results interpretation - 5%

Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene - Environmental Health Division - Water Microbiology

Minimum Salary: $75,000/year. Salary to be determined upon hire

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and saving accounts; retirement benefits.

Water Testing Expertise: At least 1 year of experience with standard water microbiology testing methodologies (ideally in an EPA-certified drinking water laboratory).
 

Technical Leadership: At least 2 years of experience serving as a subject matter expert in water microbiology, with a demonstrated ability to lead, train, and mentor staff.
 

Stakeholder Communication: Demonstrated ability to clearly communicate scientific data, testing protocols, and regulatory compliance requirements to diverse stakeholders, including state and federal agencies (such as the EPA, WI DNR, WI DHS, DATCP), public utilities, and the general public.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

-Comprehensive knowledge of total coliform/E. coli testing requirements of SDWA and CWA

-Hands-on experience with daily laboratory operations, safety protocols, troubleshooting equipment and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS)

-Experience with robust QA/QC procedures, lab audits, and maintaining compliance for Federal (e.g. EPA) and/or state (e.g. DATCP) accreditations

-Strong team leadership, communication (written/verbal), and customer service skills, with a proven ability to foster a respectful, collaborative, and self-motivated environment

-Exceptional organizational and detail-oriented skills, with proficiency in team-based software applications

Preferred knowledges include a strong understanding or experience with advanced testing of water for pathogens or for microbial source tracking including:

-Microbial concentration and nucleic acid extraction from environmental samples

-Design, development, and data analysis of quantitative or digital PCR and multiplex assays.

-Familiarity with Next-Generation Sequencing methodologies for DNA and RNA

-Experience using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for rapid microbial identification.

At minimum, a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biology, Environmental Sciences or related field.

To begin the application process please click on the "Apply Now" button. You will need to upload the following documents:

1. A current resume.
2. A cover letter that addresses your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and abilities, or a prior experience that would support your success in the role.

Please note that there is only one attachment field. You must upload all your documents into the one attachment field. Application reviewers will evaluate the materials you submit (your resume and cover letter) to identify qualified applicants who will advance in the recruitment process. Please ensure that your application is complete and submitted by the deadline (“apply by “date at the top of the posting) to be considered for this position.

Please contact Kelsey Bailey, [email protected] with questions.

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. 
 
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). 
 
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