Senior Microbiology Supervisor - Chemist III*Specialty

City of Phoenix; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 84,468 - 124,800; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Traditional pension with employer contributions

401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions

Medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans

Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year

Free bus/light rail pass

Paid parental leave up to 480 hours

Job summary

The City of Phoenix seeks a qualified candidate for a supervisory position in the Environmental & Safety Division. You will ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while overseeing microbiological analyses and laboratory operations.

With a Bachelor’s in chemistry or microbiology and five years of supervisory experience, you will lead teams, optimize analytical methods, and ensure continuous compliance. Comprehensive benefits are provided, including a traditional pension, medical plans, and paid time off.

Qualifications

• Five years of supervisory experience in professional environmental laboratory work.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Experience developing and validating environmental analytical methods.

Responsibilities

• Ensure microbiological analyses meet accreditation standards.
• Collaborate with teams to integrate microbiological data.
• Provide scientific leadership for the microbiology section.

Skills

Supervisory experience in environmental laboratory

Microbiology expertise

Analytical method development

Pathogen detection workflows

Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, microbiology, or related field

Minimum 16.0 college credit hours in Biology

Job description

About This Position

The Environmental & Safety Division (ESD) provides technical oversight to ensure all City of Phoenix water and wastewater facilities maintain full compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations. The Water Services Compliance Laboratory is expanding analytical capacity to support Advanced Water Purification (AWP) operations and associated regulatory monitoring requirements for Arizona’s first Advanced Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) under construction. The laboratory will generate high‑quality microbiological data required under new regulatory frameworks governing the advanced treatment of high quality effluent for drinking water use.

Ideal Candidate

• Ensure all microbiological analyses meet accreditation standards, including documentation, proficiency testing, and adherence to the laboratory’s Quality Assurance Manual.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and regulatory compliance teams to integrate microbiological data into AWP process control, permitting, and reporting frameworks.
• Establish method performance criteria (MDL, LOQ, recovery efficiency, precision, and bias) in accordance with EPA, NELAP, and state regulatory requirements.
• Provide scientific leadership for the microbiology section, including oversight of pathogen detection workflows, sample processing, and data validation.
• Design and implement sampling plans for pathogen monitoring at the AWP facility, including raw, intermediate, and finished water matrices.
• Lead development, optimization, and validation of analytical methods required for AWP regulatory compliance.

Salary

Pay Range: $84,468.90 – $124,800.00 annually.

Hiring Range: $84,468.90 – $118,872.00 annually.

Pay Range Explanation

• Pay range is the entire compensation range for the position classification.
• Hiring range is an estimate of where an offer will be made; the actual salary offer will consider skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.

Benefits

• Traditional pension with employer and employee contributions; click here for more details: Pension Information
• 401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions
• Choice of generous medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans
• Medical enrollment includes a monthly $150 City contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan
• Wellness incentive of up to $720 annually
• Dental, vision, and life insurance options
• Employer paid long‑term disability
• Free bus/light rail pass
• Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year
• Paid time off includes 13.5 paid holidays, 12 vacation days, and 15 sick days and personal leave days
• Paid parental leave for eligible employees up to 480 hours (12 weeks) of paid leave for birth, adoption, or foster care placement within a 12‑month period
• Federal student loan forgiveness offered through Savi

Minimum Qualifications

• Five years of supervisory experience in professional environmental laboratory work.
• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, microbiology, or a related field.
• Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted.
• All finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check applicable to the department or position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Developing, validating, and optimizing environmental analytical methods from initial concept through regulatory submission and final licensure with state and federal regulating agencies.
• A licensed environmental testing laboratory maintaining compliance with state regulations, EPA method requirements, proficiency testing, audits, and NELAP accreditation processes.
• Utilizing a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for sample tracking, QA/QC documentation, and compliance with state regulations and NELAP accreditation standards.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing and mentoring microbiologists, including onboarding, training, performance development, and day‑to‑day technical guidance.
• Writing, reviewing, and revising Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure accuracy, regulatory compliance, and alignment with environmental laboratory practices.
• Managing section budgets, forecasting equipment needs, and ensuring cost‑effective procurement and contract renewals.
• Environmental pathogen sampling procedures, including proper collection, handling, preservation, and documentation to ensure data integrity and regulatory compliance.
• Giardia and Cryptosporidium detection using EPA Method 1623.1, including filtration, immunomagnetic separation (IMS), staining, and microscopic enumeration.
• Enteric and norovirus quantification (virus concentration, molecular detection, and QA/QC requirements).
• Minimum 16.0 college credit hours in Biology to serve as the Biology Technical Manager for the laboratory’s NELAP accreditation.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

City of Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni who meet the required qualifications are encouraged to apply.