CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

3H38
LABORATORY DIRECTOR

Specialties
( Police ) (Water )

GENERAL DEFINITION

This is administrative and technical work at the managerial level, directing and coordinating a comprehensive laboratory program for a major City department. Employees in this class direct, through subordinate managers, policy and planning and the provision of laboratory services in their respective area of specialization. Contact with department officials and government and regulatory agency representatives is of major significance to the work. Work is performed under the general direction of a higher level administrator.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

Both Specialties

Directs the establishment of quality control standards for laboratory operations; directs the establishment and revision of laboratory procedures, methods and techniques; analyzes and revises existing laboratory structures and functions.
Evaluates operations and staffing of laboratories to provide optimum level of services for other divisions and to minimize expenditures; prepares reports on operations; confers with subordinate managers and supervisors and reviews reports and results of laboratory analyses; recommends revisions in laboratory operation, staffing and procedures; directs the implementation of recommendations; evaluates equipment and products and recommends approval or disapproval of purchases.
Confers with other division administrators to coordinate provision of laboratory services; meets with representatives of other City departments to coordinate provision of laboratory services; represents the department at professional conferences and meetings; keeps abreast of developments in field; prepares periodic statistical and narrative reports for other governmental agencies.
Testifies in court as expert witness to explain laboratory findings and results.
Directs the preparation of operating and capital budgets for laboratories; determines the number and kind of personnel and equipment needed to complete testing functions; establishes work standards, procedures and policies; directs the orientation, training and development of employees; negotiates contracts; prepares statistical and narrative reports on laboratory activities; directs the establishment and operation of a comprehensive laboratory safety and hygiene plan, covering all activities of the laboratory organization.
Determines necessity and feasibility for placing certain tests on contract and determines qualifications of outside laboratories to perform the work; evaluates test results submitted by outside laboratories.
Performs related work as required.

Police Specialty

Plans, initiates, assigns, and directs, through subordinate managers, the work of employees engaged in the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological testing and comparing of an extensive variety of materials, including alcoholic beverages, drugs, foods, body fluids, hair, fibers, glass and other physical evidence, firearms and ammunition, and in handwriting, typewriting, and document analysis to determine identification, chemical composition and probable origins; supervises, through subordinate supervisors and managers, the collection of latent fingerprints, biological stains, trace and other physical evidence at crime scenes; oversees the conduct of polygraph tests.
Ensures thorough preparation of staff members for court appearances, or personally appears in court to testify as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases to present evidence brought out by laboratory test and examinations; ensures the preparation of photographs, exhibits, and other graphic presentations of evidence for use in court testimony; manages through subordinate supervisors and managers the intake and security of all forensic evidence, the inventory, security, control and destruction of narcotics evidence; ensures destruction of narcotics evidence is performed in accordance with applicable laws and policies.
Interprets legislation pertaining to evidence analysis, storage and handling, identification and control; plans laboratory methods and procedures for routine analysis of special investigations involving analytical research or adaptation of existing methods.

Water Specialty

Plans, directs and coordinates, through subordinate supervisory engineers, biologists and chemists, a staff of engineers, scientific, technical and support personnel engaged in the provision of all laboratory services for the Water Department; plans and directs laboratory and field studies and research projects; plans and directs the testing of a wide variety of materials used in construction for all City departments; oversees analytical services which include trace organics, trace metals, nutrients and other inorganics, bacteria, algae and protozoa, in situ bioassessments, physical properties of materials, chemical and performance characteristics of materials and products, etc.
Confers with other Water Department Division administrators to coordinate provision of laboratory services; meets with representatives of other City departments to coordinate provision of materials testing laboratory services; represents the department at professional conferences and meetings.
Determines the necessity of contracting private consultants and academic institutions to perform research projects.
Directs, through subordinates, and in consultation with Facilities Management, the operation and maintenance and capital planning for the central laboratory facility and satellite laboratories; directs, through subordinate management, the Analytical Quality Assurance program for all Water Department laboratories, including treatment plant control laboratories and contract laboratories; directs research related to water, wastewater or watershed quality and/or treatment; analytical methods; quality and suitability of materials; reasons for product or component failure, etc; develops and maintains collaborative working relationships with other researchers, funding agencies and stakeholders; directs, through subordinates, the Water Department's drinking water Cross Connection Control Program as required by state and local regulations.
Directs, through subordinates, compliance with monitoring regulations under the federal and state Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and other pertinent laws, including program elements such as laboratory certifications, sampling and field analysis in-stream biological assessments of regional watersheds. Laboratory analysis of drinking water, source waters, wastewater, industrial wastes and biosolids and electronic and paper reporting; directs participation in regulatory development in partnership with state and national organizations and regulatory agencies.
Directs the selection and/or development and operation of a comprehensive Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS.)
Direct, through subordinates, the City's drinking water quality program, including collection and analysis of samples, development and operation of continuous, on-line water quality monitoring instrumentation deployed throughout the City, response to reported water quality problems, investigations of water quality conditions, recommendations for water quality improvement.
Directs, through subordinate management, the Water Department's Quality Certification Program (QCP) for assuring the quality of materials and supplies used in the City's plants and infrastructure.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

Both Specialties

current state and federal standards and regulations for the operation of a laboratory in area of specialization
laboratory equipment and laboratory information systems
laboratory management theory, principles and practices, including selection of equipment, assignment of personnel and determination of priorities
administrative principles and practices
principles, practices and methods of chemistry, microbiology or other sciences used in conducting various laboratory analyses, tests and research
program planning and evaluation
the rules of evidence and methods used in presenting evidence in court
budget preparation
methods of supervision and management

Police Specialty

the standard practices, procedures, and techniques used in scientific crime detection
the principles and practices of analytical chemistry with emphasis on quantitative and qualitative analysis of organic substances
modern instrumentation techniques including spectrophotometry, chromatography, and spectrometry
the sources of information and of the current literature in the field of criminal detection
the qualitative analysis of inorganic substances

Water Specialty

engineering and administrative methods and techniques required in the direction of environmental and material testing laboratories
the methods, techniques and equipment used in the physical and chemical testing of a wide variety of construction and maintenance materials
the methods, techniques and equipment used in water pollution control and water laboratories
principles, practices and methods of sanitary engineering used in conducting various laboratory analyses, tests and research

ABILITY TO:

Both Specialties

plan, direct and coordinate the work of a staff engaged in the provision of various laboratory services
evaluate and formulate laboratory procedures and techniques
express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing
establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, vendors, manufacturers, departmental officials and government agency representatives

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE (The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests. Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 05/04.)

EDUCATION

Police specialty

Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with major course work in the chemical, physical or biological sciences.

AND

GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Three years of chemical or biological laboratory analysis experience.

AND

SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

Three years of experience directing the analysis of a wide variety of materials and substances for scientific crime detection purposes through subordinate supervisors.

EDUCATION

Water Specialty

Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in chemical, civil, metallurgical or sanitary engineering, chemistry, biological sciences or environmental science.

AND

GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Three years of engineering, chemical or biological laboratory experience.

AND

SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

Three years of supervisory engineering, chemical or biological testing or research experience in a water, wastewater or material testing laboratory or a water laboratory projects unit.

Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department, which has included completion of a bachelor's degree program in an acceptable area as an educational minimum and the Specific Experience.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

PAY RANGE: EP28

Class Established: 4/82

Latest Spec. Revision:
CSC: 03/04 , Ad Board: 05/04

HOM/sb

END OF JOB CLASS SPECIFICATION - 3H38

3H38LABORATORY DIRECTOR

3H38
LABORATORY DIRECTOR