Quality Assurance Officer - Health & Environmental Testing Laboratory

If you are a current State of Maine employee, please submit your application through the internal application process using the Find Jobs report in PRISM. Seasonal employees who do not have PRISM access should apply through the State’s career page and indicate on the application that they have previously worked for the State.

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Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Quality Assurance Officer

Opening Date: August 18, 2026

Closing Date: August 31, 2026

Job Class Code: 9248

Grade: 26 (Pro/Tech)

Salary: $56,264.00 - $78,998.40

Position Number: 02000-2952

Location: Augusta

Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.

This position allows for partial telework with management approval.

Core Responsibilities:

In this position, you will be responsible for assisting in the continuing development of the laboratory quality assurance program for the Clinical Microbiology Department, providing training, performing audits, investigating, and documenting performance issues, and evaluating the effectiveness of corrective actions to improve testing services as required by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), federal CDC, Maine CDC, and the Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL).

You will carry out the duties as the U.S CDC’s Laboratory Response Network (LRN) Laboratory Program Advisor. This is a leadership position requiring extensive interactions with private and federal entities such as hospital laboratories and the U.S CDC. General duties include, but are not limited to, conducting periodic state-wide visits to hospital laboratories, and performing assessments of testing capability and capacity. This ensures that hospital laboratories are up to date on the most recent analytical methods used in the isolation and identification of agents of bioterrorism. You will also ensure that the HETL possesses the analytical capability to test for agents of bioterrorism, to interact with the CDC and LRN laboratories and to ensure compliance with responsible sections of the Federal Select Agent Rules 7 C.F.R. Part 331: Agriculture · 9 C.F.R. Part 121: Animals and Animal Products · 42 C.F.R. Part 73: Public Health.

Responsibilities include:

•        Oversight of quality assurance and quality control measures in the Clinical Microbiology section within HETL

•        Review of CLIA guidelines to assure laboratory compliance

•        Review of IQCP/QA/QC metrics for all standard operating procedures (SOPs)

•        Oversight of CLIA competencies and proficiencies to assure annual completion

•        Preparation of all documents for CLIA inspections

•        Developing and coordinating monthly QA Committee meetings with clinical and LRN Staff

•        Developing and coordinating quarterly meetings with the Epi-Lab Work Group

•        Managing non-conformance programs using quality notification forms and corrective action reports

•        Coordination with the Laboratory Safety Officer and Biosafety Officer

•        Partnering with the Maine CDC and state groups on emergency preparedness

•        Managing and coordinating an outreach program with all Sentinel laboratories for sample submissions, workflows, and post-analytical processes for all patient testing

•        Providing assessment and evaluation of Sentinel laboratory capability and capacity to facilitate LRN response

•        Managing proficiency testing for CDC assessment of Maine's capability to monitor for biological agents of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Minimum Qualifications:

A Bachelors Degree in Medical Technology or chemical, physical, or directly related life science and six (6) years of clinical laboratory experience.  Comparable experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

 Preferred candidates will also have: 

•        Professional certifications such as ASCP, MLT, or MT

•        Knowledge or experience with federal laboratory accreditation programs such as CLIA or CAP

•        Extensive technical knowledge of serology, bacteriology, virology, molecular, biology, and histology laboratory methods

•        Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse group of internal and external partners

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your experience and passion set you apart.

Agency information: 

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

The mission for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), within which this position is located, is to develop and deliver services to preserve, protect, and promote the health and well-being of the citizens of Maine.

Application Information:

For questions about this position, please contact Samson Omole, Chief of Laboratory Operations at (207) 441-7943 or [email protected] 

Please submit all documents or files in PDF or Word format.

To request a paper application, please contact [email protected]

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave. When you or immediate members of your family are ill, utilize 12 days of sick leave per year.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($12,213.60 - $13,650.48 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value). 
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 14.06% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including non-birthing and adoptive parents—receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role. 

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics. 

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

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If you are unable to complete the online application, please contact the Human Resources representative listed on the job opening you are interested in applying for. They will work with you for an alternative method of submitting.