Water Laboratory Manager

The County of San Luis Obispo Public Works Department is offering a career opportunity for a Water Laboratory Manager. This is a single-position management role with overall responsibility for the administration, regulatory compliance, operational oversight, quality assurance, and supervision of the County’s Water Quality Laboratory (WQL). The position includes overseeing Senior Chemists that supervise technical staff, provide laboratory services, and manage water quality for all the Public Works–operated water, wastewater, and recycled water systems and those of several other communities.

The WQL is certified by the State of California’s Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP). The WQL also provides sampling, compliance reporting, watershed monitoring, and technical support services for all of the County-led systems, and supports compliance for the County stormwater program and a closed landfill. It includes working with other managers in the Department at a leadership level to ensure the effective operation of all systems and programs that need water quality laboratory services.

• Plans, organizes, directs, and oversees all activities and operations of the Water Quality Laboratory to ensure efficient, effective, and compliant laboratory services.
• Supervises, mentors, and evaluates the performance of assigned staff; interviews and selects employees; recommends appointments, reassignments, and disciplinary actions; assigns and reviews work for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with policies and performance standards.
• Develops and administers laboratory budgets, including forecasting operational needs, monitoring expenditures, evaluating resource allocation, and approving procurement of equipment, materials, supplies, and services.
• Develops, implements, evaluates, and updates laboratory policies, procedures, and quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) protocols.
• Oversees and maintains compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, permits, accreditation requirements, and reporting obligations related to laboratory operations, including Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) standards.
• Monitors changes in legislation, regulations, industry standards, and emerging technologies related to water quality, laboratory operations, and treatment processes; evaluates operational and regulatory impacts and recommends appropriate actions to maintain compliance and improve effectiveness.
• Coordinates with Department management, engineers, operations personnel, regulatory agencies, contractors, consultants, and other stakeholders regarding water quality issues, treatment operations, compliance initiatives, and laboratory services.
• Directs and participates in the preparation, review, and submission of technical reports, compliance documentation, operational data, and regulatory reports to local, state, and federal agencies in accordance with established requirements and deadlines.
• Oversees staff responsible for the laboratory quality assurance program to ensure analytical methods, instrumentation, testing procedures, and laboratory practices produce accurate, reliable, and defensible results.
• Oversees staff responsible for laboratory instrumentation maintenance, calibration, troubleshooting, and quality control activities to ensure proper operating parameters and compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards.
• Evaluates laboratory operations and implements improvements to service delivery methods, procedures, technologies, and operational efficiencies.
• Coordinates with water and wastewater treatment operations personnel regarding laboratory testing requirements and training necessary to support compliant and efficient plant operations.
• Responds to inquiries, complaints, and technical questions from regulatory agencies, outside organizations, County staff, and the public regarding water quality and laboratory-related matters.
• Supports stormwater compliance activities in accordance with the County’s Stormwater Management Program (SWMP), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), and related…