Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Specialist

Introduction Are you a detail‑driven laboratory specialist with expertise in LIMS development, data quality, and supporting high‑impact public health programs? Join us and help advance the life‑saving work of Connecticut’s Newborn Screening Program! The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Specialist to support the Newborn Screening Program Follow‑up and Tracking (NBST) Unit. This Program plays a critical role in ensuring that every newborn born or residing in Connecticut has a valid newborn screening on record, and that infants with abnormal results are promptly referred to specialized treatment centers for evaluation and care. These comprehensive efforts help prevent unnecessary disability, support healthy development, and reduce premature mortality among Connecticut’s youngest residents. This position is central to advancing the Program’s technical and operational capacity. The LIMS Specialist will lead the configuration and implementation of a new Laboratory Information Management System for the Newborn Screening Program, as well as ongoing maintenance and future system modifications as disorders are added or reporting algorithms evolve. Serving as the key liaison between the State Public Health Laboratory and the Bureau of Information Technology Solutions (BITS), this role supports laboratory compliance with accrediting bodies, ensures timely reporting of all results, contributes to daily quality improvement activities, and prepares aggregate program reports essential to newborn screening operations.

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:

Location: State Public Health Laboratory Address: 395 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT Work Hours: Full‑time, 35 hours per week Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Please note teleworking is not an option for this position

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Comprehensive benefits - visit the State Employee Benefits Overview page to learn more Opportunities for leadership development, professional growth, and continued learning A supportive environment that values collaboration, compassion, and work/life balance

ABOUT THE POSITION:

Development, validation, implementation and ongoing maintenance of the NBS LIMS data and reporting system Creation, configuration, management and reporting of the LIMS reports routinely used for NBS Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance/Quality Control activities Preparation of training materials for LIMS processes Preparation of quarterly report cards related to hospital and testing timeliness NewSTEPs database reporting Preparation and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Development of data request form for NBS (for external requests) and responding to data requests (internal/external) Creation and management of the reports in LIMS for the statistical analysis for grant reporting and Annual positives report Creation, management and responsibility for missed scan report, disposition report, Assisting with tracking of specimens, including contacting hospitals and other health care providers by phone when needed Initiating requests for samples for repeat newborn screening or reports positive results to the Newborn Diagnostic and Treatment Network (the Network) for follow up Following established NBS protocols and reports out of range NBS results to providers and hospitals Documenting all case specific interactions with providers, the Network and parents in the NBST database Collecting demographic/specimen information missing from the newborn’s record or NBS specimen card and entering into the NBST database and LIMS Creation of new cases for out‑of‑hospital births as well as confirmation of current health care provider for infant Assisting with reporting, preparation and faxing of NBS Hemoglobin trait letters Assisting with screening and directing incoming phone calls and emails Assisting with the monitoring of the dph.nbstracking mailbox and View email address on click.appcast.io Assisting with the development of material for and maintenance of digital educational offerings to stakeholders through the CT-Train Platform The highly specialized duties performed at the DPH Laboratory within the Newborn Screening Program are considered essential services within the State of Connecticut. This requires employees to report to the physical work site daily during normal business hours and, when necessary, during inclement weather events.

MORE ABOUT THE AGENCY:

The Mission of the Department of Public Health (DPH) is to protect and improve the health and safety of the people of Connecticut by: Assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy Preventing disease, injury, and disability Promoting the equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, which is a human right and a priority of the state. DPH accomplishes this through the implementation of its Strategic Plan which outlines the actions that DPH is taking to accomplish its Mission.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Public Health the sole position in this class will serve as the statewide representative over the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and is accountable for overseeing and coordinating the development, implementation and maintenance of the LIMS and assuring compliance with business and laboratory needs.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Oversees and coordinates the ongoing development, validation and implementation of the LIMS, including the development or revision of LIMS policies and procedures; Conducts business analysis, including the integration of system requirements and gap analysis in collaboration with federal and state partners, stakeholders, vendors, laboratory staff and external clients; Serves as a liaison between laboratory, fiscal and information technology staff on LIMS matters, including maintaining uninterrupted LIMS service and conducting upgrades to LIMS hardware, software, systems security, and instrumentation; Develops and conducts training to laboratory staff and clients on existing and newly‑developed LIMS functionalities, policies, and procedures; Oversees the creation of automated reports and queries to evaluate laboratory and systems performance and to enhance overall laboratory quality assurance and quality control; Supports laboratory compliance with requirements for certification and accreditation; Retrieves data from LIMS at the request of management; Acts as liaison with other operating units, agencies and outside officials regarding LIMS matters; May participate in workgroups to promote the electronic sharing of health information; Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Considerable knowledge of laboratory information management systems; current laboratory methods, applications, examinations, equipment, instrumentation and material; laboratory quality assurance and quality control policies and procedures; Knowledge of universal laboratory precautions; Considerable interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; Considerable ability to utilize computer software; Ability to conduct analytical and consultative activities; interpret laboratory findings.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Eight (8) years of professional experience performing scientific work in a public health, general biological, clinical or chemical laboratory.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been at the full working level in a laboratory working with complex instrumentation and laboratory information management systems. NOTE: For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of a Microbiologist 2 or Chemist 2.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

College training in chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equaling one‑half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree. A Master's degree in chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience with the development, validation and implementation of the LIMS, including the development or revision of LIMS policies and procedures Experience with the evaluation, documentation and improvement of laboratory processes and systems performance to enhance overall laboratory quality assurance, quality improvement, quality control and to meet the requirements of accrediting agencies Experience with written and verbal communication and training activities directed towards laboratory staff, health care practitioners, parents and the public Experience and proficiency working with Microsoft Word, Excel, ACCESS, SAS, SPSS, R, Outlook, PowerPoint and other electronic documentation systems and databases and the creation of automated reports and queries using a LIMS system Experience with Maternal/Child Health, Newborn Screening, Public Health and/or population health screening and knowledge of relevant disease processes and medical terminology

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Incumbents in this class must be willing to periodically undergo tests or immunizations for communicable diseases. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel. Incumbents may be required to undergo and successfully complete security background checks.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be exposed to communicable diseases and hazardous substances while observing laboratory activities.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5‑196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all‑inclusive of every task and/or responsibility. #J-18808-Ljbffr State of Connecticut - Department of Public Health