Newborn Screening Scientist Supervisor; PSRS IV

Department Information

This position is ONLY open to current Colorado state residents. This position is Hybrid. The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them.

Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical conditions related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

The Colorado Newborn Screening Program (CONBSP) is established to fulfill state statutory requirements mandating newborn screening for designated conditions, as determined by the Colorado Board of Health. The program provides universal screening of newborns in Colorado and Wyoming to facilitate the early identification of genetic, metabolic, endocrine, and other screened disorders, thereby reducing associated morbidity and mortality. CONBSP also ensures timely follow‑up, coordination of care, and the provision of outreach, education, and resources to families of affected infants and all health facilities throughout the state.

This position primarily supports analytical assay development, implementation, and communication of results, including oversight and supervision of the Newborn Screening Program. It participates in troubleshooting problems or errors, oversees validation/verification activity, advises on the adoption of new testing methodologies, and serves as a subject matter expert in the areas of newborn screening processes. It exists to manage the daily activities of the newborn screening work unit and supervise staff performing newborn screening protocols.

This position is responsible for direct supervision of scientists in the Newborn Screening Program. Responsibilities include workflow and staff schedule monitoring, training record review, and oversight of quality performance within the work unit. The position provides coaching to staff for problem resolution and new skill development, writes and reviews performance plans, and is responsible for staff hiring.

This position provides oversight and guidance to direct reports and serves as a technical supervisor as defined in CLIA. It performs training and staff competency evaluations, selects appropriate test methods, and reviews test results to ensure all quality parameters are met. It monitors competency and proficiency records and addresses quality concerns, including initiation of non‑compliance documentation if necessary. It reviews scientific literature, stays up to date on new testing methodologies and procedures, and initiates and reviews verification and validation procedures to evaluate new or updated methodologies.

This position ensures the quality of daily assays for all current disorder testing. QA is based on a combination of SOPs, research of current scientific literature, studies, and research papers, and formal education or experience in a testing laboratory for quality assurance best practices. The position collaborates with the NBS Program Manager, the NBS QA Scientist, the Laboratory QA Specialist, and the Safety Program Manager to share findings and discuss appropriateness of findings for implementation in the NBS Program to improve quality standards.

This position conducts research into methods for current and new testing. It develops plans to validate these methods. The methodology is based on a combination of Laboratory SOPs, research of current scientific literature, studies, and research…