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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
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POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
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Position Number: 50701903 |
Description Activated On: 11/21/2025 12:35:38 PM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. This is a limited-term technical position in the discipline of vector biology and functions in the Laboratory Section of Vector Management. This position is responsible for the taxonomic identification and isolation of black flies (gnats), ticks, and mosquitoes for the Black Fly Suppression, Tick Surveillance, and West Nile Virus Control Programs. Accurate identifications are essential to isolating mosquitoes that serve as Vectors for specific pathogens for testing. Testing data are used to assess risks to human health associated with exposure to mosquitoes in the environment. These data also provide internal staff and county partners with species and abundance information essential in formulating control decisions. The Aquatic Biologist will also assist with receiving arthropod samples from a statewide network of surveillance sites, data entry and management, and sorting macroinvertebrates to monitor water quality. |
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Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. 1.Conducts laboratory examination, identification, and enumeration of arthropod samples using dissecting and compound microscopes and taxonomic keys. Distinguishes genera/ species and sex using morphological characters. 2.May conduct aquatic biological sampling (i.e., macroinvertebrates, aquatic plants, and plankton) utilizing DEP standardized biological field methods for examination to assess condition, abundance, biomass, or diversity. 3.Prepares pools of ticks, mosquitoes, and/ or other arthropod vectors for pathogen testing. 4.Interprets biological data and calculates biological indices and metrics associated with infection rates to estimate disease risk. 5.Position requires knowledge of the principles and practices of aquatic biology relative to water quality, aquatic container habitats, and larval populations. 6.Understands and generates GIS-related output of taxonomic results from field collections. 7.Prepares regular reports of taxonomy in GIS web-based Oracle database, which is shared among all cooperating state agencies and county partners. Assists with data entry and management for statewide black fly, tick, and mosquito samples including performing routine data entry, checking data for accuracy and completeness, and accessing databases to provide summary reports of sample results. 8.Works and communicates regularly with colleagues to develop taxonomic skills, remain informed of new taxonomic references, and participate in ongoing QA/ QC to establish common morphological criteria used for identifications ensuring accuracy and consistency across all taxonomists. 9.Participates in coordinating activities within the Program, counties, regions, and other partner organizations. 10.Works with Vector Management personnel in investigative studies of arbovirus activity and/ or population control strategies in the environment. These activities may include collection/ identification/ control of adult/ larval mosquitoes and processing/ testing of blood collected from domestic or wild-trapped birds or animals. 11.Works as a member of the statewide rapid response team for West Nile Virus in-depth mosquito and virus surveys and control operations. Assists other program staff in developing or modifying existing laboratory techniques and/ or surveillance efforts. 12.Promotes the Department’s mission. 13.Inputs appropriate data in a prescribed format to meet data quality standards set forth by guidance, training, and policy across all of DEP’s electronic data systems; to include ensuring accuracy and completeness of entries, and where available, the use of system specific tools to ensure duplicative entries and data quality issues are minimized. 14.This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. Identification information about statewide arthropod samples submitted to the lab can be disseminated to field staff at this level. All decisions about identification, testing, verification, or control questions should be directed to the laboratory supervisor. |
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Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. Class C Driver's License 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. N/A 5. N/A 6. N/A |
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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
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