Health
Supervisor of Water Microbiology, Bureau of the Public Health Laboratory
$98,159 to $112,883 a year
Posted until November 2, 2026 · posted September 3, 2026
Requirements
Other requirements
Exam
Non-competitive title
A job title where a competitive exam is not practical, so the agency checks that your qualifications meet the standard instead. You apply directly. On our job pages this shows as "No exam for this title".
From ≈ $47.19 an hour · $3,775 every 2 weeks, before taxes (40-hour weeks).
NYC minimum wage is $17/hr. This beats it by $30.19/hr, with health insurance and a pension on top.
What you'd have made
$3,762 If you'd started this job 2 weeks ago, at this pay, before taxes.
An hour of this job pays for about 15.7 subway rides ($3 fare).
Price anything in hours of this job
Overtime added $562 on average that year, and it isn't guaranteed. Base salary of active employees paid a yearly rate, fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025). Source: NYC's payroll data
Check yourself
What they actually ask for.
Other requirements: read them on the posting
1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
Read the rest of the requirements
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
- A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
- A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
- Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.
NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.
Quoted word for word from the official posting. The label above is ours, read from this text; if they disagree, this text wins.
The work
What the job is.
The New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is a public health leader serving over 8.4 million New York City residents from diverse ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds.
Read the rest, from the posting
The NYC Public Health Laboratory (PHL) is one of the largest local public health laboratories in the United States offering a dynamic and innovative work environment where employees contribute to the health and safety of NYC residents by providing clinical and environmental laboratory testing services.
With more than 100 years of leadership in public health, a team of over 200 scientific and support staff are committed to its mission to safeguard the health of all NYC residents by providing quality laboratory testing services that support the priorities of the NYC DOHMH and its community partners to prevent and respond to clinical and environmental public health concerns.
The DOHMH PHL seeks a qualified candidate to serve as a supervisor in the Environmental Sciences Section.
This position will play an integral role in laboratory testing and responding to public health threats, including but not limited to COVID-19, vaccine preventable diseases, HIV, Legionella as well as respiratory, foodborne, and waterborne disease outbreaks.
This is an excellent opportunity to join our multidisciplinary team, and collaborate with local, state, federal, and academic partners. The supervisor will primarily work within the Water Microbiology Unit at PHL.
The units utilize microbiological and molecular microbiological tools to detect and monitor pathogens in drinking and recreational water, and non-potable water systems such as cooling towers. This includes NYC’s beach monitoring and Legionella response programs. ·
DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
- Supervising, training, assigning work, and evaluating the performance of staff. Able to shift priorities in response to rapidly evolving work environment.
- Conducting investigations regarding agents related to public health outbreaks using independent judgement and initiative, and performing data analysis on test results. Assisting in the coordination of agency, local and federal partners in investigations.
- Performing research to identify and implement new technologies.
- Communicating effectively with lab technologists and internal and external partners.
- Evaluating data, preparing reports, maintaining records, and assisting in the coordination of research efforts of the Agency.
- Maintaining and participating in a program of quality control and assurance; and advising staff on appropriate methods and techniques.
- Implementing and monitoring laboratory quality, and health and safety policies and procedures.
- Performing or overseeing the design and maintenance of charts, logs, and other records.
- Assist with inventory, budgeting, and procurement to ensure that laboratory is properly stocked with reagents and supplies necessary for testing; and ensure that items are properly tracked using inventory management system.
- Writes original manuscripts for publication based on data analyses.
PREFERRED SKILLS:
- Previous supervisory experience with handling multiple projects and managing people.
- Experience working with pathogenic organisms in a BSL2 environment.
- Basic microbiology and molecular biology techniques including PCR.
- Ability to interpret complex laboratory data and communicate that data to internal and external partners using independent judgement and initiative.
- Experience in an environmental or clinical diagnostic testing laboratory.
- Ability to generate concise reports regarding data generated during testing, verifications, etc.
Why you should work for us:
- Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal/state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance programs that lessen your payments or even fully forgive your full balance. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website (https://studentaid.gov/pslf/)
- Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as: o a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment. o additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund. o a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement. o a tax-deferred savings program and o a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
- Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
- Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.
Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the U.S., dedicated to protecting and improving the health of NYC.
Our mission is to safeguard the health of every resident and cultivate a city where everyone, regardless of age, background, or location, can achieve their optimal health.
We provide a wide array of programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and social justice initiatives.
As the primary population health strategist and policy authority for NYC, with a rich history of public health initiatives and scientific advancements, from addressing the 1822 yellow fever outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic, we serve as a global leader in public health innovation and expertise.
Come join us and help to continue our efforts in making a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers!
Commitment to Equity:
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
The NYC Health Department is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation to all individuals.
To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Sye-Eun Ahn, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, at [email protected] or 347-396-6549.
Before you apply
The fine print.
Where you have to live
Live in NYC within 90 days (usually)
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
Sources
Straight from the city.
Updated every day from the city's job data (last city update September 21, 2026). You apply through the official posting.
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