Cork County Council invites applications from suitably qualified persons, who wish to be considered for inclusion on a panel from which permanent and temporary vacancies for Chief Technician (Environmental) may be filled.

Cork County Council’s laboratories comprise separate water quality, food safety and wastewater testing facilities – undertaking both chemical and microbiological analysis. All laboratories are accredited to ISO 17025 standards.

The role of the water laboratories within the Council is to provide sampling and analytical services to meet regulatory and operational demands in relation to public and private water supplies and wastewater treatment systems.  In recent years much of this work is delivered as part of a Support Services Agreement, although there remains a significant element of non-SSA regulatory and monitoring work, including private water supplies, industrial and commercial discharges, beach monitoring, catchment management, and air quality monitoring.

Laboratory staff are also involved in the investigation of pollution incidents, environmental awareness initiatives, giving input to the planning & development function of the Council and supporting the Council’s environmental regulatory role. 

Cork County Council operates a safety management system that has been accredited to OHSAS 18001 standard. Full compliance with this safety management system is an absolute requirement all Council staff.


 

The Chief Technician is a senior technician position within Cork County Council’s laboratory service. It represents a great opportunity to take on a demanding role in one of the largest local authority laboratories in the country at a time when the Council is seeking to both rationalise and streamline its laboratory structures while expanding its overall level of activity.

Initially assigned to the Water Quality Laboratory, the role requires supervising a team of technicians working to ISO 17025 standards, undertaking laboratory analysis, reporting of test results and/or sampling in relation to drinking water, bathing areas, rivers, wastewaters, and other media in accordance with relevant National and European Communities legislation.

The duties may include but are not limited to the following and the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office:
 

1. Technician staff training and training records manager to ensure ongoing staff competency;
2. Liaise with Executive Technicians to ensure instruments are maintained in good working order, with regular maintenance and speedy repair or replacement if required;
3. Preparing weekly work schedules for staff and ensure completion of assigned tasks. Review previous weeks work to identify any gaps or improvement required to overall laboratory operations or performance to meet schedules set;
4. Ensure the implementation of all procedures issued to the Water Quality Laboratory in the delivery of work programmes;
5. Implementation of the laboratory calibration programme;
6. Ensure maintenance and service contracts for all laboratory instrumentation and equipment are kept up to date, liaising with technical manager, section manger and facilities manager as necessary;
7. Implementation of method development and validation programme for new instruments;
8. Liaise with Executive Technicians to ensure that good housekeeping is maintained in the laboratories for efficient operational purposes, as well as for health and safety;
9. Carry out quality audits;
10. Data review and management on a regular basis.  Issuing test reports;
11. Reviewing proficiency testing results for correctness and making returns to scheme provider;
12. Assist staff in investigating root cause analysis and resolution of non-conforming work identified in the laboratories;
13. Health and Safety supervisor for the laboratory, and work with the laboratory manager to ensure overall safe conditions in the workplace;
14. Carry out safety tour inspections as per directorate safety tour of inspection plan for current year;
15. Carrying out such other duties that may be assigned from time to time by the Technical Manager or Section Manager.

Further information is available in the Candidate Information Booklet available on our website