LIMS System Director

#CA-SS

Under the supervision of UCD Program Manager and the daily operational direction of the Center for Laboratory Sciences (CLS) Leadership, the incumbent is recognized as an organization-wide subject matter expert and has significant impact and influence on Laboratory Data Exchange (LDX) program policy and development. The incumbent works directly with the California Department of Public Health's (CDPH) executive team and will closely coordinate Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) project activities in collaboration with the other senior executive level administrators across CDPH. The incumbent, as the LIMS System Director, will interact with state organizations, industry representatives, researchers and others in carrying out the broad responsibilities of this position and is responsible for overall leadership and oversight of all operations across the LDX project. Must understand government administration and how projects which may cross a wide variety of fields can be implemented and be able to express these concepts in a compelling way to statewide stakeholders, business partners, officers and trustees. Provides program and technical leadership and guidance to the LIMS Specialist team responsible for implementing and maintaining the LIMS solutions. Oversee the design, development, configuration, and deployment of the LIMS solutions, ensuring alignment with project goals and industry best practices.

THIS IS A FULL-TIME CAREER POSITION located at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), based in Richmond, CA at CDPH's laboratory campus.

This position is state funded through December 1, 2027; renewal is contingent upon the availability of state funding.

Apply By Date: September 5, 2026 at 11:59pm. Selection activities may start at any time.

Minimum Qualifications - For full consideration, applicants are encouraged to upload license and/or certification if required of the position

• Bachelor's degree in MIS or Computer Science, or bachelor's degree in life sciences with training and experience in Information Technology, or equivalent experience.
• At least six (6) years of experience within a senior role in complex data integration and the specification of data services.
• At least six (6) years of experience managing and coordinating organization wide, complex application development efforts with a diverse technical team.
• At least five (5) years of subject matter expert (SME) experience with troubleshooting and resolving organization wide application performance issues.
• Broad organizational skills in developing, authoring, and launching business initiatives for large strategic projects.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, understand, analyze, and interpret complex written material, business contracts, data design and integration and effectively synthesize and communicate results of analyses.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a technical leader and information resource, working collaboratively with senior staff and management across departments to provide advice, counsel, and analysis on policy, functionality, system efficiency, upgrades, business analytics, and industry trends.
• Demonstrated strategic and critical thinking to executives from within and outside a large public or government organization, and skills to think strategically and serve as a sounding board for executive managers.
• Expert analytical and design skills, including the ability to abstract information requirements from real-world processes to understand information flows in computer systems to clearly describe to potential programs, partners and collaborators.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, and public speaking skills.
• Extensive technical skills to provide leadership of designing complex systems, data products and / or data production processes while focusing on data curation, data exchange, data security, data integrity and information environments.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis with ability to provide organizational leadership and recommendations.
• Expert level facilitation of leadership and innovation strategy to high level management, colleagues and other diverse stakeholders.
• Expert knowledge of procedures, practices, laws, rules, regulations, standards and policies of the State of California related to information technology and data management.
• Knowledge of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) or software development processes for maintaining information technology systems, and the models and methodologies used to develop these systems.
• Expertise in data engineering and informatics, including knowledge of data flows and workflows in public health contexts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in information technology, informatics, public health or related fields.
• An advanced educational qualification, Ph.D, Graduate Business Degree (e.g., Masters of Business, Technology or Public Administration) or equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred.
• High-level professional experience in communication, marketing, public relations or related field.
• Extensive experience in communicating to public health stakeholders verbally and/or in writing.
• Experience in creating and managing a team environment.
• Experience in informatics, including work on interoperability between disparate information systems, and application of knowledge of hardware, software (including business rules and algorithms) and network infrastructure.
• Ability to interact diplomatically with diverse personalities and to exercise judgment and tact in interactions with faculty, staff, students and the public.
• Ability to exercise initiative, originality, and judgement in applying established principles and practices to new and innovative opportunities.
• Ability to represent the University at the highest levels and in public forums with professionalism and integrity.
• Proven strong political acumen skills and ability to apply in diverse, complex organization.
• Proven ability to apply high ethical standards to business practices and decision-making.
• Proven ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential issues that require independent judgement and strict discretion, and maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive, confidential and/or privileged information.

Key Responsibilities

• 40% - Leadership and Oversight of Electronic Laboratory Data Exchange (LDX) System
• 25% - Quality Assurance and Compliance of Laboratory Information System
• 20% - Cal-LIMS/E-LIMS Business & Stakeholder Management
• 15% - Oversight of System Administration, Training & Technical Support

Department Overview

The position is funded by the California Department of Public Health through (CDPH) an inter-agency agreement with University of California, Davis (UCD). The position reports to the UCD Department of Public Health Sciences. The Department of Public Health Sciences is a large, complex teaching, research, and clinical department in the UC Davis School of Medicine. The mission of the Department of Public Health Sciences is to improve the health of people using approaches based in epidemiology, biostatistics, economics, and behavioral science through research, educational programs, clinical programs, public service, and policy development.

This position supports the mission of the Laboratory Data Exchange (LDX) contract to support the system expansion, which aims to enhance data interoperability between the Public Health Laboratories (PHLs) and the CDPH state laboratories. Under the supervision of UC Davis, and the general direction of the Center for Laboratory Sciences (CLS) Leadership and CAL-LIMS (Laboratory Information Management) Project Manager, the incumbent will focus on improving the efficiency and timeliness of specimen re-routing and enhancing data quality for public health surveillance.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) established the Center for Laboratory Sciences (CLS) in January 2023 to unify infectious disease and environmental testing programs under one structure, improving collaboration and capabilities statewide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CDPH and local Public Health Laboratories (PHLs) faced significant challenges due to fragmented Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), lack of standardized HL7 interfaces, and manual data entry processes. These gaps hindered specimen rerouting, slowed accessioning, and limited emergency response capabilities. To address these issues, CDPH initiated the Laboratory Data Exchange (LDX) Expansion and Improvement Project. The Laboratory Data Exchange (LDX) project aims to enhance data interoperability between public health laboratories (PHLs) and the CDPH state lab, improving the efficiency and timeliness of specimen re-routing and enhancing data quality for public health surveillance.

POSITION INFORMATION

• Salary or Pay Range: $10,466.66-$22,333.33
• Salary Frequency: Monthly
• Salary Grade: 258
• UC Job Title: DATA SYS ANL 5 TX
• UC Job Code: 006433
• Number of Positions: 1
• Appointment Type: Staff: Career
• Percentage of Time: 100
• Shift (Work Schedule): M-F 8am to 5pm
• Location: No Physical Access (NOPHYSACC)
• Union Representation: TX-Technical Professionals
• Benefits Eligible: Yes
• This position is 100% on-site

Benefits

Outstanding benefits and perks are among the many rewards of working for the University of California. UC Davis offers a full range of benefits, resources and programs to help you bring your best self to work, as well as to help you and your family achieve your health, wellness, financial and career goals. Learn more about the benefits below and eligibility by visiting UCnet Benefits Page or Benefits Summary for UC Davis Health Employees or Benefits Summary for UC Davis Employees.

• High quality and low-cost medical plans to choose from to fit your family's needs
• UC pays for dental and vision coverage for you and your family
• Retirement plans for eligible employees including Pension and other Retirement Saving Plans
• Supplemental insurance offered including additional life, short/long term disability, pet insurance, legal coverage, accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity
• Pregnancy and Parental Leave, Family & Medical Leave, Adoption Assistance and Pay for Family Care and Bonding for eligible employees
• Lactation Support Program and Family Care discounts and resources
• Employee Well-being resources and programming to support thriving in all aspects of employee's lives
• On-site Employee Assistance Program including access to free mental health services
• Generous amount of paid Holidays annually as outlined in the UC Policies or Collective Bargaining Agreements
• Paid Time Off/Vacation/Sick Time as outlined in the UC Policies or Collective Bargaining Agreements
• Continuing Education (CE) allowance and Staff Education Reimbursement Program for eligible employees
• Access to free professional development courses and learning opportunities for personal and professional growth
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer and Student Loan Debt Counseling Program for eligible employees

Physical Demands

• Standing - Frequent 3 to 6 Hours
• Walking - Frequent 3 to 6 Hours
• Sitting - Frequent 3 to 6 Hours
• Lifting/Carrying 0-25 Lbs - Occasional Up to 3 Hours
• Pushing/Pulling 0-25 Lbs - Occasional Up to 3 Hours
• Bending/Stooping - Occasional Up to 3 Hours
• Squatting/Kneeling - Occasional Up to 3 Hours
• Keyboard use/repetitive motion - Occasional Up to 3 Hours

Mental Demands

• Sustained attention and concentration - Frequent 3 to 6 Hours
• Complex problem solving/reasoning - Frequent 3 to 6 Hours
• Ability to organize & prioritize - Frequent 3 to 6 Hours
• Communication skills - Frequent 3 to 6 Hours
• Numerical skills - Occasional Up to 3 Hours
• Constant Interaction - Occasional Up to 3 Hours
• Customer/Patient Contact - Occasional Up to 3 Hours
• Multiple Concurrent Tasks - Frequent 3 to 6 Hours

Work Environment

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco free campus effective January 1, 2014. Smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes) will be strictly prohibited on any UC Davis owned or leased property, indoors and outdoors, including parking lots and residential space.

This position is contingent upon successful completion of background investigation including criminal history and identity check. This position maintains normal working hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Required to travel as needed for business purposes. Overnight travel may be required to attend meetings, conferences or site visits. Will be required to be onsite in Sacramento or Richmond CDPH campuses as requested by state leadership or as needed and determined by program needs. This position may require occasional overtime as needed to meet operational demands.

Special Requirements - Please contact your recruiter with questions regarding which activities apply by position

• This is a critical position, as defined by UC Policy and local procedures, and as such, employment is contingent upon clearing a criminal background check(s) and may include drug screening, medical evaluation clearance and functional capacity assessment
• This position is designated as a mandated reporter under CANRA and UC policy, and employment is contingent on compliance with applicable policies, procedures and training requirements

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

A Culture of Opportunity and Belonging

At UC Davis, we're committed to solving life's most urgent challenges and building a healthier, more resilient world. We believe in growing through every challenge, continually striving to improve, and welcoming new perspectives that strengthen our community. We recognize that a vibrant and innovative organization values both individual strengths and shared purpose. The best ideas often emerge when people with different experiences come together.

As you consider joining UC Davis, we invite you to explore our Principles of Community, our Clinical Strategic Plan and strategic vision for research and education. We believe you belong here. The University of California, Davis is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.

To view the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

Because we want you to feel seen and valued, our recruitment process at UC Davis supports openness and authenticity. Research shows that some individuals hesitate to apply unless they meet every qualification. You may be an excellent fit for this role-or the next one. We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't match every listed requirement. #YouBelongHere

To learn more about our background check program, please visit: https://hr.ucdavis.edu/departments/recruitment/ucd/selection/background-checks