IN-DOH-Wastewater Epidemiologist

Short Description

The purpose of this position is to coordinate, collaborate,

and perform surveillance utilizing wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2

Complete Description

virus, other pathogens, or additional program targets.

• Collaborate
  
  

and coordinate between IDOH IDEPD, IDOH Laboratory, and wastewater

treatment facility staff, academic partners, and local health departments

to maintain, grow, and manage wastewater surveillance program

participation;

• Collaborate
  
  

with and participate in national initiatives related to wastewater

surveillance.

• Maintain
  
  

current subject matter knowledge of the epidemiology and biology of diseases

and public health topics, particularly as it relates to wastewater-based

epidemiology;

• Provide
  
  

epidemiologic consultation and technical assistance to local health

departments, health care providers, the general public, and other partners

with respect to diseases and public health topics;

• Manage and
  
  

analyze trends and correlations in data collected through routine

surveillance and applied epidemiologic studies;

• Monitor data
  
  

reporting and correct data quality control flags as identified by the CDC

NWSS system and ensure data is uploaded regularly and correctly when

issues occur or when required for specific program areas;

• Partner with
  
  

data analysts in the Office of Data & Analytics to manage and update

the wastewater dashboard and internal reports as needed;

• Prepare and disseminate
  
  

written and oral reports and presentations that communicate necessary

information to internal and external partners;

• Conduct
  
  

educational presentations and/or trainings for a variety of audiences,

including local health departments, health care providers, utility

operators, and the general public;

• Engage
  
  

directly with members of the public at health fairs and other outreach events;

• Participate
  
  

in writing grants and other funding proposals;

• Conduct
  
  

routine epidemiologic surveillance for disease and public health topics;

• Design and
  
  

conduct applied epidemiologic studies of diseases or public health topics;

• Serve as an
  
  

agency spokesperson at the invitation and direction of the IDOH Office of

Public Affairs;

• Evaluate the
  
  

impact of legislation or policy proposals at the invitation and direction

of the IDOH Director of Legislative Affairs;

• Serve as a
  
  

backup to other staff, as needed;

• Perform related
  
  

duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

• A
  
  

masters degree in a relevant field (e.g., public health, biological sciences,

or social sciences) and e 2 years relevant public health experience OR

• A
  
  

masters degree in a non-relevant field and e 4 years public health

experience OR

• A
  
  

doctoral-level degree in epidemiology or other relevant fields OR

• A
  
  

graduate or professional degree in a health-related field (e.g., RN, MD/DO,

DDS/DMD, DVM, PhD, RS) with specific epidemiology training (e.g., MPH degree,

CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service, or CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship) OR

• A
  
  

bachelors degree in a relevant field and e 4 years relevant public

health experience OR

A bachelors degree in a non-relevant field and

e 6 years public health experience.

Current Employee Promotion Requirement

Internal candidate should be a high-performing Epidemiologist 1 or other

internal role based on demonstrated ability, competency attainment, and/or

performance feedback.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge
  
  

of the epidemiology and biology of diseases and public health topics;

• Knowledge
  
  

of state laws and regulations as well as federal public health guidance

documents pertaining to diseases and public health topics;

• Skill
  
  

in identification of public health problems pertinent to Indiana residents;

• Skill
  
  

in conducting epidemiologic surveillance activities, including selection and

use of appropriate field methods as well as use and evaluation of public health

surveillance systems;

• Skill
  
  

in eliciting relevant information from patients in structured or unstructured

telephone interviews;

• Skill
  
  

in conducting public health investigations of individual cases and/or outbreaks

of diseases or public health topics

• Skill
  
  

in designing descriptive and analytical epidemiologic investigations, including

hypothesis generation;

• Skill
  
  

in managing large datasets, performing complex data analyses, and identifying key

findings;

• Skill in recommending evidence-based interventions and control
  
  

measures in response to epidemiologic findings;

• Skill
  
  

in preparing written and oral reports, presentations, and educational materials

that communicate necessary information to internal and external partners;

• Skill in applying principles of informatics, including data
  
  

collection, processing, and analysis, in support of epidemiologic practice

• Demonstrated
  
  

skill in statistical, analytical, and/or geospatial software (e.g., EpiInfo,

SAS, ArcGIS, SQL, SPSS, R, Python, Stata, etc.);

• Ability
  
  

to identify appropriate laboratory resources and use them appropriately;

• Ability
  
  

to provide prompt, courteous, and helpful customer service;

• Ability
  
  

to collaborate with others inside and outside the agency to identify public

health problems and form recommendations;

• Ability
  
  

to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, using principles of

risk communication where appropriate;

• Ability
  
  

to prioritize tasks efficiently to meet internal and external deadlines;

• Ability
  
  

to appropriately document work activities and maintain organized records.

Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports

May be responsible for directing

and coordinating the work of interns assigned to the program.

Difficulty Of Work

The employee must have or rapidly acquire expert knowledge of the

epidemiology of diseases and public health topics. They must use this knowledge

and their critical thinking skills to ascertain the existence of public health

threats, conduct public health investigations, and identify appropriate interventions.

The employee will routinely exercise independent judgment to identify

appropriate actions in complex situations that are not explicitly described in

state regulations and public health guidance documents. The employee must routinely

reorganize their work activities to prioritize emergent public health threats,

often with little to no advance warning. They are expected to show initiative

in independently identifying and executing process improvements and/or special

projects that would benefit IDOH and Indiana residents. Failure of the employee

to properly execute their duties could have grave consequences for Indiana

residents.

Responsibility

The employee is expected to support IDOH's vision, comply with agency

administrative and fiscal policies, and practice cultural sensitivity in all

work activities. The employee must have knowledge of state and federal privacy

laws and protect patient confidentiality at all times.

The employee must identify possible ethical conflicts in work activities and

request assistance from the supervisor in resolving them. The employee is

expected to independently identify opportunities for their professional

development that would benefit IDOH and Indiana residents.

The employee initially works under the close supervision of

their supervisor, but works more independently with acquired experience. The

supervisor sets the overall objectives and determines what resources are available.

The employee and the supervisor will work together to develop guidelines,

projects, and work to be done. The employee plans, directs, monitors, evaluates

and identifies needs and resolves most conflicts within assigned projects. The employee

interprets and applies policies in terms of established goals, objectives, and

accepted practices. The employee is expected to bring controversial or complex

issues to the attention of the supervisor for more detailed direction and

guidance. The employee is expected to keep the supervisor informed of progress

and potentially critical items. Completed work is reviewed for feasibility,

conformance to program policy and practices, and effectiveness in meeting

specific goals and objectives.

Personal Work Relationships

The employee works closely with a variety of stakeholders, which may

include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Water Environment

Federation, the IDOH Laboratories, wastewater utility operators, health care

providers, local health departments, and other state agencies. The employee is

expected to maintain good working relationships with these entities as well as

other internal and external partners.

Physical Effort

The employee must be physically able to

type on a computer, to communicate via telephone, and to sit and/or stand at a

workstation for a 7.5-hour workday. If this position is field based, the employee

must also be physically able to lift 10-20 lb, drive long distances, walk long distances over uneven terrain,

see arthropods under a stereo microscope, and manipulate arthropods using tools

that require fine motor control.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in an indoor office

setting. Occasional field work and/or overnight travel may be required. The

employee must be willing to receive immunizations for communicable diseases

when necessary and appropriate. If the position is field based, the position may

require work to routinely be performed outdoors as well as in an indoor office

setting. There is seasonal variation in the volume of field work, with a peak

in summer. Field work may result in exposure to biting arthropods, inclement

weather, and/or extreme temperatures. Field work may also require driving long

distances in inclement weather.