Department of Administrative Services

This class is considered to be the supervisory scientific level in the epidemiology series. It can also be used as a functional title for the director of a program and as such is accountable for monitoring of grants and contracts, planning, implementing and evaluating programmatic goals and objectives.

This class is distinguished from Epidemiologist 3 by the emphasis on primary responsibility for one or more major programs. This class will have senior managerial responsibility for a statewide project and the incumbent will be the recognized departmental authority in this area. As such the Epidemiologist 4 will coordinate with and sometimes convene experts from other agencies on intrastate, regional, federal and occasionally international levels. The Epidemiologist 4 will have primary responsibility for initiating projects, for designing surveillance and research activities and intervention and evaluation strategies.

This class is distinguished from Epidemiologist 3 by having full accountability for all work performed, the highest level of required expertise, performance and responsibility for direction of a managerially designated program or project.

Schedules, assigns, oversees and reviews the work of staff; provides staff training and assistance; conducts performance evaluations; determines priorities and plans program work; establishes and maintains program procedures; develops or makes recommendations on the development of policies and standards; acts as a liaison with other operating units, agencies and outside officials regarding program policies and procedures; prepares reports and correspondence.

Conceptualizes and directs one or more major programs in area of disease surveillance, control and intervention; designs and implements special epidemiologic studies; plans and evaluates program goals and objectives; provides expert testimony in public forum or courtroom setting; writes scientific papers for publication; may teach epidemiologic related courses at institutions of higher learning; develops and implements public information programs for mass media distribution; advises local health departments, health professionals and voluntary groups on protocols for disease investigation, control and treatment; seeks to identify and evaluate new diseases or environmental exposures which may cause disease and methods of control; may represent the department to the public; may perform complex statistical analysis and oversee management of large data bases; may develop budgets, grants and contracts; may develop departmental policies regulations and legislation; performs related duties as required.

In addition to the foregoing, in the Toxic Hazards Section or its Radon Program, manages and directs investigation and control of chemical and radiologic hazards; conceptualizes programs for investigation and control of chemical and radiation hazards; supervises development of qualitative/quantitative risk assessment documents; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of occupational/environmental epidemiology and/or toxicology; considerable knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures; considerable knowledge of relevant State and Federal laws, statutes and regulations; considerable knowledge of disease processes which affect humans and animals; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; considerable statistical skills including familiarity with mainframe and/or personal computer applications and interpretation of data; considerable ability to develop, design, implement and analyze epidemiologic studies; considerable ability to recommend and evaluate intervention strategies to prevent future disease; supervisory ability.

1. College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equaling one half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years' for a Bachelor's degree.

2. A Master's degree in Bacteriology, Biochemistry, Biostatistics, Environmental Science, Health Physics, Industrial Hygiene, Physiology, Public Health, Toxicology may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

3. A Doctorate in a related discipline such as medicine, public health or a behavioral or natural science may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

This replaces the existing specification for the class of Epidemiologist 4 (Infectious/Chronic Diseases) (Toxic Hazards) in Salary Group HC 32 approved effective June 23, 1995. (Revised to reflect change in agency title)

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