STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Epidemiologist 3 (Toxic Hazards) (35 Hour)

Hybrid

Recruitment #230126-0288HC-001

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Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health is hiring!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Epidemiologist 3 (Toxic Hazards) to join our team. This position will work in the Environmental Health and Drinking Water Branch (EHDW) and will lead the newly created Office of Climate and Public Health established under Governor Lamont’s Executive Order #21-3. The DPH has conducted several climate change and public health-related assessments and interventions since 2010, including work done within the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) pursuant to Governor Lamont’s Executive Order #3. 

This Epidemiologist 3 position will provide leadership, program development, coordination and develop partnerships with other state agencies, local health directors, regional planning agencies, Connecticut universities, non-governmental stakeholders, and community organizations. This leadership position, under the management of the EHDW Public Health Branch Chief, will focus on developing a public health equity approach, initiatives that directly conjoin the Governor’s GC3 priority Climate Initiatives with a public health focus on asthma, air quality, drinking water quality and quantity, and heat islands and impact on vulnerable populations and health equity.

This role is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Building Resiliency Against Climate Effects (BRACE) grant awarded to the DPH. This position will assume the role of Principal Investigator and Climate Coordinator of the Office of Climate and Public Health and will be responsible for overseeing all work activities performed with BRACE grant funding and program evaluation. This Epidemiologist 3 position will be the champion for prioritizing, integrating, and implementing climate resiliency actions within DPH and with stakeholders and will work to address the intersection of climate change and health equity.

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:
  • Work Schedule: Typically Monday - Friday
  • Work Hours: Full-time, First Shift, 35 hours per week
  • There may be opportunities for an alternate work schedule and working remotely in accordance with State policies.
  • Location: 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:
State of Connecticut employees participate in a competitive comprehensive benefits plan that includes:
  • Industry leading health benefits with medical and dental coverage
  • Generous paid time off, include 13 paid holidays per calendar year
  • Extensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings
  • Retirement healthcare offerings
  • Professional growth and development opportunities
  • A healthy work/life balance!
WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING:
  • Responsible to operate and provide leadership to coordinate the DPH Office of Climate and Public Health (OCPH) under the direction of the EHDW Public Health Branch Chief;
  • Work to establish guidance and policies, including recommending revisions to statutes and regulations, to reduce illness and death among Connecticut's residents from climate-related disease and exposures with health equity as a consistent focus;
  • Develop an implementation workplan to address and work to minimize human health impact;
  • Work to convene and form partnerships and collaboratives with climate and health stakeholders, including local health departments, universities, and non-profits focused on health and equity and the private sector to implement public health adaptation and mitigation actions; 
  • Propose climate resiliency related strategies to be incorporated into DPH’s State Health Improvement Plan and the agency’s five-year Strategic Plan;
  • Work with contractors to develop guidance for local heat and air quality response plans (including alerts and communication strategies) and support local implementation through trainings and capacity building;
  • Act as CDC BRACE Grant Principal Investigator (report back to CDC on project progress and manage all project deliverables);
  • Assemble and lead a program evaluation team for climate change health and safety activities, to include representatives from key partner organizations to build our internal knowledge and understanding of climate related health impacts and disparities; and 
  • Perform related duties as needed.
MORE ABOUT THE AGENCY AND FACILITIES:

The Mission of the Department of Public Health (DPH) is to protect and improve the health and safety of the people of Connecticut by:

  • Assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy
  • Preventing disease, injury, and disability
  • Promoting the equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, which is a human right and a priority of the state.

DPH accomplishes this through the implementation of its Strategic Plan which outlines the actions that DPH is taking to accomplish its Mission.

Selection Plan

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Please visit our 'Applicant Tips on How to Apply' page.

This position may be subject to Federal requirements for COVID-19 Vaccination Immunization.

To Apply:
  • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
  • In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
  • This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
Important Next Step Information for After You Apply:
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
  • Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
  • Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
  • Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
Connect With Us:
  • Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
  • Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment please contact Joseph K. Fried at Joseph.Fried@ct.gov, 860-924-7053.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Public Health Toxic Hazards Program of the Preventable Diseases Division, this class is accountable for performing the most complex tasks as a specialist investigating and assessing the health risks of toxic hazards in the environment and preparing quantitative and qualitative risk assessments.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Supervises and is responsible for routine epidemiologic investigations; assumes lead responsibility for carrying out complex or non-routine investigations; develops and implements strategies for containment and control measures among identified high risk groups; writes outbreak investigation and other technical and analytical reports; collaborates in writing standard protocols for disease investigation, intervention and control; develops questionnaires and other research instruments; analyzes surveillance and outbreak data for trends and risk factors; designs and implements workshops and training sessions and conducts in-service training; prepares news releases relative to disease problems; uses other statewide data banks to complement disease surveillance data; assists with preparation of budgets, grants and contracts; participates in development of program goals and objectives; represents department at functions for health promotion and disease prevention; speaks before professional and lay groups; participates in performance evaluations of assigned staff; carries out related duties including those of Epidemiologist 1 and 2 levels as assigned; may establish and maintain a working network with federal and state agencies, local health departments, hospitals and professional and lay groups to promote and facilitate disease surveillance, intervention and control; performs related duties as required.

In addition to the foregoing, in the Toxic Hazards Section or its Radon Program, designs and implements complex epidemiological research studies related to toxic and carcinogenic substances; assesses health risk of environmental exposures to toxic substances; prepares scientific risk assessment documents to support regulations; performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Considerable knowledge of occupational/environmental epidemiology and/or toxicology; considerable knowledge of relevant disease processes which affect humans and animals; considerable knowledge of epidemiological methods; 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 perform complex epidemiological investigations; considerable ability to carry out all aspects of data collection, analysis and interpretation of epidemiological data independently; some supervisory ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Eight (8) years' experience conducting epidemiological investigations in a responsible technical or professional capacity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years' of the General Experience must have involved the full range of tasks in designing and conducting epidemiologic occupational/environmental investigations including interviewing and performing trend analyses at or above the level of Epidemiologist 2.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

1. College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling 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 or 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 additional year of the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience developing climate change plans to address heat and impacts to vulnerable populations
  • Experience explaining and applying health equity principles within a climate change program
  • Experience collaborating with stakeholders, including Local Health Directors, on climate change initiatives
  • Experience with work involving climate change effects on air quality or water quality within the environmental health field
  • Experience with grant reporting, monitoring deliverables, and program evaluation 
  • Experience leading a team, including stakeholder representation 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Incumbents in this class must be willing to be immunized for communicable diseases as necessary and appropriate.
2. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.





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