STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Epidemiologist 2 (Infectious/Chronic Diseases) (35 Hour)

Recruitment #211103-0287HC-001

Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH) is hiring! We are seeking a qualified individual for this Epidemiologist 2 (Infectious/Chronic Diseases) position. This Epidemiologist 2 position will work in the Community, Family Health and Prevention Section’s Epidemiology Unit and will work with a dynamic team of chronic disease and injury surveillance epidemiologists to develop a cannabis surveillance system.

The responsibilities of this Epidemiologist 2 position will include but are not limited to the following:

  • Obtain, manage, analyze and report cannabis data and statistics for cannabis use, illness, adverse events, injury, pregnancy outcomes, childhood poisoning, adult and youth use, cannabis-related emergency room visits and urgent care episodic mental health visits
  • Perform epidemiologic analysis on cannabis use, morbidity and mortality data and to identify disparity, risk factors and changes in trends
  • Generate cannabis data fact sheets, reports and data tables
  • Provide guidance to lower-level Epidemiologists
  • Coordinate response to all cannabis statistics inquiries and data requests
  • Present surveillance findings to various audiences
  • Maintain current cannabis use associated morbidity and mortality statistics on DPH website to inform policy makers and citizens on the impact of cannabis legalization
  • Assist in the development and/or modification of cannabis data management and dissemination plans 

This Epidemiologist 2 will be part of establishing a brand-new Cannabis Program within the Department of Public Health and will serve as the Cannabis Data Coordinator. As Cannabis Data Coordinator, this Epidemiologist 2 will collect, abstract, analyze, and interpret timely public health information on cannabis associated illness and adverse events, nonfatal and fatal injuries, and cannabis use poisoning data, from state and national data sources. This Epidemiologist 2 will communicate findings in various formats to inform policy makers and citizens on the impact of cannabis legalization.

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, and 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.

Are you interested in joining our team as an Epidemiologist 2? We encourage you to apply today! This position is conveniently located in Hartford, CT at 410 Capitol Avenue. The work schedule for this position is typically Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week, first shift.

We offer a competitive benefits package, excellent health care, generous leave policies, retirement plan, and more! We also encourage a healthy work-life balance to all employees!

Selection Plan

The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.

This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.  

Due to the volume of applications anticipated, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be provided through your JobAps portal account. 

Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience most closely meet the preferred requirements of the position.  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, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position. 

Please Note: You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.

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. 

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. 

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

All State employees shall follow the guidelines as listed in Executive Orders  13F (3a) and 13G (3a) .

Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Chelsea Moore at Chelsea.Moore@ct.gov

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Public Health this class is accountable for performing the full range of tasks in investigating infectious, chronic and non-infectious diseases and implementing disease prevention methods.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Leads and participates in routine epidemiologic investigations to identify risk factors and implements and evaluates resulting intervention measures; collect and collates data including performing interviews; performs data analysis and summarizes relevant epidemiologic investigation data into tables, charts and written reports; provides technical information to the professional and lay public including local health departments; collaborates in the preparation and presentation of workshops; may respond to media inquiries; maintains an orderly surveillance system capable of detecting risk factors and changes in disease patterns; may administer biologics or collect specimens such as blood and urine samples, throat and rectal swabs under the supervision of a physician.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Considerable knowledge of infectious and/or chronic disease processes; considerable knowledge of relevant disease processes which affect humans and animals; considerable knowledge of epidemiological methods and techniques; knowledge of basic biological processes; oral and written communications skills; interpersonal skills; computer skills; ability to independently perform epidemiological investigations; ability to independently collect, analyze and interpret epidemiological data.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Six (6) years' experience in conducting epidemiological investigations in a responsible technical or professional capacity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

One (1) year of the General Experience must have involved interviewing and performing trend analyses at or above the level of Epidemiologist 1.

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

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience using SAS to analyze large health datasets such as hospitalization and mortality data
  • Experience in using epidemiological and statistical methods to measure disease burden
  • Experience collaborating with public health professionals in identifying data sources for a surveillance system
  • Experience communicating analytic findings in oral and written formats
  • Experience providing technical guidance and coordinating work with other epidemiologists/researchers or public health professional staff

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.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be exposed to communicable diseases and hazardous substance.

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.