STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

State Public Health Veterinarian

Hybrid

Recruitment #240424-8109RL-001

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Introduction


THE POSITION
The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH), is currently seeking enthusiastic and driven candidates to apply for the position of State Public Health Veterinarian in the DPH Infectious Diseases (ID) Section to serve as the Department's subject matter expert on zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. 

This position will oversee the staff in the Epidemiology and Emerging Infections Program (EEIP) as well as the Respiratory Viral Disease Unit. This includes oversight of zoonotic and vector-borne disease activities in the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) and Emerging Infections Program (EIP) cooperative agreements with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which are critical funding sources for the Infectious Disease Section.  This position reports to the Assistant Director of Infectious Diseases, who is also the Deputy State Epidemiologist. The State Public Health Veterinarian will be involved in overseeing surveillance activities for the majority of the diseases the Infectious Disease Section is responsible for and will play an integral role in outbreak prevention, control and response for a wide variety of diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis, highly pathogenic avian influenza, tickborne diseases and foodborne diseases.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • UNIT: Infectious Diseases (ID)
  • ADDRESS: 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 
  • WORK HOURS: Full-Time, First Shift, 40 Hours per Week 
  • SCHEDULE: Typical work schedule of Monday through Friday, with opportunities for flex scheduling.  

WHY THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT

  • Join an Award-Winning Team: Be part of the prestigious Forbes-ranked State of Connecticut, recognized as one of the Best Employers of 2023. Experience national acclaim for providing unparalleled job growth, competitive benefits, and flexible schedules.
  • Platinum Healthcare Excellence: Enjoy the nation's top-rated healthcare plan for state employees and their dependents. Our Platinum Healthcare Plan, ranked the best by Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reform and endorsed by Ellen Andrews, Ph.D., ensures comprehensive coverage and well-being for you and your family.
  • Secure Your Future: Benefit from our robust pension plan and explore supplemental retirement offerings, ensuring a secure and comfortable future for you and your loved ones.
  • Invest in Your Education and Future: As a Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, the State of Connecticut supports your educational journey. You may qualify for student loan forgiveness after just 10 years of dedicated service. Learn more here.
  • Time for What Matters: Embrace a healthy work-life balance with generous paid time off, including 13 paid holidays per calendar year. Prioritize your well-being and make the most of your personal time. 
  • Unlock Your Potential: Grow professionally with a range of development opportunities. The State of Connecticut is committed to nurturing your skills and helping you reach new heights in your career.
  • Cultivate Balance: We believe in a healthy work/life balance for all our employees. Join us in fostering an environment where your professional and personal lives harmonize, allowing you to thrive in both.
As a State Public Health Veterinarian, discover the opportunity to:  
  • Ensure programmatic excellence by building depth and breadth of subject matter expertise to help prepare for future emerging threats; 
  • Serve as the liaison with other state agencies, federal agencies, and professional organizations that have expertise or regulatory responsibilities for wild and domestic animal health or arthropod vectors that have significance for human health; 
  • Respond to new and unanticipated infectious disease threats and provide epidemiological expertise to other programs; and 
  • Contribute to the education and training of in-house staff as well as Masters of Public Health (MPH) students and veterinary students; 
ABOUT US 
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.

Selection Plan

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING: 

Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!


Please Note: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

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. 
  • In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited.  If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
  • 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.
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. Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
  • 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 Jensine Tran at jensine.tran@ct.gov. 

    PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

    In the Department of Public Health this class serves as the State's Chief Public Health Veterinarian and is accountable for directing activities for the identification, prevention, and control of zoonotic, vector-borne, and respiratory diseases.

    EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

    • Directs the staff and operations of the program which includes zoonotic, vector-borne and respiratory diseases including COVID-19 and influenza; 
    • Develops, implements, communicates and evaluates program policies, procedures, goals and activities; 
    • Coordinates, plans and manages section activities; 
    • Obtains state and federal funds to maintain and implement programs; directs preparation of statistical studies and required federal reports; 
    • Determines appropriate staffing levels;
    • Determines quality assurance, performance standards and assesses staff performance; 
    • Directs, designs, implements and analyzes animal, infectious, and environmental components of communicable disease investigations attributed to zoonotic and other infectious diseases;
    • Directs the design, implementation and evaluation of human health, veterinary and environmental surveillance systems to characterize zoonotic and other communicable diseases;
    • Directs and leads epidemiologic investigations of zoonotic and other communicable disease outbreaks, designing and overseeing surveillance strategies to inform disease outbreak response and provide data from surveillance and outbreak investigations;
    • Conducts training and technical consultation to public health practitioners, including epidemiologists, on principles of zoonotic and other diseases including disease diagnosis and prevention;
    • Presents technical and policy information at local, state, and national conferences and meetings on the identification, investigation, control and prevention of zoonotic and other infectious diseases; 
    • Responds to inquiries and requests from local health jurisdictions, state and federal agencies, private industry, other internal and external stakeholders, the public, and the media on issues pertaining to zoonotic and other diseases; 
    • Reviews and evaluates legislative proposals; 
    • Develops and recommends changes to statutes and regulations;
    • Maintains contacts with individuals both within and outside of the section who might impact program activities; 
    • Conducts technical reviews and written assessments of state and national policies and procedures pertaining to zoonotic diseases and develops recommendations; 
    • Provides consultation to human healthcare providers regarding human-animal transmission and zoonotic diseases; 
    • Coordinates and conduct planning for pandemic events, including zoonotic events such as influenza pandemic preparedness, in conjunction with partners; 
    • Performs related duties as required.

    KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

    • Considerable knowledge of
      • principles and practices of veterinary medicine with particular reference to vector-borne and zoonotic diseases; 
      • the epidemiologic analysis of surveillance data to characterize communicable disease etiology, transmission, at risk populations and health outcomes; 
      • the collection, storage handling, submission and analysis of animal and environmental samples for identification of zoonotic diseases;
      • relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations; 
      • principles and practices of public health with an emphasis on infectious diseases; 
    • Knowledge of recent developments in veterinary medicine; 
    • Considerable
      • interpersonal skills;
      • oral and written communication skills;
      • skill in development of public health policies and guidance;
    • Supervisory ability.

    MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

    Possession of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree with a license to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Connecticut.

    AND

    Professional veterinary medical experience with progressive experience in public health or veterinary medicine with a focus on One-Health.

    PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

    • Experience as a practicing veterinarian  
    • Experience providing subject matter expertise in zoonotic and vector-borne diseases
    • Experience with the presentation of data or analyses in both written and oral formats including: (1) experience producing written reports, data books, fact sheets, scientific journal articles or other written materials, and (2) experience giving verbal presentations in both formal and informal settings, to both lay and scientific audiences
    • Experience in program administration and management including experience: (1) supervising epidemiologists, veterinarians, or other health professionals; and (2) collaborating with internal and external partners and stakeholders

    SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

    • Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license to practice veterinary medicine pursuant to Chapter 384 of the Connecticut General Statutes.  A temporary permit as described in Section 20-200 (b) shall be valid for a period not to exceed one hundred-twenty (120) calendar days and shall not be renewable. 
    • Incumbents in this class may be required to participate in all hazards emergency response, exercises and planning.
    • Incumbents in this class may be required to periodically undergo tests or immunizations for communicable or infectious disease.
    • Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
    • Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.

    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.

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.


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