Job Description

Posting number: 60000648 (11/2026)

Department: Northern Nevada Public Health

Job classification: EPIDEMIOLOGIST

Posting type: Open

Categories: Public Health, Statistics/Mathematics, Health Sciences, Sciences

Summary

Please click here ( PDF reader) for the Total Compensation Package for this job classification which includes county paid employee health benefits after 30 days of employment, county paid retirement benefits, vacation accruals, etc. The Total Compensation Package outlines the various benefits offered by Washoe County and the annual earnings based on the entry level salary for the job classification.

Under general supervision, develops, leads, coordinates, and conducts countywide disease surveillance, and recommends disease control measures for infectious diseases, applies epidemiological principles; and per­forms related work as required.

This is an Open Competitive/Countywide Promotional recruitment being conducted to fill two full-time vacancies in Northern Nevada Public Health. The list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies as they occur.

Additional schedule requirements: Provides after-hours and weekend coverage for reportable communicable disease reports, outbreaks, clusters of illness, and other urgent public health events as assigned.

For more information on this position, please see the Job Specification at https://www.washoecounty.gov/humanresources/Careers/jobspecs.php

Examples of duties

Three years of full-time experience in an organized communicable disease epidemiology or infection control program AND a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in behavioral science, biology, microbiology, medicine, public health, or a closely related field; OR an equivalent combination of training and experience

License Or Certificate

A valid driver's license may be required at the time of appointment and if required, must be maintained for continued employment in this classification.

Ideal Candidate

Epidemiologist (General):

Have a background in laboratory and/or basic sciences (e.g., biology, microbiology, virology, immunology, or equivalent) with experience in healthcare or the medical field, such as reviewing or handling medical records, interpreting laboratory results, and/or managing complex health data. The candidate will have demonstrated coursework in statistics and epidemiology, including examples or experience in applied epidemiology. Previous exposure to SQL, SAS, and/or R programming is desired, as well as designing public health surveys or data collection tools (e.g., REDCap, Alchemer). This comprehensive knowledge should include data integration tactics and analytical strategies to produce meaningful population health metrics for a wide variety of audiences. The ability to create reports, contribute to grant applications via scientific writing skills, manage projects from conception to completion, and design reports or dashboards is preferred. The candidate should be adaptable to teamwork while also maintaining independent judgement. Attention to detail is critical. Previous experience conducting health-related interviews or employment in customer service is valued.

Epidemiologist (Specific):

Have a background in epidemiology and/or statistics with specialization in infectious diseases, particularly population studies or managing complex data systems. Specialty topics such as antimicrobial resistance, hospital acquired infections, and/or managing the transmission of communicable diseases (e.g., infection prevention) in congregate settings is desired. The candidate should have experience working in healthcare (or equivalent) and population analytics, including the design of data collection instruments (REDCap, Alchemer), implementation of data pipelines, and demonstrated history of programming in R, SAS, and/or SQL. A portfolio of scripts overseeing the data lifecycle, or a willingness to learn, is needed. Knowledge of informatics is a complementary asset. This position is seeking a team player coupled with autonomous deliverables. The candidate should have the ability to maintain individual and programmatic deadlines, pay attention to detail, and design quality assurance reports using data science methodologies. Data visualization (dashboards, reporting graphics, etc.) is expected. Previous experience conducting health-related interviews or employment in customer service is valued. Scientific writing skills and grant management is expected for the candidate to promote and expand health services to Washoe County and Nevada residents. Exposure to working with or in vulnerable or underserved communities is strongly favored, such as rural or frontier counties.

Qualifications

The Washoe County Employees Association (WCEA) Non-Supervisory Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covers the Epidemiologist position.

Selected candidates are required to meet the Health District (NNPH) immunization requirements and complete 2 TB Skin Tests at time of appointment or provide documentation of a prior QuantiFERON test done within the last 12 months.

Background checks will be conducted on selected applicants through the State of Nevada and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Per the Washoe County Background and Reference Checks Policy, new and rehired employees are required to submit to a fingerprint-based background investigation. Effective October 1, 2026, the $40.00 fee associated with this background investigation will be paid by the employee (if applicable) and deducted automatically from the first paycheck. Employment is contingent upon the results of the background check, although a record of conviction will not necessarily bar an applicant from employment.

Washoe County requires its employees to reside in the state of Nevada or neighboring California communities such as Truckee, South Lake Tahoe or Susanville as of their first day of work.

Washoe County hires all new employees at the minimum rate of the salary range and eligible employees may receive an annual merit increase of 5% until they reach the maximum salary for the classification. Upon promotion, current Washoe County employees are placed at the minimum rate of the salary range for the higher classification of the new position OR a promotional calculation, whichever is greater.

Supplemental information

1. After your application is screened, you will be notified via the email you provided whether you have met the minimum requirements for the position. Those applicants who do not meet the qualifications have one (1) business day to file an appeal and request a review of their qualifications. Written appeals should be submitted via email to the assigned Human Resources Business Partner using the contact information listed on this job announcement.
2. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements will receive an email invitation to take the Professional Level online exam administered remotely; notices will be delivered within 1 week from the closing of the recruitment.

This exam link will tentatively be delivered via email the week of November 30, 2026, and qualified candidates will have a time limit to complete the exam, within 4 calendar days. **You will be notified if you are eligible to transfer an exam score within 1 week following the closing date of the recruitment.

The exam will evaluate your expertise, knowledge, skills and abilities in the following areas:

• Reading Comprehension
• Written Communication
• Analytical Ability
• Business Math
• Interpersonal and Customer Service Skills

Pursuant to the Washoe County Personnel Handbook, the Department of Human Resources does not administer an exam when there are less than 20 qualified candidates. Once the recruitment has closed, if there are less than 20 qualified candidates, the exam will be waived, and all qualifying candidates will be placed on an unranked eligible list which will be referred to the hiring department. If the exam is scheduled to move forward and less than 20 candidates take the exam as determined by the Department of Human Resources, the exam will be waived. Only those candidates who took the exam or have a transfer score will be placed on an unranked eligible list which will be referred to the hiring department.

1. After the exam is completed, you will receive an additional email notifying you of the results. If you pass the examination, you will receive your score and rank. This rank will be used to determine which candidates will be interviewed by departments trying to fill a vacancy.
2. Hiring departments schedule interviews from a list of top scoring candidates. If your name is not sent to the hiring department, it will remain on the list for future opportunities as they become available.
3. Please be advised you can log in to your NeoGov account and select:

• “Applications” to view a list of the recruitments which you have applied for, your submitted application for each recruitment, a copy of the job listing, and your applicant history for each recruitment.
• “Inbox” to view the notices which have been sent to you for each recruitment
• “Account” to update your contact information. Please note to update your phone number on previously submitted applications you must contact careers@washoecounty.gov.

If you have any questions regarding the Online Application Process, you can find additional information at the following link: https://www.washoecounty.gov/humanresources/faq/online/index.php

Questions: Jessica Gutierrez

jgutierrez@washoecounty.gov

775-328-2096

Veteran Point

Eligible veterans who were honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces shall receive one (1) bonus point upon passing Open Competitive examinations only. In order to be given a bonus point, applicants must attach proof of Honorable Discharge (DD-214 with Classification of Discharge) to the Online Application at time of submission.

Washoe County is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce that creates a sense of belonging for all employees and citizens, thereby encouraging persons from all backgrounds and experiences to apply for employment.

Washoe County will recruit, hire, train and promote into all job levels without regard to race, religion or belief, gender, marital status or domestic partnership, familial status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, genetic information (GINA), veteran status, political affiliation, membership in an employee association or union or any other protected class under applicable federal or state law.