Epidemiology Investigator 3

About Us: Our mission at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is advancing the health and well-being of all Ohioans. Our agency is committed to building a modern, vibrant public health system that creates the conditions where all Ohioans flourish.

The goal of the Bureau of Infectious Diseases (BID) is to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases (e.g., foodborne outbreaks, general infectious diseases, healthcare-associated infections, influenza, meningitis, tuberculosis, vaccine-preventable diseases, waterborne outbreaks, zoonotic diseases and vector-borne diseases).

The bureau works closely with local health departments (LHDs), healthcare providers and laboratories to ensure that infectious disease reports are reviewed and investigated timely; the program provides technical expertise and coordination to LHDs, healthcare providers, laboratories and where appropriate, the general public.

What You'll Do: The Bureau of Infectious Diseases is seeking an Epidemiology Investigator 3 to initiate, propose, design, & conducts epidemiologic surveillance, projects, research, & investigations pertaining to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), antimicrobial-resistant (AR) organisms, & other emerging pathogens.

This position will:

• Coordinate data collection, ensure quality control, & oversee epidemiological database management for the Healthcare-Associated Infections/Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program
• Monitor & assess incidence, prevalence, & changing distribution of HAIs, AR organisms, & other emerging infectious diseases in Ohio through epidemiologic analysis of surveillance data
• Provide technical advice & guidance on surveillance methods, study design, data collection, & data management related to HAI/AR surveillance projects or outbreak investigations to staff in local health departments (LHDs) & other agencies
• Work independently on surveillance & investigation projects as assigned
• Initiate, design, & conduct research & analytic activities to investigate clusters & outbreaks including virtual or onsite visits to improve the understanding of HAIs & AR organisms in Ohio, & to monitor the impact of HAI/AR programmatic activities & progress toward implementation of program prevention workplans
• Submit, or arrange for submission of specimens associated with HAI/AR cases, clusters, or outbreaks to the ODH Public Health Laboratory &/or regional Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network (ARLN) lab for confirmation & characterization
• Provide technical advice & guidance to healthcare facilities, LHDs, & the public regarding identification, prevention, & control of HAIs & AR organisms based on current recommendations
• Conduct computerized epidemiological & statistical analysis using appropriate statistical software (e.g., SAS, REDCap) to evaluate effectiveness of HAI/AR surveillance & control activities
• Analyze & interpret epidemiologic trends to produce technical reports and data visualizations to support public health findings
• Respond to information requests from health care providers, public health officials & the general public regarding the epidemiology of HAIs & AR organisms in Ohio
• Assist supervisor with administrative duties

Unusual Working Conditions: Requires travel; may be away from home & normal work site up to 30 days during emergencies; may be exposed to contagious & communicable diseases & toxic or hazardous chemicals.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems ( such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation ( Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Completion of graduate core program in public health or preventive medicine AND 3 courses or 9 mos. exp. in use of statistical computer software packages AND 6 mos. exp. as epidemiology investigator with local or federal health agency AND must be able to provide own transportation

-Or 6 mos. exp. as Epidemiology Investigator 2, 65762; must be able to provide own transportation.

-Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above.

Applications of those who meet the minimum qualifications will be further evaluated against the following criteria:

• Graduate or advanced degree in public health or preventive medicine
• Courses in epidemiology
• Experience working with statewide epidemiologic databases
• Experience with case finding and active follow-up (e.g., case management) for an infectious disease or health condition
• Experience in statistical software (e.g., SAS, STATA or SPSS)
• Experience interpreting and conducting a statistical analysis of health-related data
• Experience working outbreak investigations
• Experience as a lead worker

All eligible applications shall be reviewed considering the following criteria: qualifications, experience, education and active disciplinary record.

Job Skills: Public Health
Technical Skills: Data Analytics, Data Visualization, Statistics/Mathematics
Professional Skills: Attention to Detail, Reasoning, Interpreting Data

ALL ANSWERS TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS MUST BE SUPPORTED BY THE WORK EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION PROVIDED ON YOUR CIVIL SERVICE APPLICATION. Unless required by legislation, the selected candidate will begin at Pay Grade 33, Step 1 of the union (OCSEA) Pay Range Schedule ($33.52 per hour), with an opportunity for pay increase after six months ($35.15 per hour) of satisfactory performance and then a yearly raise thereafter.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES:

All applicants must submit a completed Ohio Civil Service Application using the online TALEO System. Paper applications will not be considered. Applicants must clearly indicate how they meet the minimum qualifications and/or position specific minimum qualifications. Applicants are also encouraged to document any experience, education and/or training related to the job duties above. An assessment of these criteria may be conducted to determine the applicants who are interviewed.

EDUCATIONAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS:

Official educational transcripts are required for all post-high school educational accomplishments, coursework or degrees claimed on the application. Applicants will be required to submit an official transcript prior to receiving a formal offer of employment. Failure to provide transcripts within 5 working days of being requested will cause the applicant to be eliminated from further consideration.

Please note that a transcript is considered "official" only if it is an original copy from the educational institution and includes an institutional watermark, ink stamp or embossed stamp. Transcripts printed from the institution's website will not be accepted. ODH reserves the right to assess the academic credibility of an educational entity's award of a putative degree.

BACKGROUND CHECK NOTICE:

The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.