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Texas Department of State Health Services · 14 hours ago

Influenza Surveillance Epidemiologist III

Austin, TX

Full-time

Onsite

Mid, Senior Level

$5,098/mo - $8,304/mo

2+ years exp

Texas Department of State Health Services is committed to hiring skilled and dedicated individuals who share a passion for public health. The Influenza Surveillance Epidemiologist III will oversee complex epidemiologic assignments related to influenza and respiratory infectious diseases, including surveillance activities, epidemiologic studies, and communication of findings.

Health Care

No H1B

Responsibilities

Directs surveillance activities for influenza and other infectious respiratory diseases as a Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Assists in the design, maintenance, and running of reports using a variety of data sources including National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NRVESS), Influenza-like Illness (ILINet), Texas Syndromic Surveillance (TxS2), Laboratory Response Network (LRN), and regional and local influenza data to inform stakeholders about influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity in Texas

Conducts quality checks and assessments of surveillance data

Works with the Public Health Informatics & Data Exchange Group to update invasive and respiratory disease pages in the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System

Establishes, manages, and coordinates syndromic and laboratory surveillance systems and reports on the occurrence of infectious invasive and respiratory diseases as well as other invasive respiratory diseases, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surveillance

Ensures data entry instructions and procedures for infectious respiratory disease reporting are available

Prepares disease summary reports using Word, Access, Epi Info, PowerPoint, Tableau, SAS, and/or Excel for distribution to local and regional health departments

Ensures summary reports on diseases are available on the web site

Assists in preparation of cooperative agreements

Provides guidance on infectious respiratory disease surveillance plans for local and regional health departments

Analyzes and interprets epidemiological data, including laboratory findings

Creates, maintains, and distributes databases using applications such as Excel, Access, Tableau, SAS and/or Epi Info

Oversees implementation and execution of Epidemiological Laboratory Capacity (ELC) grant activities related to influenza

Initiates, plans, implements, and directs epidemiological studies, surveillance projects, and outbreak investigations for novel influenza, influenza-associated pediatric mortality, and infectious respiratory diseases

Assembles appropriate epidemiological, laboratory, and medical records resources and collaborates with epidemiology staff to address disease outbreak investigations or epidemiologic surveillance projects

Creates and updates forms, and other tools used for case investigations

Coordinates establishment and implementation of activities to improve outbreak response

Participates in respiratory disease outbreak investigations, such as influenza outbreaks, and studies by designing and modifying questionnaires or report forms, performing data analysis using statistical programs, and assisting with recommendations for control measures

Provides epidemiologic consultations to medical and public health professionals on influenza and infectious respiratory diseases

Prepares annual, monthly, and weekly reports and graphic presentations of surveillance and investigation data using EpiInfo, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Access, LabWare, Tableau, SAS, and NEDSS-based system

Prepares information via the Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Unit’s website

Responds to information requests from the DSHS press office

Prepares written manuscripts for publication in peer-review journals

Using PowerPoint and other presentation tools, prepares and conducts oral presentations on infectious disease topics to various audiences, including medical providers, epidemiologists, and health department staff

Uses Excel, PowerPoint, Word, SAS, Tableau, and/or ArcGIS, to prepare and visualize data to multiple audiences

Provides information to the public and news media

Drafts policy statements and guidance documents

Participates in the screening, interviewing, and selection of team members

Plans and directs projects for the team, makes sure deadlines are met, and makes assignments to individual team members

Assists the Group and Unit managers with establishing priorities for the team; then implements them

Assesses training needs and makes recommendations for training; may provide on-the-job training and assist less experienced staff with the more complex issues and/or situations

Attends and provides input at meetings pertaining to unit goals, objectives, and activities

Provides technical assistance to local and regional health departments

Serves as point of contact for the CDC on issues related to influenza and infectious respiratory disease surveillance and control

Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or State Medical Operations Center (SMOC) activation

Qualification

EpidemiologyStatistical analysisDatabase managementSurveillance methodsPublic health experienceEpidemiologic studiesData visualizationTraining othersOral communicationWritten communicationTeam collaborationProject management

Required

Master's degree from a U.S. accredited college or university (or a foreign degree determined to be equivalent by an acceptable education evaluator) with a focus in epidemiology with 3 or more years of public health experience

Professional doctoral degree (e.g., MD/DO, DDS/DMD/DVM) or doctoral degree with a focus in epidemiology from a U.S. accredited college or university (or a foreign degree determined to be equivalent by an acceptable education evaluator) with 2 or more years of public health experience

Knowledge of contemporary principles of epidemiology

Knowledge of biostatistics and Access, Epi Info, and Excel database management

Knowledge of the rules and regulations governing the control of notifiable conditions

Knowledge of database management

Knowledge of the natural history and epidemiology of common infectious diseases, especially influenza

Knowledge of the surveillance methods for common infectious diseases, especially influenza

Knowledge of evidence-based interventions and control measures in response to epidemiologic findings

Ability to manage intervention projects and facilitate workgroups

Ability to train and/or supervise others

Ability to plan, conduct, and report on epidemiologic investigations

Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing and prepare grant applications and decision packages

Ability to present statistical and technical data in a clear and concise format

Ability to work effectively with regional and local health department personnel, private practice physicians, and hospital staff

Ability to organize and maintain complex records and files

Ability to initiate and manage multiple projects and deadlines

Ability to function as a team member and collaborate with internal and external partners

Ability to devise and develop solutions

Skills in utilizing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Skill in conducting disease outbreak investigations

Skill using statistical software packages

Benefits

Insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS)