Wastewater Epidemiologist

The purpose of this position is to coordinate, collaborate, and perform surveillance utilizing wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 virus, other pathogens, or additional program targets.

• Collaborate and coordinate between IDOH IDEPD, IDOH Laboratory, and wastewater treatment facility staff, academic partners, and local health departments to maintain, grow, and manage wastewater surveillance program participation;

• Collaborate with and participate in national initiatives related to wastewater surveillance.

• Maintain current subject matter knowledge of the epidemiology and biology of diseases and public health topics, particularly as it relates to wastewater-based epidemiology;

• Provide epidemiologic consultation and technical assistance to local health departments, health care providers, the general public, and other partners with respect to diseases and public health topics;

• Manage and analyze trends and correlations in data collected through routine surveillance and applied epidemiologic studies;

• Monitor data reporting and correct data quality control flags as identified by the CDC NWSS system and ensure data is uploaded regularly and correctly when issues occur or when required for specific program areas;

• Partner with data analysts in the Office of Data & Analytics to manage and update the wastewater dashboard and internal reports as needed;

• Prepare and disseminate written and oral reports and presentations that communicate necessary information to internal and external partners;

• Conduct educational presentations and/or trainings for a variety of audiences, including local health departments, health care providers, utility operators, and the general public;

• Engage directly with members of the public at health fairs and other outreach events;

• Participate in writing grants and other funding proposals;

• Conduct routine epidemiologic surveillance for disease and public health topics;

• Design and conduct applied epidemiologic studies of diseases or public health topics;

• Serve as an agency spokesperson at the invitation and direction of the IDOH Office of Public Affairs;

• Evaluate the impact of legislation or policy proposals at the invitation and direction of the IDOH Director of Legislative Affairs;

• Serve as a backup to other staff, as needed;

• Perform related duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:

• A master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., public health, biological sciences, or social sciences) and 2 years' relevant public health experience OR
• A master's degree in a non-relevant field and 4 years' public health experience OR
• A doctoral-level degree in epidemiology or other relevant fields OR
• A graduate or professional degree in a health-related field (e.g., RN, MD/DO, DDS/DMD, DVM, PhD, RS) with specific epidemiology training (e.g., MPH degree, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service, or CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship) OR
• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 4 years' relevant public health experience OR
• A bachelor's degree in a non-relevant field and 6 years' public health experience.
• Current employee promotion requirement: Internal candidate should be a high-performing Epidemiologist 1 or other internal role based on demonstrated ability, competency attainment, and/or performance feedback.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of the epidemiology and biology of diseases and public health topics;
• Knowledge of state laws and regulations as well as federal public health guidance documents pertaining to diseases and public health topics;
• Skill in identification of public health problems pertinent to Indiana residents;
• Skill in conducting epidemiologic surveillance activities, including selection and use of appropriate field methods as well as use and evaluation of public health surveillance systems;
• Skill in eliciting relevant information from patients in structured or unstructured telephone interviews;
• Skill in conducting public health investigations of individual cases and/or outbreaks of diseases or public health topics
• Skill in designing descriptive and analytical epidemiologic investigations, including hypothesis generation;
• Skill in managing large datasets, performing complex data analyses, and identifying key findings;
• Skill in recommending evidence-based interventions and control measures in response to epidemiologic findings;
• Skill in preparing written and oral reports, presentations, and educational materials that communicate necessary information to internal and external partners;
• Skill in applying principles of informatics, including data collection, processing, and analysis, in support of epidemiologic practice
• Demonstrated skill in statistical, analytical, and/or geospatial software (e.g., EpiInfo, SAS, ArcGIS, SQL, SPSS, R, Python, Stata, etc.);
• Ability to identify appropriate laboratory resources and use them appropriately;
• Ability to provide prompt, courteous, and helpful customer service;
• Ability to collaborate with others inside and outside the agency to identify public health problems and form recommendations;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, using principles of risk communication where appropriate;
• Ability to prioritize tasks efficiently to meet internal and external deadlines;
• Ability to appropriately document work activities and maintain organized records.