Title: Regional Epidemiologist
Location: Norfolk County 8 - Canton, Dedham, Milton, Norwood, Walpole, Wellesley, Westwood; based in town of Norwood
Hours: 40 per week
Salary: Grade 4NU $34.19/hr. – $36.20/hr. (Salary dependent on experience; An additional 5% may be granted for candidates with a related master’s degree)
The Regional Epidemiologist supports the Norfolk County – 8 (NC-8) Coalition to establish and utilize data reporting systems for disease surveillance, develop and implement preventative health programs, and promote health equity across NC-8 communities. This includes immediate disease response for general epidemiology and vaccine-preventable diseases, managing or supporting the management of outbreaks that occur, triaging epidemiological questions from the city/towns, and compiling resources to stay up to date with evolving disease-related situations.
Position Purpose: This position is unique in that the role is part of a shared service agreement, providing support to seven municipalities. The candidate will work under the general direction of the NC-8 Advisory Board and be directly supervised by the Regional Staff Coordinator. Furthermore, the staff of the seven participating health departments will provide additional and specific instruction for accomplishing town-specific program objectives. When the employee is working for a member municipality, they should rely on that municipality’s existing Health Department staff for guidance. Varied duties require the exercise of judgment and initiative, particularly in situations not clearly defined by precedent or established procedures.
Essential Functions:
- Investigate communicable disease trends and chronic disease status in NC-8 communities using available data, such as census and statewide reportable disease data and other data sources.
- Identifies needs, opportunities, and sources of data for further investigation in priority areas related to relevant population groups and their health equity experience, including the role of social determinants.
- Promotes data-to-action solutions by proposing programs and intervention strategies to address public health and population priorities throughout the coalition.
- Proactively and regularly engages with health directors, public health nurses, and NC-8 coalition members to share progress updates, surface community needs, and guide further project development.
- Manages and supports coalition delivery of Performance Standards related to Disease Reporting.
- Maintains and regularly updates communicable disease reports based on Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic Network (MAVEN) data.
- Builds relationships with local healthcare organizations to access community-level data and contacts for resource coordination and community engagement.
- Analyzes, develops, and structures epidemiological data specific to each community and across the region to present to coalition stakeholders.
- Applies principles of informatics toward data collection, processing, and analysis in support of epidemiologic practice.
- Analyzes quantitative surveillance data and qualitative information from public health literature to draw insightful interpretations for data briefs, reports/data requests, and presentations.
- Regularly review surveillance data to establish community health baselines and identify trends.
- Collaborates with NC-8 municipalities and stakeholders on community health surveys and needs assessments as requested.
- Presents regularly to NC-8 Coalition about outbreaks of interest and epidemiological data updates from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
- Supports local public health with communicable disease tracking, case management, and contact tracing and collaborates with municipalities on various issues as needed.
- Participates in program planning and implementation ensuring that principles of health equity are incorporated. Adhere to local, state, and federal reporting standards.
- Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias.
- Provides MAVEN coverage on a rotating basis for individual NC-8 communities as needed.
- Performs similar or related work as required, directed, or as situation dictates. This position is fully in person with the opportunity to work in all seven communities as necessary.
Scope and Judgment: The Regional Epidemiologist assists with the effort to work towards health equity by expanding the reach and elevating the impact of local public health services supporting the communities of: Canton, Dedham, Milton, Norwood, Walpole, Wellesley, and Westwood
Supervision Received: Works under the general supervision of the Regional Staff Coordinator, and the general administrative direction of the Director, Public Health Department Town of Norwood and the NC-8 Advisory Board in accordance with applicable provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws, Board of Health regulations, and town bylaws, state, and federal regulations.
Minimum Entrance Requirements
Education, Training and Experience:
Bachelor’s in public health with a focus in Epidemiology; Master’s degree in Epidemiology or as a concentration of a Master’s in Public Health strongly preferred. Minimum of 3 years working in epidemiology/surveillance. Valid driver’s license; previous experience using MAVEN is preferred.
Knowledge, Ability and Skill:
Knowledge: Proficiency with Google Workplace, Zoom, and Microsoft Office. Knowledge of customer service skills. Knowledge of state laws, town by-laws and government regulations related to or ability to. Knowledge of health policy.
Ability: Ability to deal tactfully and appropriately with the general public and town departments in an effective manner. Ability to lead projects and establish clear, effective goals. Ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing. Ability to design and implement effective procedures and programs. Ability to multitask, be flexible, and change task directions in midstream. Ability to work with a variety of partners and manage multiple projects/programs.
Skill: Skills in computer-related programs as mentioned above. Strong multi-tasking skills required. Skill in prioritizing and working independently at times. Skill in all of the above-mentioned equipment. Skilled with data analysis and reporting.
Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Minimal physical effort is generally demanded when performing functions under typical office conditions. Position requires the ability to operate a keyboard and continuously sit at a desk for several hours. Correctable vision and hearing required. Infrequently lifts and/or moves objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
*This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.
Contact: Interested and qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter by Friday March 1, 2024, to the email at jobs@norwoodma.gov. Please refer to requisition #2024-006 on all material.
