Epidemiologist

Full Job Description

Loudoun County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country, known for its excellent quality of life and strong economy while embracing its historic presence. Located 35 miles west of Washington DC, Loudoun County offers diverse cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. The mission of The Health Department is to provide health services that enhance and ensure the health of all Loudoun County residents.

Requirements

The Loudoun County Health Department is seeking a talented and motivated Epidemiologist to join our small but talented Epidemiology team. Rooted in the practice of field epidemiology in a community that traverses rural landscapes and global connectedness, the Epidemiology team contributes to Loudoun County’s capacity to prepare for, detect, and respond to communicable disease and other emerging public health threats and emergencies. We welcome new teammates with an opportunity to grow and to contribute to our ability to adapt, collaborate, harness innovation, communicate and, ultimately, make an impact on protecting and improving public health.

The ideal candidate will have knowledge or experience in communicable disease epidemiology and biostatistics, and will have demonstrated expertise in data management, analysis, and visualization using an array of applications common to field epidemiology. They should be familiar with public health laws, work well on multi-disciplinary teams, maintain confidentiality, and communicate complex data effectively. Experience with disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, and developing data workflows is essential.

As a member of the Epidemiology Team, this position will conduct disease surveillance, investigation, emergency preparedness, and response activities within an assigned portfolio of program areas. An ability to work independently, escalate appropriately, and identify solutions for moderately complex tasks and projects is key to success in this position.

Under the general direction of the Epidemiology Supervisor, the Epidemiologist will:

• Manage, analyze, and summarize disease surveillance data from a variety of sources and systems, including reportable disease and syndromic surveillance data, outbreak data, and other sources as needed.
• Coordinate outbreak investigations, including conducting case interviews; designing studies, questionnaires, and tracking systems; and performing data entry, analysis, and report generation.
• Implement disease control and prevention measures based on the Virginia Department of Health Disease Control Manual, CDC guidelines, and best practices.
• Provide consultation and develop reports and written summaries on epidemiology and infectious diseases to internal and external partners.
• Develop special surveillance projects, as needed, during complex investigations or public health emergencies.
• Create data visualizations and dashboards for internal and external audiences.
• Participate in emergency preparedness and response activities including developing and delivering trainings and exercises to enhance epidemiologic preparedness.
• Stay current on best practices in epidemiology and data science to integrate relevant developments into the program.
• Perform other essential job functions specific to the position and department assignment, as needed.
  

Qualifications

Master's degree in Public Health or Master of Science with graduate level coursework in epidemiology and biostatistics; one (1) year of experience in epidemiology-related work; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in applied or field epidemiology at the federal, state, or local level. Familiarity with public health practice in Virginia preferred.
• Considerable knowledge of methods, principles, and concepts in disease surveillance and infectious disease epidemiology.
• Considerable knowledge of the cause, transmission, control and prevention of infectious diseases and other conditions of public health importance.
• Ability to write clear, concise, and scientifically accurate reports and data summaries.
• Experience designing and creating data collection tools, including disease reporting forms and surveys.
• Experience creating data visualizations using Excel, Tableau, Power BI, or other business analytics software.
• Experience conducting time series analysis, analysis of measures of association, and analyses involving syndromic surveillance data
• Knowledge of emergency management concepts, including the Incident Command System (ICS).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, and escalate appropriately, to carry out or coordinate moderately complex tasks and projects.
  

Additional Information

• Have a valid driver's license and good driving record (driving records may be reviewed annually for continued qualification).
• Pass pre-employment background checks to include fingerprinting and DMV checks.

This is an essential position. Errors in the work performed may cause serious, long-term consequences, substantial financial costs, significantly reduced service to the public, and/or negative media coverage.

The successful candidate:

• May be required to work and may be assigned to an alternate work site to carry out duties that support the needs of the County's residents or employees.
• Must be available for duty beyond normal workday as required to perform functions of position for assigned department.
• May be exposed to communicable disease in the performance of duties and must be able to don appropriate personal protective equipment and take adequate precautions as necessary.