Epidemiologist III



Epidemiologist III

Salary

$54.04 - $68.50 Hourly

Location

Seattle, WA

Job Type

Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week

Job Number

2022ML16260

Department

DPH - Public Health

Opening Date

06/10/2022

Closing Date

Continuous

FLSA

Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines

Summary

NOTE: The application period has now closed. Only Priority Placement Program participant applications will be added to the candidate pool.


The Assessment, Policy Development and Evaluation unit within Public Health – Seattle & King County is seeking to hire an Epidemiologist III to help lead the unit’s community health assessment and program and policy evaluation activities. We are looking for someone who will bring their lived experiences, as well as management and technical competencies, to work on a dynamic portfolio of projects that aim to improve the health of King County residents. We seek to operationalize and embed equity in all our work.

The work will focus primarily on managing APDE’s diverse portfolio of projects, supervising technical staff including Epidemiologists and Social Research Scientists, conducting strategic planning and prioritization of APDE’s short and long-term strategic goals, supporting strategic goals of the department, and building and strengthening relationships within the department and across organizations and sectors through data partnerships. Senior Epidemiologists are expected to represent APDE and the Department’s data priorities and activities via both internal and external stakeholder engagement.

This position is posted continuously until filled. The first review of applications will take place on June 24, 2022.

About The Department:

Public Health Seattle & King County works to protect and improve the health and well-being of all people in Seattle and King County. A major focus of the Department is to eliminate inequities in social and health outcomes. The Department is joining with partners at the local, state, and national levels to leverage opportunities to shape innovative and collaborative approaches for improving the health and well-being of all communities and individuals in our region.
 
This position is based in the Assessment, Policy Development, and Evaluation (APDE) unit of Public Health – Seattle and King County. APDE is a nationally recognized leader in community health assessment, providing health assessment data and analysis to inform planning, policies, and actions, and to develop innovative interventions to improve the health of King County residents. More information about the work of the APDE unit can be found at http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/data.aspx.  

 
As the only jurisdiction in the world named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.
 
We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.
 
Applicants should be committed to working with diverse populations throughout King County to provide excellent customer service to a broad range of cultures, in accordance with the King County Equity and Social Justice Ordinance and the King County Strategic Plan.
 
Who May Apply: 

This full-time  position is open to all qualified applicants.
  
Work Schedule: 

The normal work week is Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will, from time to time, require evening or weekend meetings.

The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly through teleworking complemented with onsite work and meetings as needed. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities.  Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
 
Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Please note that when an employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required, including the wearing of masks in some situations. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.
   
King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.  

Job Duties

  • Apply equity, social justice, and anti-racist values to every project and decision.
  • Build and maintain partnerships with and across King County departments, government agencies, academic institutions, health and social service providers, community-based organizations, and other organizations; establish and maintain data sharing agreements.
  • Guide, develop, submit, implement, and ensure compliance with data governance activities and human subjects research protocols.
  • Liaise with local, state, and national partners on data policy and methods; guide establishment and/or revision of APDE data and analytic standards; oversee data assets (data stewardship).
  • Review analytic findings in context of Department/partner priorities and existing knowledge; identify and liaise with subject matter experts.
  • Review public-facing materials; lead dissemination activities that interact with departmental policy leads or elected officials; identify dissemination channels for projects and data; represent APDE and the Department at the local, state, and national level on health equity, social determinants of health and community assessment issues.
  • Coordinate team, unit, and Division-wide work planning with other APDE managers; support strategic planning across APDE priorities; collaborate with Senior technical staff from other PHSKC Divisions on joint projects.
  • Manage Department/county requests for APDE staff time; identify and determine scope of work for new and existing projects; oversee, manage, and coordinate multiple projects.
  • Develop, lead, and implement grant proposals and contracts.
  • Recruit and supervise Epidemiologist, Social Research Scientist, and Program Manager staff; support professional growth of staff.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

  • Deep knowledge of equity and social justice principles and practices; lived experience with and understanding of the effect of place-based, race-based and policy & systems inequities on communities and populations. 
  • Demonstrated knowledge of epidemiological, biostatistical, and quantitative analysis methods and experience applying these in the public health practice context; developing data visualizations tailored to meet the needs of specific audiences; data and information dissemination practices, including use of community engagement to shape storytelling and information sharing; methods, tools, and techniques of applied research; data collection methods, including surveys; working with large datasets, including assessing data quality and conducting record linkage.
  • Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership; act as a liaison between Public Health and the community, elected officials, and representatives of local, state, and national government agencies; convene and/or participate in community coalitions and/or partnerships; and report research findings through scientific publications, reports, lectures, seminars, planning documents, and community meetings.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple ongoing projects in an environment of changing priorities, with time and budget constraints; identify and determine project scope of work for new and existing studies; identify and determine funding sources; and conduct feasibility studies to anticipate future epidemiological needs of the community.
  • Demonstrated ability to collect or acquire data to assess health status and social well-being, health behaviors, and access to health care and social services; interpret complex epidemiologic and qualitative analyses and use the results to inform population health strategy and development of health promotion policies and programs.
  • Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and evaluate complex epidemiologic analysis; translate research findings into clear and concise public health information for multiple audiences.
  • Demonstrated ability to hire, train, and provide technical oversight and assistance to staff for community health assessment and research studies; provide supervision to professional and technical staff; and ensure successful team interaction.
  • Skill and demonstrated proficiency in: Microsoft Office products (such as Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams); database software, data visualization, project management, and software for quantitative analysis (such as Stata, R, SQL, Python, Tableau, GitHub).

OR

  • Any equivalent combination of experience and education that provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the work.
 
Desired Qualifications:
 
  • Local experience in King County or Washington State.
  • Demonstrated experience with and commitment to equity-focused data to inform public health practice.
  • Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience (3 or more years in a management position).
  • PhD and/or MPH in epidemiology or related public health field.

Supplemental Information

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State's best employers. 

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. 
 
Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
 
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:

King County Executive Branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are the successful candidate for the position you applied for, the County will send you a conditional offer letter.
 
 As a condition of employment, prior to a final offer of employment, you will be required to:
  • submit proof of vaccination, or
  • have an approved request for medical or religious exemption and an approved accommodation. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation.

People are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after receiving the final dose of a vaccination approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
 
The Executive Branch includes employees in the Executive branch, the Assessor's Office, Elections, the King County Sheriff's Office, and the Executive Office.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
 
To Apply:

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact your recruiter listed on this job announcement.
 
Application Process:

Applications will be reviewed after the job posting closes. The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

  1. An electronic application through www.kingcounty.gov/jobs or www.governmentjobs.com (use the "Apply" link) including work history and position duties.
  2. Responses to supplemental questions.
  3. Resume OR Curriculum Vitae 
  4. Attach a cover letter detailing your background and describing how you meet or exceed the requirements.
  • Attach example(s) of your work from each of the categories below:
    1. A writing sample you wrote for a lay audience.
    2. A technical report or peer-reviewed article you wrote.
    3. An example/description of how you used management/strategic planning to improve a process, project, or program.
 
Please do not use "see resume" in your application or answers to supplemental questions as these will be considered incomplete.
 
Please do not copy and paste your entire resume, or copy and paste your entire job history, as your answers to the supplemental questions as these will be considered incomplete.
 
You may attach multiple documents if you wish:
 
  • Copy and paste one or more documents into the text resume section of the application.
  • Attach multiple documents/files in the resume attachment section.
 
Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the standard information in the application. Providing information only in a resume will not be considered a complete application.
 
Your application materials must validate your answers to the supplemental questions. If your answers cannot be validated, you will not proceed to the next steps of the process.
 
The selected candidate will be required to pass a thorough background investigation. In the event the job classification requires an exam; an offer of employment will be contingent on passing a pre-employment physical exam and must maintain security clearance.
 
Supplemental Information:
 
This selection process may include but is not limited to: evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, testing and interviewing. For more information on our selection process, please refer to http://www.kingcounty.gov/jobs/applying.aspx 
 
Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
 
Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
 
Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
 
Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
 
Staff may be required to play an active role in the event of a public health emergency, which may include changes in responsibilities and working hours.
 
If you need a disability accommodation in the application or testing process, please call the contact number listed on the job announcement.
 
Applicants from this job posting may be used to fill temporary or other positions in this classification for a period of up to a 6 months.
   
Union affiliation:

 Non-Represented
 
Contact:

For more information about the application process please contact Mark Lacy at Mlacy@kingcounty.gov

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being.  Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
  • Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
  • Retirement: King County employees are eligible to participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
  • Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
  • 10 paid holidays each year (plus 2 personal holidays)
  • Generous vacation and paid sick leave
  • Paid parental leave, family and medical leaves, and volunteer leave
  • Flexible Spending Account
  • Wellness programs
  • Onsite gyms and activity centers
  • Employee giving program
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
  • Training and career development programs
For additional information about employee benefits please visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page.

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy.  If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.  Also, in the event of any incorrect information in this document, applicable laws, policies, rules, CBAs, or official plan documents will prevail.
 
NOTE:  Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
 
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

01
In order for your application to be considered complete, you must attach the following example(s) of your work from each of the categories below: • A writing sample you wrote for a lay audience • A technical report or peer-reviewed article you wrote • An example/description of how you used management/strategic planning to improve a process, project, or program. Please do not create new work. If you have concerns about sharing an example, please contact Human Resources above. Have you attached the required materials outlined above?
  • Yes
  • No
02
Please describe your experience developing and maintaining data systems and data collection activities for community health assessment. If you do not have this experience, please write N/A.
03
Please describe your experience interpreting complex data for public health practice and translating findings into concise reports or other disseminated products. Please be specific on type of product (white paper, press release, presentation, infographic, etc.), audience (general public, policymakers, etc.), dissemination plan, and any publishing or visualization software that you used. If you do not have this experience, please write N/A.
04
Please describe your experience hiring, training, and providing technical oversight and assistance to staff. Be specific and include where you gained this experience. If you do not have this experience, please write N/A.
05
Please describe your experience building and maintaining partnerships across sectors or organizations, including establishing data sharing agreements or collaborating on program evaluations or research studies. If you do not have this experience, please write N/A.
06
Please describe your experience researching, preparing, and writing successful grant proposals, especially Federal grant proposals. Be specific about your role, the dollar amount, and where you gained this experience. If you do not have this experience, please write N/A.
07
At Public Health – Seattle & King County, one of our values is to work towards racial justice on the journey to achieve equity for all. Drawing from your own experience, how do you apply equity and social justice principles to your public health practice work? Please be specific. If you do not have this experience, please write N/A.
08
Are you applying to this position as an eligible Current or Previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant AND Is this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff AND Do you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?
  • Yes, I was given a layoff notice from my role at King County AND I am within two years of the effective date of my layoff. AND The position I was laid off from was the same or a higher percentage of FT status when compared to this one.
  • No.
09
If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided: 1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice 2. The department you worked in 3. The effective date of your layoff

Required Question

Agency
King County
Address
King Street Center
201 South Jackson Street
Seattle, Washington, 98104
Phone
206-477-3404