Epidemiologist



Epidemiologist

Salary

$82,608.21 - $100,411.34 Annually

Location

Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

23/05-2630-O

Department

Department of Health Services (DHS)

Opening Date

05/03/2023

Closing Date

5/29/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

Bargaining Unit

75

Position Information

Join our team as an Epidemiologist and help improve the health of the community!

Starting salary up to $48.11/hour ($100,411/year), a cash allowance of $600/month, and a competitive total compensation package!*
 
Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:
 
  • A hybrid telework schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
  • Eligibility for a salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
  • Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
  • County paid 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
  • An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance of up to $500/650 etc. and ongoing education/training opportunities
  • County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
  • Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
  • May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment
The County of Sonoma is seeking qualified individuals to fill a full-time Epidemiologist position within the Health Data and Epidemiology Unit in the Department of Health Services. Reporting to the Health Program Manager of the Health Data and Epidemiology Unit, the epidemiologist in this position will perform tasks such as, but not limited to:

  • Supporting infectious and chronic disease surveillance
  • Tracking and reporting on COVID-19 wastewater surveillance, variants, hospitalization, death, and case data
  • Providing epidemiological support to Public Health programs
  • Utilizing State infectious disease and immunization databases
  • Populating and maintaining County data dashboards
  • Mapping and visualizing data as needed to inform planning
  • Analyzing case clusters and outbreaks
  • Making presentations to disease control staff, community groups, and public health leadership
  • Producing weekly surveillance reports
  • Compiling, interpreting, and reporting on data for the Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan every three years
Although some of the work may be done remotely, current residency in or relocation to California is required for these positions.

The ideal candidate for this position will possess:

  • A Master's Degree in Public Health
  • Advanced knowledge of epidemiology (infectious disease background desirable)
  • Advanced statistical and coding skills, preferably with R 
  • Training in and experience utilizing Tableau
  • Training in and experience utilizing ArcGIS
  • One or more year(s) experience working within a public health department.
  • Thorough knowledge and understanding of public health sciences and practices
  • The ability to interpret findings and prepare materials (such as briefs, reports, etc.), and communicate results to department staff, the general public, and other partners
  • Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office skills
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • The ability to present and explain data to a wide variety of audiences
  • The ability to provide epidemiological and evaluation input into planning and program processes, automate processes, and improve efficiencies 
  • A proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU) and our Employee Benefits Directory.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a full-time Epidemiologist position in the Department of Health Services. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. The Civil Service title for this position is Biostatistician.  

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

The knowledge and abilities listed may be acquired through various types of training, education, and/or experience. A typical way to acquire the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Education: Possession of a Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in mathematics and statistics, epidemiology, or a closely related field. A Masters Degree would be desirable.

Experience: Two (2) years of working experience at a technical/professional level of statistical analysis.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: standard and accepted mathematical and statistical methods and techniques; accepted research and data collection methods and techniques; basic epidemiological research and reporting methods and techniques; designated health services programs, funding sources, and mandates of assigned area of specialization; designated community needs and resources as they relate to assigned area of specialization and research.

Ability to: understand and carry out a variety of complex directives in an independent manner; understand and interpret a variety of programmatic directives, operational policies and procedures, and legislative guidelines and regulations as they relate to assigned areas of specialization; collect, interpret, and evaluate a variety of complex and diverse statistical and narrative data; identify problems and central issues, research and evaluate alternatives, project the consequences of proposed actions, and make recommendations with accompanying justifications; operate designated and specialized databases, graphic programs, and other software programs; compute complex mathematical calculations in support of statistical analyses methods and techniques; communicate effectively and understandably in both oral and written forms; establish and maintain effective schedules and priorities for self and others in the timely completion of assigned tasks and functions; establish and maintain effective work relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

  • Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
  • You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
  • You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
  • Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.
Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Responses to supplemental questions will or may be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.
Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position.  If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer are contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are accepted on-line at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: DP
HR Technician: RR

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:
 
Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.
 
Health Plan: Choice of five health plans (a PPO, EPO, HMO, and two deductible HMOs) with a County contribution towards the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit. For specific details, please refer to the applicable MOU). A County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement is available for some bargaining units.

Cash Allowance: A cash allowance of approximately $600 per month, in addition to monthly salary.
 
Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired.
 
IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.
 
Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.
 
Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources/divisions-and-units/employee-relations/labor-agreements-and-salary-resolution. For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources or, contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-2900.

*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

01
How did you first learn about this opportunity?
  • CalJobs
  • CareerBuilder
  • Careers in Government
  • College or University
  • Craigslist
  • Craigslist Mendocino
  • Craigslist Sacramento
  • Employee of Sonoma County
  • Facebook
  • Glassdoor
  • GovernmentJobs.com
  • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
  • Indeed
  • Job Fair
  • La Voz
  • Latino Service Providers
  • LinkedIn
  • Los Cien
  • Minority Organization or Group
  • Monster
  • Press Democrat
  • sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
  • Sonoma County Human Resources Office
  • Sonoma County Job Line
  • Twitter
  • Other Internet Site
  • Other Publication
02
Please indicate the full-time equivalent experience you possess within the field of epidemiology or evaluation in which you performed study design, evaluation, and/or analysis.
  • I have no experience
  • I have less than 12 months experience
  • I have 12 to 23 months experience
  • I have 24 to 36 months experience
  • I have more than three years of experience
03
For this question, and all subsequent questions, provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications. Responses to supplemental questions will be used to determine qualifications and may be reviewed by hiring managers in the Department of Health Services.

Please list the coursework and/or degrees you have completed in epidemiology, mathematics, statistics, biostatistics, or a closely related field.

04
Please describe your technical/professional experience conducting statistical analysis. For each relevant position, include your job title(s), employer name(s), employment dates (mm/yy to mm/yy), and a description of your primary duties highlighting experience related to epidemiology and/or evaluation.
05
Please describe your degree of proficiency (beginner, intermediate, advanced) using the following software, including the latest version you have experience working with. Provide examples of the types of work products you generated using:
  • R, SAS, STATA, SPSS, etc. for statistical analysis
  • Tableau
  • ArcGIS
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint or Prezi
  • Other (please list)
06
Please describe a project you worked on that required you to collect, manage, and/or analyze data. Include details about the data sets (e.g. number of variables, number of records, relational structure), types of software used, data quality activities, and your role and responsibilities.

Required Question

Agency
County of Sonoma (CA)
Address
575 Administration Drive, Suite 116B

Santa Rosa, California, 95403
Phone
(707) 565-2331