OPS BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST III - 64802142

Requisition No: 859130 

Agency: Department of Health

Working Title: OPS BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST III - 64802142

 Pay Plan: Temp

Position Number: 64802142 

Salary:  $24.00/HR 

Posting Closing Date: 09/18/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Open Competitive Opportunity

Florida Department of Health

Division of Disease Control and Health Protection

Bureau of Epidemiology

Florida Epidemic Intelligence Service Fellow

Your Specific Responsibilities: 

The Florida Epidemic Intelligence Service (FL EIS) is a unique two-year, post-graduate program of service and on-the-job training for health professionals interested in the field of epidemiology. Fellows are assigned to a county health department (CHD) for two years and have opportunities to respond to various public health concerns throughout the state. The goals of the program are to provide experience in epidemiology and public health practice during placements with CHD, to assist in outbreak and other field epidemiologic investigations, and to produce well-trained public health epidemiologists for positions in the Florida Department of Health. 

Job duties:  

• The fellow will participate in a variety of activities designed to develop their competency in three main areas: epidemiologic process, communication, and professionalism. 

• Learn about infectious diseases and perform case and outbreak investigations for infectious diseases and other conditions of public health concern.  

• The fellow will provide professional and technical epidemiologic consultation and assistance to public and private health care providers for CHD in Florida.  

• Conduct special projects/epidemiological studies and support administrative and management activities.  

• Perform descriptive and analytic epidemiologic investigations, research, and public health surveillance of disease outbreaks and other field epidemiologic investigations of public health importance, such as disasters.  

• Assist with the development, implementation, reporting, and publication of special epidemiological studies in peer-reviewed journals, present at statewide or national professional meetings, and disseminate vital public health information to public health partners and the public. 

To apply, you must send the following documents to the program as noted below by the posting closing date in the official State of Florida job application. 

How to Apply: 

All the items listed below must be submitted to the FL EIS Program and the title of the document or PDF should include the name of the document and the name of the applicant (e.g., FL EIS Personal Statement Karen Elliott). They must be attached to the official State of Florida job application (except for the official transcripts, which should be sent per description below): 

1. Complete this Florida Department of Health Job Application. 
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV): One copy (Please note this is more than just a standard resume and should include additional details such as research, publications, professional presentations, awards, and other relevant academic history along with the standard resume sections.) 
3. References: Please provide the name, title, agency of employment, email address, and direct phone number of three professional references. 
4. Transcripts: Submit transcripts from the school from which you received your highest degree and for any school from which you received public health training (e.g., MPH, MSPH, DrPH, PhD). Copies of your official transcripts are acceptable during the application process. An unofficial printout from the student system is not acceptable. If chosen for the position, official sealed transcripts must be provided. Official transcripts must be mailed/emailed directly to the FL EIS Program at the address listed below. For Foreign Schools:  If transcripts are not issued by a U.S. institution, proof of degree completion must be submitted and accompanied by a credential verification document. This may be accomplished by submitting coursework documents to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials. A list of private organizations prepared by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is available at https://naces.org. 
5. Personal Statement: One copy. A narrative, no longer than two pages, which addresses the following questions: 

• • What are your career plans after graduating from the FL EIS Program?  Why?
  • How will the FL EIS Program help you fulfill these plans?
  • How will the FL EIS Program complement your previous training and experience?
  • Is there any aspect of public health that is particularly interesting to you?  Why?
  • How will you contribute to the goals of the FL EIS Fellowship Program? (Please see the description in the posted job announcement). 

Mail/ e-mail official transcripts to: 

Florida Department of Health 

Division of Disease Control and Health Protection 

Attention: Karen Elliott 

4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A-12 

Tallahassee, FL 32399 

FL_EISFellowship@flhealth.gov 

Application Deadline: 

The application deadline for the FL EIS Program is the posting closing date in the official State of Florida job application. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all required items are submitted (emailed, postmarked, attached to job application) by the deadline. 

Your Final Step: 

Upload all of the required documents (CV, copy of your official transcripts, personal statement, and reference list) to your job application for this position and submit it prior to the deadline. If you have any problems with uploading the documents to the application, you may send all of the documents in one email to: FL_EISFellowship@flhealth.gov. You must submit the official State of Florida job application to be considered for the position. 

U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers are eligible to apply. The FL EIS Program is unable to provide VISA sponsorship. 

Applications will be reviewed and ranked to determine eligibility. Only complete applications will be considered. Upon review of applications, competitive applicants will be selected for interviews.  

Contact Name: Karen Elliott, FL EIS Program Administrator, Bureau of Epidemiology 

Contact email: FL_EISFellowship@flhealth.gov  

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Knowledge of epidemiologic principles and public health including understanding of disease transmission, outbreak investigation, surveillance systems, and population health. 

• Knowledge of infectious disease processes including familiarity with common pathogens, modes of transmission, and basic control measures. 

• Foundational knowledge of data collection and analysis. This should include awareness of descriptive and analytic epidemiology (rates, ratios, trends). 

• Skills in basic data analysis including being competent using Microsoft Excel and introductory-level statistical tools (e.g., SPSS, R, or SAS) to summarize data.  

• Skills to clearly and effectively communicate findings in written reports, tables, and presentations. 

• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone with internal and external customers.    

• Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams (e.g., lab staff, clinicians, public health officials). 

• Ability to travel, conduct interviews, perform site visits, and work irregular hours during outbreaks. Most of the travel that occurs is in the assigned county or surrounding counties for the fellow. A fellow may be called upon to travel to other areas of Florida or out of state for epidemiologic and disaster response purposes.  

Qualifications: 

Minimum Qualifications: Persons with a master's or doctoral degree in a health-related field (e.g., MPH, PhD, DrPH) having taken at least one course in epidemiology and one course in statistics (biostatistics preferred, but other statistics courses will be considered) during graduate/professional school. The primary selection criteria are strong academic performance and references, demonstrated experience with data analysis, and demonstrated interest in and the ability to practice epidemiology in Florida public health agencies. The qualifying degree for this application period must be completed no later than August 31, 2025.   

Preference will be given for candidates with a qualifying degree and required coursework that was completed within the last five years.   

Florida Department of Health Mission, Vision, and Values:

Mission:

To protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county & community efforts.

Vision:

To be the Healthiest State in the Nation.

Values:

I nnovation: We search for creative solutions and manage resources wisely.

C ollaboration: We use teamwork to achieve common goals & solve problems.

A ccountability: We perform with integrity & respect.

R esponsiveness: We achieve our mission by serving our customers & engaging our partners.

E xcellence: We promote quality outcomes through learning & continuous performance improvement.

Where You Will Work: 

Location Placement: Onsite (Not Remote) at the County Health Department. The potential host site locations are St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, Sanford in Seminole County, Port St. Lucie in St. Lucie County, and Daytona Beach in Volusia County.  

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. As an OPS employee, the benefits below are available:

• State of Florida 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan (mandatory)
• Participation in state group insurance (upon meeting eligibility requirements.  Consult with People First and/or the serving HR office)
• Workers’ Compensation (mandatory, if needed)
• Reemployment Assistance (Unemployment Compensation) (mandatory, if needed)
• Deferred Compensation (voluntary)
• Employee Assistance Program (voluntary)
• And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, including monthly costs, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

Please be advised:

Your responses to qualifying questions for this position must be verifiable by documentation provided through the electronic application process.  

This position requires a security background check and/or drug screening and participation in direct deposit. Any misrepresentations or omissions will disqualify you from employment consideration. Note: You will be required to provide your Social Security Number (SSN) in order to conduct this background check Successful completion of a drug test is a condition of employment for safety-sensitive positions.

Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion unless they are registered with the Selective Services System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov 

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida.  Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement. 

The successful candidate will be required to complete the Form I-9 and that information will be verified using the E-Verify system.  E-Verify is operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to verify employment eligibility.   

Incumbents may be required to perform emergency duty before, during, and/or beyond normal work hours or days.

All Florida Department of Health positions require the incumbent to be able to learn and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, in English. Applicants who do not meet this requirement will not be considered.  

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace. 

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-877-562-7287). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation. 

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act. 

Florida has the third largest population of veterans in the nation with more than 1.5 million service men and women.  The Florida Department of Health (department) is committed to serving members of the United States Armed Forces, veterans and their families by encouraging them to apply for vacancies that fit their area of knowledge and/or expertise.  Through the Department's VALOR program, which expedites licensing for military veterans, the Department also waives initial licensing and application fees for military veterans who apply for a health care professional license within 60 months of an honorable discharge. These initiatives help ensure that the transition from military service into the workforce is as smooth as possible and reflects our appreciation for the dedication devoted to protecting our country.    

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.