ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST - 64054226 1

Requisition No: 843861 

Agency: Department of Health

Working Title: ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST - 64054226 1

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 64054226 

Salary:  $58,000 - $63,800 

Posting Closing Date: 01/10/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH - HILLSBOROUGH

DIVISION OF Community Health – Epidemiology

Environmental Epidemiologist

4704 B West Montgomery Avenue Tampa, FL 33616

Thank you for your interest in career opportunities with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County.  If you are looking to establish a successful career in Public Health, you have come to the right place.  Many of our innovative and successful health programs are recognized throughout Florida.  We hope you decide to join our team!  Applicants will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

Join an amazing company culture that values employee growth and development at the Florida Department of Health. Professional development is highly encouraged and supported within our organization through opportunities for mentorships and educational and skills training.  From the moment you are hired, you can begin to grow as a professional and a leader, through strategic planning, internal committees, and project engagement.  There are also many opportunities for continuing education at no cost to the employee.  If you are looking to further your education through a college degree, the Florida Department of Health can help with our tuition reimbursement program.  We offer an inspiring and encouraging atmosphere to support you while you work with us. 

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) is responsible for the health and safety of all citizens and visitors to the state. As a public health agency, the Florida Department of Health must monitor the health status of Floridians, diagnose, and investigate health problems, and mobilize local communities to address health-related issues. The Florida Department of Health develops policies and plans that support health goals, enforce laws and regulations that protect the health of all residents and visitors, and link people to needed health care services. The Florida Department of Health also provides specialized assistance to pregnant women, infants, and children with special health care needs, regulates health care practitioners, and provides medical disability determinations.

ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST

GENERAL: This is a professional position in an epidemiology program, this position provides technical assistance and epidemiologic consultation to all epidemiology staff members. The incumbent conducts special projects/epidemiologic studies and supports administrative and management activities. The Environmental Epidemiologist will lead the statistical and analytical functions within the Epidemiology Program as well as be the lead epidemiologist for the Data Surveillance Unit, which will work with all programs within the Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough on specific programmatic data requests. In-depth knowledge of communicable diseases, principles and methods of epidemiology, computer skills, and knowledge of collection and analysis of statistical data is needed. Plans and develops methods of collection of mortality and morbidity data. Collects, analyzes, and organizes data for communicable disease and research projects. Conducts and/or attends health related meetings, staff meetings, committees, and workgroups. Assists with outreach activities, health fairs and other community activities as needed. Plans and conducts surveillance programs to prevent disease transmission.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Lead syndromic surveillance team and responsible for assuring syndromic surveillance data analysis occurs daily, acts as liaison with website developers, recommends improvement to the system, creates quality assurance reports, evaluates system, and leads the epidemiology staff in the production of daily and weekly reports, analysis, and follow-up.
• Performs descriptive and analytic epidemiologic investigations, research, and public health surveillance of disease outbreaks and other areas of public health importance, such as disasters and bioterrorism preparedness.
• Assists in the training of epidemiology staff to enhance the research side of the epidemiology program by applying statistical methodology to data for feedback to administration and the medical community, and identifies areas for research.
• Coordinates with Public Health Preparedness for any special projects, surveillance needs, or emergency response functions.

Lead Epidemiologist for Data Surveillance Unit

• This team will work with all other programs in the Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough to complete data analysis requests and reports brought forth to the data unit.
• Coordinates with senior leadership, program managers, supervisors, and data surveillance unit staff to ensure effective understanding of requests made to team for successful completion of tasks.
• Coordinates the analysis of data to measure effectiveness of other programs within the Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough and other related enhanced surveillance systems.
• Facilitates communication with senior leadership on findings by the data surveillance unit for the purposes of assisting in process improvements, technical assistance, consultation, and training to other divisions of the health department, local health providers, public and private organizations, and institutions.

Additional responsibilities include:

• Conducts data management during disease outbreaks.
• Develops, implements reporting and publication of special epidemiologic studies in peer reviewed journals, presents at professional meetings, and disseminates vital public health information to the media and the public.

Less frequent tasks include:

• Assists the Epidemiology Program Manager with work related to the operation and management of the program.
• Assist the program manager with program planning, implementation and evaluation of guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Cooperates with the program manager and key epidemiology staff to Identify improvements and adjustments needed to insure program effectiveness and efficiency.
• Provides staff and community training as needed
• Attends training and conducts other public health related duties as required.

Knowledge, skills and abilities, including utilization of equipment, required for the position:

• Knowledge of communicable diseases and public health surveillance
• Skills in extracting and preparing data and information into logical format for presentation in reports, documents, and other written materials that suit the needs of a variety of users
• Ability to design and conduct evaluation activities and statistical surveys
• Ability to communicate with multiple divisions and programs within the Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough as well as communicating with colleagues at the state level, and community partners as needed
• Ability to plan and present presentations, trainings, and other public speaking activities to educate staff and community partners on data findings and provide education on topics of interest
• Ability to work in a team environment while managing individual tasks and assignments

Minimum Qualifications:

• Two years of epidemiology experience
• Ability to perform basic descriptive analysis using basic data analysis software (MS Excel, Epi Info, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Natural Science or Social Work preferred
• Experience with statistical software (SAS, SPSS, R, etc.)

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:

Innovation: We search for creative solutions and manage resources wisely.

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

Accountability: We perform with integrity & respect.

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

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

Where You Will Work:

4704B West Montgomery Avenue Tampa, FL 33616

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits.
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year.
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options.
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com).

• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Public Health and Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program
• Tuition waivers for State Universities/Community Colleges.
• And more!

For a State of Florida Total Compensation Estimator visit State of Florida Total Compensation Estimator (myflorida.com)

For a more complete list of benefits, 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. 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.

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.    

If there are any problems applying online, please call People First Staffing Administration: (877) 562-7287.

Service Center hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., ET. TTY users, call (866) 221-0268.

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.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.