STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Epidemiologist 3 (Infectious/Chronic Diseases) (35 Hour)

Office/On-site

Recruitment #230831-0289HC-001

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Introduction



The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health is hiring!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking a qualified individual to join our team as an Epidemiologist 3. This position will help to support our Environmental Health Section's Food Protection Program, and will report to the Epidemiologist 4. The individual in this role will ensure a competent and trained local public health workforce. See below for additional information on this great opportunity!

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:
  • Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
  • Work Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
  • Work Shift: First Shift, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Location: 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT
There may be opportunities for an alternate work schedule and working remotely in accordance with State policies.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:
State of Connecticut employees participate in a competitive comprehensive benefits plan that includes:
  • A Platinum Healthcare Plan, the nation’s best for state employees and dependents, according to a report by Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reform and article by Ellen Andrews, Ph.D
  • Generous paid time off, include 13 paid holidays per calendar year
  • Extensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings
  • Retirement healthcare offerings
  • Professional growth and development opportunities
  • As a loan forgiveness organization, you may be able to qualify for one or more State or Federal loan forgiveness programs
  • A healthy work/life balance!
You'd be able to work for a Forbes top company: 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING:
  • Coordinating all elements of a foodborne outbreak investigation.
  • Assisting in the coordination of the State’s response to multi-state outbreaks, including working with federal and state food safety agencies.
  • Providing training and education to food inspectors.
  • Leading the implementation of a reciprocal licensing process for itinerant food vendors
  • Reviewing and potentially approving food related processes.
  • Reviewing and potentially approving variances related to the adoption of the Model Food Code.
  • Monitoring and responding to water supply interruptions at food establishments, illness alerts on a national database and food complaints.
MORE ABOUT THE AGENCY AND FACILITIES:

The Mission of the Department of Public Health (DPH) is to protect and improve the health and safety of the people of Connecticut by:

  • Assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy
  • Preventing disease, injury, and disability
  • Promoting the equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, which is a human right and a priority of the state.

DPH accomplishes this through the implementation of its Strategic Plan which outlines the actions that DPH is taking to accomplish its Mission.

The Environmental Health and Drinking Water Branch oversees, through a health equity lens, activities related to drinking water supply purity and adequacy, food protection, private wells, subsurface sewage disposal, lead, radon, asbestos and over 15 environmental licensing and certification categories. The Environmental Health Section focuses on the interrelationships between people and their environment, promotes human health and well-being, and fosters healthy housing and safe communities.

The Food Protection Program, along with local health, is responsible for enforcement of the Connecticut Food Safety regulations §19a-36a - o, Conn Gen. Statute §19a-36h-1 to 7, and the FDA Food Code. Connecticut averages over 20 foodborne outbreaks per year. These investigations are staff intensive and require interviews, environmental assessments, collecting samples, evaluating data, proposing control measures, providing guidance, and producing reports. 

Selection Plan

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Please visit our 'Applicant Tips on How to Apply' page.

To Apply:
  • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
  • You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
  • In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
  • This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
Important Next Step Information for After You Apply:
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
  • Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
  • Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
  • Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
Connect With Us:
  • Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
  • Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment please contact Alyssa Hovanec at alyssa.hovanec@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Public Health and the Office of Early Childhood, this class is accountable for performing the most complex tasks as a specialist investigating infectious, chronic and non-infectious diseases and implementing disease prevention methods.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

  • Supervises and is responsible for routine epidemiologic investigations; 
  • Assumes lead responsibility for carrying out complex or non-routine investigations; 
  • Develops and implements strategies for containment and control measures among identified high risk groups; 
  • Writes outbreak investigation and other technical and analytical reports; 
  • Collaborates in writing standard protocols for disease investigation, intervention and control; 
  • Develops questionnaires and other research instruments; 
  • Analyzes surveillance and outbreak data for trends and risk factors; 
  • Designs and implements workshops and training sessions and conducts in-service training; 
  • Prepares news releases relative to disease problems; 
  • Uses other statewide data banks to complement disease surveillance data; 
  • Assists with preparation of budgets, grants and contracts; 
  • Participates in development of program goals and objectives; 
  • Represents department at functions for health promotion and disease prevention; 
  • Speaks before professional and lay groups; 
  • Participates in performance evaluations of assigned staff; 
  • Carries out related duties including those of Epidemiologist 1 and 2 levels as assigned; 
  • May establish and maintain a working network with federal and state agencies, local health departments, hospitals and professional and lay groups to promote and facilitate disease surveillance, intervention and control; 
  • Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

  • Considerable knowledge of
    • infectious and/or chronic disease processes; 
    • relevant disease processes which affect humans and animals; 
    • epidemiological methods; 
  • Considerable
    • interpersonal skills; 
    • oral and written communication skills; 
    • statistical skills including familiarity with mainframe and/or personal computer applications and interpretation of data; 
  • Considerable ability to
    • perform complex epidemiological investigations; 
    • carry out all aspects of data collection, analysis and interpretation of epidemiological data independently; 
  • Supervisory ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Eight (8) years of experience conducting epidemiological investigations in a responsible technical or professional capacity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have involved conducting the full range of tasks in epidemiologic investigations including interviewing and performing trend analyses at the level of an Epidemiologist 2.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

  • College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
  • A Master's degree in community medicine, public health or a related health science may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
  • A Doctorate in a related discipline such as medicine, public health or a behavioral or natural science may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience conducting foodborne investigations, including collecting and reviewing data and presenting results of investigation
  • Experience working with federal, state and local partners to address a public health issue
  • Experience working as a certified food inspector
  • Experience developing written standard operating procedures related to a regulatory food protection program

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Incumbents in this class must be willing to be immunized for communicable diseases as necessary and appropriate.
  • Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.




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