Epidemiologist II - Analytics and Informatics
King County
Seattle, WA
Full-time
Nursing
Posted on July 25, 2020
- Summary
- Do the following interest you?
Coordinating data collection
Conducting data integration
Monitoring and ensuring data integrity
Developing analyses and reports based on complex data systems
Disseminating findings to technical and lay audiences
Public Health – Seattle & King County is seeking an Epidemiologist II to support informatics and analytics. This position is part of the Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization Section (CD-EPI). The Epidemiologist II is independently responsible for the design of major surveillance projects/systems and analysis of data and supervises the work of assigned staff. Several positions will be filled using this recruitment; positions will have either an informatics or an analytics emphasis, but may do work across teams, and will be assigned to support COVID-19, general communicable diseases (e.g., vaccine-preventable diseases, enterics, foodborne illness, zoonotics, hepatitis), and immunizations.
In accordance with the King County Equity and Social Justice Ordinance and the King County Strategic Plan, the position supports and advances Public Health values for fair and culturally competent service delivery, innovative, effective and efficient application of resources, building a culture of performance and expanding opportunities to seek input, listen and respond to community members.
WHO MAY APPLY: This position is open to all qualified candidates. An SDA position is open to all King County career service employees who have completed their initial County probation. You must have supervisor approval prior to taking a Special Duty Assignment.
WORK SCHEDULE: Monday through Sunday, 40 hours per week, which may including evenings. This position is subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act and is overtime eligible where time exceeds 40 hours per week. At Public Health - Seattle/King County, we strive to be accessible to those we serve. This position may require flexibility to accommodate different work schedules and work locations. Overtime during evenings and weekends may be required as part of emergency response. The duration of this Special Duty/Term-Limited Temporary position may be less than one year if demands on the program decrease.
CONTACT: If you have questions about your application or the application process, please contact Sarah Fish at sarah.fish@kingcounty.gov
APPLICATION PROCESS:
A complete application packet will consist of the following:- NEOGOV/Government Jobs on-line or paper application
- Supplemental questions
- Sample Materials - as described in the supplemental questions, please submit the following materials with your application. As we would like to evaluate your coding and reporting skills to date, please do not write new programs or make modifications to existing ones. If you have concerns about sharing these examples, please send an email to atar.baer@kingcounty.gov.
- One example (preferably in SAS, but R is acceptable) that demonstrates your programming skills in data manipulation (e.g., SQL, text string searches, arrays, recoding data values, macros, date/time calculations, applying formats to variables, merging data sets, transposing data, creating output in HTML/PDF/Word, etc.).
- If you are interested in a position with an analytics emphasis (refer to job duties below), submit an example that demonstrates your skills developing reports, including visualizations and interpretation of results.
You may attach multiple documents if you wish with your application:- Copy and paste one or more documents into the text resume section of the application.
- Attach multiple documents/files in the resume attachment section.
Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Do not copy and paste content from a CV or resume as a substitute for answering the supplemental questions. Answers to the supplemental questions will be used to identify eligible candidates for this position; please provide detailed responses to these questions.
TIMELINE: Candidates who pass the initial screening (based on their responses to the supplemental questions) will be contacted approximately 2-3 weeks after submitting their application materials. Eligible candidates will be invited to at least one (and possibly two) interviews. Candidates will generally be notified of a final decision within 1-2 weeks of their final interview date. This job posting will remain open until positions are filled, initial review of applications will begin on July 29, 2020. - Job Duties
This job announcement will be used to recruit multiple positions. These positions will have either an informatics or an analytics emphasis, as described below.
Informatics position:- Lead and coordinate the collection of data from settings such as laboratories, long-term care facilities, correctional settings, homeless shelters, and schools/childcare by building partnerships, coordinating the exchange of data, designing databases, developing surveys, and implementing novel data collection strategies.
- Design, implement, and supervise data integration efforts by matching/merging records across complex data sources (e.g., disease reports in local/state notifiable condition systems, laboratory data, Medicaid claims, and electronic health records data).
- Supervise and conduct data quality assurance, including data cleaning and developing data quality reports.
- Work with a team of database developers and epidemiologists to design and test improvements to existing databases/systems.
- Provide technical supervision of assigned staff involved in data collection and data management.
- Lead epidemiological and statistical analysis using local, state, and federal databases to support disease investigations and determine trends, incidence and prevalence of disease, and examine data for health disparities.
- Design and supervise the creation of data visualizations and dashboards (e.g., using Tableau) for internal and external audiences.
- Lead data analysis and data interpretation, including the development of reports and written summaries for internal and external audiences.
- Present findings to technical and lay audiences.
- Provide technical supervision of assigned staff involved in data analysis and reporting.
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Master's degree in epidemiology, informatics, biostatistics, or related field OR any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the skills, knowledge and abilities required to perform the work
- Expertise in analytical programming, including knowledge of SQL (for extracting or creating data sets), text string searches, coding efficiencies, arrays, recoding data values, macros, date/time calculations, applying formats to variables, merging data sets, and transposing data
- Supervisory experience
- Proficient written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work well on a team
- Demonstrated ability to conduct projects within timelines
- Ability to work independently with minimal direction
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Ability to work well under pressure with multiple competing priorities and deadlines
In addition to the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills listed above, the following skills are also required for the informatics position:- Leading or coordinating data collection strategies
- Monitoring data quality
- Developing data collection tools or surveys
- Designing databases
- Facilitating data exchange with partners
- Conducting record linkage and data integration across databases
In addition to the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills listed above, the following skills are also required for the analytics position:- Analyzing complex databases, including longitudinal data and relational datasets
- Creating surveillance summaries, outbreak summaries, or annual reports for internal and external audiences
- Creating visualizations of surveillance data (using Excel, ArcGIS, R, SAS, or Tableau)
- Knowledge of statistical theory, including hypothesis testing, multivariate analysis, trend analysis, regression analysis, sampling techniques, and confidence-interval estimation
- Interpreting data by summarizing assumptions, conclusions, strengths and weaknesses of the data
Desired Qualifications- Expertise in SAS coding skills is desired; expertise in R skills will be considered as a substitute for SAS
- Experience analyzing data from electronic health records (EHR) or electronic laboratory reports (ELR)
- Experience conducting time series analysis, geospatial modeling, and analyses involving syndromic surveillance data
- Experience conducting communicable disease surveillance
- Experience working in a local or state public health practice setting
- Experience analyzing data for health disparities
- 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/healthservices/health/jobs.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.
- Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
- Staff may be required to play a role as a first responder in the event of a Public Health emergency.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:- The selected candidate must pass a thorough background investigation.
- Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
- Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time.
UNION AFFILIATION:
This position is represented by WSC of County & City Employees, Local 21.
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
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.
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01Which position(s) are you applying for?
- Informatics position
- Analytics position
- Both positions
02Do you have intermediate or higher programming skills using SAS or R (e.g., SQL, text string searches, arrays, recoding data values, macros, date/time calculations, applying formats to variables, merging data sets, transposing data, etc.)? Please attach an example of your programming skills in SAS or R that highlights your skill sets.- Yes
- No
03Do you have supervisory experience?- Yes
- No
04If you answered "Yes" to question #3, describe your supervisory experience, including the setting(s), years of experience, number of staff you have supervised, and bodies of work you have supervised. If you do not have this experience, please type N/A.05If you are applying for the informatics position, do you have experience with data collection, monitoring data quality, database design, data integration, data translation, and data exchange? Select N/A if you are not applying for the informatics position.- Yes
- No
- N/A
06If yes to question #5, provide a detailed description of your experience. In your response, include years of experience (beyond coursework) and setting(s) where you applied these skill sets. If you do not have this experience, please type N/A.07If you are applying for the analytics position, do you have experience analyzing longitudinal data or relational datasets, creating data visualizations, creating surveillance summaries, conducting statistical analysis, and interpreting data for technical and lay audiences? Select N/A if you are not applying for the analytics position.- Yes
- No
- N/A
08If yes to question #7, provide a detailed description of your experience. In your response, include years of experience (beyond coursework) and setting(s) where you applied these skill sets. If you do not have this experience, please type N/A.09If you are applying for the analytics position, do you have experience beyond the classroom setting creating surveillance summaries, outbreak summaries or annual reports? Select N/A if you are not applying for the analytics position.- Yes
- No
- N/A
10If yes to question #9, describe your experience. In your response, include: the setting(s), years of experience (beyond coursework), and your responsibilities in this role. Include a description of the type of summaries you have produced, the tools you use for data visualization, and your experience interpreting data for internal and external audiences. Please attach an example of a report that you have produced that highlights your skill sets. If you do not have this experience, please type N/A.11Did you attach supplemental code as requested in question #2 and question #10?- Yes
- No
Required Question