Regional Communicable Disease Epidemiologist

SUMMARY OF DUTIES:

The PIHOA Regional Communicable Disease Epidemiologist (RCDE) is a full-time exempt position located in the PIHOA Honolulu, Hawai’i office. Continuation of employment will be dependent upon program/operational needs, satisfactory work performance, availability of funds, and compliance with applicable federal/state laws.

Under the direction of the PIHOA Regional Health Information Systems and Performance Improvement Coordinator (RHPIC), the PIHOA RCDE will provide technical support to USAPI health agencies for data analytics, development and refinement of epidemiology and surveillance systems standard operating procedures (SOPs), improvement of disease outbreak situation reports (SitReps) and, when required, provide direct epidemiological surveillance and health information systems (HIS) surge response technical assistance (TA) during public health (PH) emergencies, outbreaks or disasters, or other events of PH concern. This would include supporting the disease outbreak surge response; providing assistance to member jurisdictions to prepare for the WHO Joint External Evaluations under International Health Regulations (IHR) for PH emergency preparedness; and assisting the RPHIC to: 1) plan and facilitate PIHOA’s Strengthening Health Interventions in the Pacific (SHIP)/Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) courses in the USAPIs; and 2) serve as SHIP faculty to provide coaching and mentorship support to SHIP students.

Responsible for surveillance and investigation of communicable diseases in the USAPIs, including analysis of epidemiological data and interpretation of findings to inform Pan-Pacific prevention and response strategies. Provides technical and scientific expertise for programs in the area of communicable diseases. Collaborates with local health departments to design, conduct, and report epidemiological studies of diseases, collects and analyzes data, and develops health education materials. Manages and participates in investigations and surveys in the USAPI that have national and international impact. Conducts program analysis/evaluations and prepares operational and statistical reports. May write publishable articles and papers. Serves as a liaison to and works with other groups and organizations participating in related programs. Will travel to the USAPI and internationally to conduct field operations. Performs related responsibilities as required.

SCOPE OF POSITION:

1. Reports to: Regional Health Information Systems and Health Security Coordinator (RHHSC)
2. Supervises: None
3. Fiscal Responsibilities: None
4. Signature Authorities: None

Level of Interaction: This is a highly responsible, creative, demanding position requiring a unique mix of qualifications and experience in epidemiology, public health, communications, education, health information, public health systems, and cultural competency. Extensive interaction with national and international health leadership, including the USAPI Directors and Secretaries of Health and regional technical partners.

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITILITIES:

1. Validates the integrity of communicable disease data from the USAPI, including analysis of epidemiological data and interpretation of findings to inform Pan-Pacific wide prevention and response strategies.
2. Analyzes communicable disease surveillance data to track the cause, effect, and course of the disease epidemics (e.g., prevalence, incidence, time trends on various populations). Assists in identifying factors associated with morbidity and mortality, conducting special studies, and researching information. Writes programs or uses various software to perform complex manipulation/modeling of data and generate data summaries, tables, charts, and other graphic displays.
3. Provides technical support to USAPI health agencies’ epidemiology staff in the interpretation of epidemiological findings and the preparation of written reports describing the factors associated with morbidity and mortality. Responds to requests for epidemiological data as appropriate (e.g., collaborates with USAPI health providers, public agencies, universities, and other partner organizations). Provides information to USAPI health agency leadership and staff for inclusion in grant proposals. Communicates findings from epidemiological analyses to diverse audiences, including PIHOA Board members and associates, members of the public and the scientific community.
4. Assists with the implementation of regional USAPI surveillance initiatives, including the USAPI Regional and jurisdictional CD Surveillance Framework and Data Dashboards and support to USAPI health agencies to refine and implement local and national communicable disease surveillance plans that inform regional surveillance processes; provides additional support to the Regional Lab Strengthening Coordinator and USAPI lab staff to review and develop/refine lab SOPs and protocols for time and quality data management and reporting to the local EpiNet/Surveillance and PH response teams, aligned to local Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), or other health department data management systems; provides additional technical support to the Regional Medical Entomologist (RME) and USAPI Environmental Health (EH)/mosquito vector management staff to review and develop/refine local mosquito surveillance SOPs and protocols, including processes for data management and reporting to the local EpiNet/Surveillance and PH response teams, and regional/national databases such as CDC’s ArboNet and MosquitoNet, UC CalSurv, etc.
5. Serves as adjunct faculty and participates in the Pacific Health Ministers PPHSN SHIP/FETP courses offered by PIHOA in collaboration with SPC, CDC, WHO and Fiji National University partners, including: 1) adjunct faculty support for on-site delivery of courses; and 2) mentorship of USAPI health agency FETP training cohorts, including support to SHIP students and Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program (PPHFP) Fellows to submit final papers for peer review and publication.
6. As needed, and in close collaboration with the CDC Career Epidemiology Field Officer for the USAPIs, provides epidemiological and other surveillance/health information systems support to USAPI health agencies during PH emergencies, including: 1) technical support for developing local and regional situation reports; 2) planning and implementation of emergency response after-action reviews; 3) epidemiological case investigation field work; and 4) support refinement of local and regional processes and interoperability of information systems to ensure timely and effective information exchange/data flow;
7. Supports opportunities to strengthen health informatics technology platforms and systems/capacities regionally and at the local level;
8. Delivers timely reports as required to meet grant conditions, program evaluation requirements as well as bi-annual progress updates to the PIHOA Board, including soliciting continuous feedback from the board.
9. Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive and Program management.
10. PIHOA policy requires all staff to support the semi-annual PIHOA EBMs and other PIHOA-sponsored meetings/events when assigned. This may include travel and providing administrative/logistical support to meetings/events in coordination with the PIHOA Administrative Team Leads (Office Administrator Honolulu and Office Administrator Guam).

PRIMARY QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Master’s degree in epidemiology, or health systems related field, such as health statistics, health informatics, or other health related field from an accredited academic institution.
• Job Experience: A minimum of two years of epidemiological work experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience provided that the minimum degree requirement is met. Experience in designing, conducting, evaluating and interpreting epidemiological studies or investigations; Knowledge in communicable disease surveillance and control, including interpretation and evaluation of laboratory test results and statistical data.
• Job Knowledge: Familiarity with US non-profit/501(c)3 administration and US federal guidelines for non-profits is a plus; expert knowledge of the principles and best practices of public health including health service delivery and health professional development in low-resource settings; experience in supporting multi-disciplinary teams working across multiple locations; and able to effectively communicate with respect and diplomacy with a range of people from differing backgrounds, value systems, cultures, religious affiliations, and varying degrees of English-speaking and writing competencies. Proficient in statistical computer software packages and applications. Applicable knowledge of epidemiological practices, analytical methodologies, and procedures. Familiarity with medical terminology. Understanding of human development and disease theory.
• Other Requirements: Must have advanced English written and oral communication skills; must be proficient in Microsoft Office software applications (e.g. Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook); ability to handle data with confidentiality; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously; excellent verbal and written communication skills; excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; excellent time management skills with proven ability to meet deadlines; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; excellent interpersonal skills.
• Travel: Must be willing and able to travel in the US mainland, Asia-Pacific region and internationally, when required, with possible long durations away from home duty station, including working in low-resource settings.
• Citizenship and Other Requirements: Must be a US citizen, or have valid US Green Card, US Permanent Residency Card, Resident Alien, or other relevant US visa or document(s) verifying eligibility for residency and employment in the US and its territories. Please be advised that PIHOA does not pay for passport and visa expenses. These will need to be valid and in good standing prior to PIHOA employment. PIHOA reserves the right to conduct security and background checks on successful applicants. Must possess a valid driver’s license.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Doctorate degree in epidemiology, or equivalent, from an accredited academic institution.
• Knowledge of and experience working in the Pacific region.
• High degree of professional judgment to analyze, develop, and present work; monitor and evaluate implementation of programs; analytical skills, problem-solving ability, and creative thinking.
• Ability to work in diverse teams, and demonstrate flexibility of schedule across multiple time zones to achieve results; balanced, open professional work style that includes both (1) teamwork and participation, and (2) leadership and individual initiatives.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to deeply understand technical details and effectively communicate strategic insights to leadership.
• Demonstrated experience working with a wide range of development partners, including multilateral and bilateral donors as well as private foundation and civil society.

Familiarity with the cultural and traditional workings of the Pacific region and/or in developing low-resource countries.