Epidemiology Supervisor

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Epidemiology Supervisor position in the Alexandria Health Department.
An Overview
The Epidemiology Supervisor will provide subject matter expertise to the Epidemiology Team. This position oversees, manages, coordinates and supervises the work of epidemiologists and associated staff in conducting professional epidemiological activities. The incumbent is responsible for addressing communicable disease and population health in Alexandria by assuring the accuracy and high quality of surveillance activities; data collection, analysis, and interpretation; recommendations for disease prevention and mitigation; and project deliverables. This position performs work of considerable difficulty, including creating, revising and interpreting program policies and procedures; recruiting, training, and leading staff; and setting strategic goals for the Epidemiology Team. The incumbent will foster and maintain relationships interdepartmentally within the Health Department and externally with local and regional community partners. This position works under the limited supervision of the Deputy Health Director receiving guidance in the form of general goals to be accomplished and broad program policy.

What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate should have expertise in public health epidemiology: significant experience with population health approach to health behavior and disease; expert knowledge of communicable diseases including case follow up and outbreak investigation; in depth experience with surveillance methods; advanced proficiency in data management, analyses, interpretation and presentation using a variety of software and database platforms; and familiarity with federal and state laws, regulations, and policies regarding the reporting and control of disease. To be successful in this position, the candidate should have outstanding interpersonal skills; exceptional oral and written communication skills; the ability to engage with a variety of people and organizations; and a talent for educating people with a wide range of knowledge levels. The candidate should be adept at thinking strategically about long-term goals, creating a shared vision with the team, overseeing staff performance, and addressing personnel conflicts. The position requires the ability to work as a member of a team in continuously changing, high stress environments that require rapid re-prioritization. The candidate should be willing not only to lead program operations, but to participate in them and take on responsibility for completing a portion of the routine workload. An ideal candidate should have significant experience with program design, implementation, management, and evaluation, including program budget management. The position requires excellent attention to detail, the ability to organize and coordinate a variety of tasks, and the ability to adhere to deadlines.

The Opportunity - Examples of Work

• Manages all aspects of the Epidemiology Team operations, including setting strategic goals, vision and direction of the team; overseeing daily operations; leading staff meetings; managing the team budget; and partnering with other divisions within the Health Department
• Serves as the lead for the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of program activities, including trainings, quality improvement initiatives, communicable disease follow up and outbreak management, and revision and creation of protocols and policies;
• Serves as an expert resource for the Epidemiology Team for subject matter related to outbreak management and communicable disease follow up; data management, analysis, and interpretation; survey methodologies; and program development and improvement;
• Provides direct supervision to all levels of epidemiology staff, completes recruitment, retention and performance management requirements for Epidemiology Team staff;
• Assures epidemiology reports, presentations and other deliverables are of the highest quality and provided within established deadlines;
• Assures compliance with all applicable State and local grants, regulations and policies;
• Facilitates exchange of program information with health care providers and laboratory personnel to evaluate case reporting in order to recommend appropriate control and prevention methods;
• Rotates responsibility for carrying the 24/7 Epidemiology Duty Officer phone as needed;
• Maintains close relationships with both public health and non-public health partners, agencies and organizations at the local, regional, and state levels for purposes of preparedness and incident response; and,
• Performs related work as required.
  

About the Department
Alexandria Health Department (AHD) is one of 35 health districts in Virginia. As part of the Virginia Department of Health, AHD serves the residents, businesses, and visitors of Alexandria and works closely with the City of Alexandria and community partners to achieve its mission and vision. AHD's mission is "Protecting and Promoting Health and Well-Being in Our Communities" and our vision is "Healthy People, Healthier Communities." We view "health" in the broadest sense and this drives our path towards continuous health improvement with a focus on equity of the social determinants of health.

The Epidemiology Team is an energetic group of creative thinkers who enjoy problem solving through the use of data, scientific practices, interaction with the community, and collaboration with colleagues. The staff members are highly motivated, hard-working and dedicated to protecting and health and well-being in the City of Alexandria. In addition to fulfilling the traditional public health epidemiologic role of preventing and mitigating communicable disease, the team is an integral part of population health efforts and emergency preparedness and response activities. The team works closely with the Health Department's clinical staff, Population Health Team, Public Health Emergency Management Team and Environmental Health Team, as well as interacting with a variety of community organizations.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

Master's Degree and five years of relevant professional experience; or equivalent combination of education, training and experience in related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least two years' experience in a supervisory role including both program oversight and conducting performance management duties for direct reports.
• Ability to follow application instructions by providing cover letter and resume as specified in the "Notes" section of this job posting.
• Able to provide own transportation for participation in district and regional activities.
• Willing and able to work evenings/weekends if needed and to rotate the 24/7 Duty Officer phone and perform other duties as required.
• Bilingual (English-Spanish/Amharic/Arabic) or multilingual is helpful.

Notes

Standard work hours for this position are 7:45 AM - 4:30 PM (alternative work schedules may be discussed)

To receive preferred consideration, you must attach a business format cover letter and a resume. The cover letter must be submitted in Verdana font, size 10, addressed to the AHD Deputy Director, and must not exceed one page. The cover letter must include why you have an interest in this position and the specific reasons that you, based on the qualifications as listed in this posting, are an excellent candidate for this position. Your resume must be in reverse chronological style and must be submitted as a separate document.

This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to state and federal criminal history background check, driving record check, National Sex Offender Registry check, U.S. DHHS IG Exclusion report and GSA search, employment reference check, proof of education, professional licensure verification, and E-Verify (if selected for the position).