Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Epidemiology Research Scientist

Recruitment #18-5782-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

DESCRIPTION

HEALTH CARE SERVICES AGENCY
Alameda County's Health Services Program is administered by the Health Care Services Agency and includes the following program areas: Behavioral Health Care, Public Health, Environmental Health, and Agency Administration/Indigent Health. The ultimate mission of the Health Care Services Agency is to provide fully integrated health care services through a comprehensive network of public and private partnerships that ensure optimal health and well-being and respect the diversity of all residents. Health Care Services Agency currently has multiple career opportunities for experienced licensed professionals to become part of a service delivery team dedicated to the optimal health and well-being of Alameda County residents.

PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT (PHD)  
Alameda County Public Health Department has worked for over 80 years to improve the health and safety of its residents and the neighborhoods they live in. Traditional public health concerns such as disease epidemics and outbreaks, environmental health, health education and access to care and support have been joined by contemporary concerns: poverty, crime, violence, bioterrorism and natural disasters. Each of these poses a threat to public health and wellness and calls for short and long-term solutions that lie well outside traditional public health boundaries.  For more information about our Alameda County Public Health Department, please visit the Alameda County Public Health Department Website and latest Annual Budget document found on www.acgov.org

THE POSITION
Under the general direction of the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (DCDCP) Director, the Epidemiology Research Scientist conceives, plans, organizes, and directs complex scientific research and program evaluation on all communicable disease and division relevant programs and services; leads communicable disease epidemiology science and integration for the Public Health Department; oversees and provides direction and technical expertise for long range communicable disease epidemiology program goals, objectives, projects, and research priorities; and performs related work as required.

This is a single-position classification. The incumbent works independently, designs, analyzes and interprets scientific research related to communicable disease control and prevention for use in policy development, and designs evaluation studies to support the mission of the Public Health Department to ensure the optimal health and well-being of Alameda County residents. Additionally, the incumbent may supervise or oversee the work of professional, technical and support staff on a project or day-to-day basis.

The incumbent is expected to exercise independent judgment in devising study methodology and research instruments, in obtaining funding sources and in coordinating activities with those of other county departments, academic institutions, and other partner health care agencies.

For additional information about this job classification click here

DIVISION OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (DCDCP)
The mission of the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (DCDCP) is to work in partnership with the community to promote health and quality of life and to protect the public from the spread of communicable diseases and the health impact of emergencies.

IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications below, the ideal candidate will be an experienced communicable disease epidemiologist, well versed in the principles and practices of epidemiology, statistics and public health including disease surveillance, epidemiologic study design, and data analysis who is committed to achieving goals and obtaining results. Additionally, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of success in:

  • Designing or enhancing public health disease surveillance systems.
  • Designing and implementing epidemiologic studies.
  • Critically interpreting and applying  surveillance and study findings to inform public health interventions.
  • Leading scientific research proposals, studies, and investigations.
  • Building scientific partnerships and developing collaborative rapport with various entities such as academic institutions, health care organizations, community-based organizations, and state and federal public health partners.
  • Providing scientific consultation regarding epidemiologic methods to internal staff and external groups.
  • Outstanding verbal and written communication & presentation.
  • Writing successful grant proposals and completing funded projects.
  • Project management.
  • Integrating information from a variety of sources; detecting trends, associations, and cause-effect relationships.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Possession of a PhD or DrPH in Epidemiology, Biostatistics or another closely related field in Public Health.

And

Experience:

Three years of relevant, full-time, post-graduate experience performing epidemiological data collection, analysis and research for a public health, health care delivery, or academic institution.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• The latest trends and activities in the field of Epidemiology
• Advanced epidemiological analysis methods, research design and research implementation; innovative statistical analysis methods and interpretation
• The preparation of scientific research reports
• Modern statistical and database management software applications
• Principles of lead supervision and project management
• Infectious diseases
• Principles and methods of survey design
• Supervisory principles
• Public health laws governing communicable disease surveillance and control
• Environmental, social, economic, political, cultural and other issues impacting epidemiology

Ability to:

• Plan, design, conduct and evaluate varied epidemiological research studies and draw valid conclusions
• Prepare and write a variety of documents, such as research project & grant proposals, accurate statistical and narrative reports, and technical and scientific papers
• Collect and analyze complex statistical data
• Draw conclusions and make appropriate recommendations
• Present and explain epidemiologic data to a variety of audiences
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Interpret and apply applicable policies, codes and regulations
• Oversee, direct and evaluate the work of staff
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with co-workers, other agencies and community organizations

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

The examination will consist of the following steps: 1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process. 2) A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. 3) An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises. CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION. We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency.

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN:

Deadline for Filing:                                                                              5:00PM, Monday, March 19, 2018 
                                                                                                             5:00PM, Monday, March 26, 2018
Minimum Qualification Review:                                                                           Friday, March 30, 2018
Review of SQ for Best Qualified:                                                                            Friday, April 13, 2018
Panel Interviews:                                                                                              Wednesday, May 2, 2018

*The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

**Updated 3/15/2018

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
  • Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
  • Vision or Vision Reimbursement
  • Share the Savings
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
  • County Allowance Credit
  • Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
  • Short-Term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Floating Holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Catastrophic Sick Leave
  • Employee Mortgage Loan Program
  • Group Auto/Home Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.  

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Lindsay Christopher, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
510-272-6393
Lindsay.christopher@acgov.org

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer