Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist (Epi 1) DOH8350

At the Washington State Department of Health, we are committed to protecting and improving the health of every resident. We value equity, innovation, and engagement, working together with communities and partners to make a difference. If you're passionate about public health and want to contribute to meaningful work that impacts families and communities, this opportunity is for you.

What You Will Do

As our Maternal and Child Health Epidemiologist (Epidemiologist 1) in the Office of Family and Community Health Improvement (OFCHI), you'll play a critical role in advancing maternal and child health across Washington State. You will provide essential epidemiologic assessment, surveillance, and analysis to support the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant and related programs. Your work will ensure that our data-driven approaches lead to healthier outcomes for mothers, children, and families.

Expectations and Responsibilities:

• Data Analytics & Continuous Quality Improvement: Provide data analytics and technical expertise to support the Home Visiting Services Account (HVSA) program, ensuring high-quality data collection, reporting, and analysis. You'll utilize statistical tools like STATA, SAS, or R to drive insights that improve maternal and child health services.
• Health Data Analysis & Interpretation: Analyze and interpret health data from various sources, such as birth certificates, Medicaid data, and the Birth Defects Surveillance system. You'll apply advanced statistical methods to identify health disparities and inform program decisions.
• MCH Block Grant Coordination: Collaborate with the MCH Block Grant Coordinator and other stakeholders to set targets, develop strategies, and contribute to the 5-Year Needs Assessment. Your work will directly influence the allocation of resources to where they are needed most.
• Data Management & Reporting: Maintain and update data reports and dashboards, ensuring that health data is accessible, accurate, and up-to-date. You'll compile data from various sources and present findings to stakeholders in a clear and actionable way.
• Epidemiological Support for Oral Health: Provide epidemiological expertise to the Washington State Oral Health program, supporting disease surveillance, data collection, and the development of reports that guide program priorities.
• Technical Assistance & Stakeholder Engagement: Translate complex data into understandable terms for diverse audiences, including program staff, community partners, and the public. You'll ensure that data is used effectively to inform public health decisions.

 Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work: Your contributions will directly support healthier outcomes for mothers, children, and families across Washington State.
• Collaborative Environment: Work alongside dedicated public health professionals in a supportive and inclusive atmosphere.
• Professional Growth: Gain experience in a dynamic field with opportunities for career development and advancement.

 You’re Our Ideal Candidate If: 

• You embrace cultural humility by honoring diverse perspectives and cultures.
• You are committed to equity and inclusion, removing barriers, championing social justice, and fostering a sense of belonging.
• You use an outward mindset to make impactful contributions, blending your personal expertise with collaborative achievements.
• You excel at problem-solving and crafting effective solutions while communicating clearly across different mediums.
• You are dedicated to customer service and navigate diverse interactions to build strong organizational relationships.
• Your technical competence shines, making you an invaluable asset to our team!

Location and Flexibility 

We value work-life balance and offer the convenience of remote work with occasional in-person collaboration opportunities. Attending events or working in-office is rarely required and would be scheduled in advance. This is a remote/home-based position available to applicants residing anywhere in Washington State, as well as those living near the Oregon/Washington border and the Idaho/Washington border.  When not traveling for work, this position may work from home or the closest DOH facility.

You’re Our Ideal Candidate If: 

• You embrace cultural humility by honoring diverse perspectives and cultures.
• You are committed to equity and inclusion, removing barriers, championing social justice, and fostering a sense of belonging.
• You use an outward mindset to make impactful contributions, blending your personal expertise with collaborative achievements.
• You excel at problem-solving and crafting effective solutions while communicating clearly across different mediums.
• You are dedicated to customer service and navigate diverse interactions to build strong organizational relationships.
• Your technical competence shines, making you an invaluable asset to our team!

Required Qualifications (you must meet ONE of the provided options and any additional criteria listed.): 

Experience defined below may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities. Please ensure any relevant experience defined below is outlined in your cover letter, resume, and/or applicant profile. 

 Option 1 

• Four (4) years of experience in epidemiology or disease surveillance within community organizations, public health agencies, or grassroots initiatives.
• One (1) or more years of experience in program evaluation AND/OR epidemiological research and analysis.
• Experience designing, collecting, and analyzing health-related data to investigate factors that affect the health of a community. This includes work on health disparities, conducting needs assessments, and evaluating community health programs.

• A Master’s Degree or higher in Epidemiology, Public Health, or Health Science field which includes 12 graduate quarter hours or equivalent (500 level or above) in epidemiology and 12 graduate quarter hours or equivalent in statistics.
• One (1) or more years of experience in program evaluation AND/OR epidemiological research and analysis.

• Applies quality improvement tools to improve efficiency, accuracy, and overall quality.
• Applies epidemiological and evaluation principles, knowledge, and skills to fulfill job requirements.
• Ability to program in Stata, SAS, and/or R to query, transform, and analyze data.
• Ability to take initiative to resolve challenges and develop work efficiencies.
• Ability to effectively give and receive information orally and in writing to diverse audiences.
• Ability to interact with diverse customers and partners while demonstrating cultural, ethnic, and gender sensitivity and competence.

• Three years (3) of experience designing and executing program evaluation or epidemiological studies and using statistical programs (i.e. SAS, STATA, ArcGIS, nVIVO, etc.) to perform data analysis in a public health agency.
• Two years (2) experience advising public health programs how to use data and scientific information for planning and decision-making.
• Experience analyzing administrative data (e.g. vital records, Medicaid, hospitalization) and complex survey data (e.g. Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, National Survey of Children’s Health) and data visualization software (i.e. Tableau, Power BI, etc.).

 Benefits and Lifestyle

We prioritize your work-life balance and offer one of the most competitive benefits packages nationwide, tailored to support your lifestyle. Discover more about "Why DOH" by visiting Work@Health.

We are the Washington State Department of Health (DOH)

At DOH, we safeguard public health in an ever-evolving world. Through collaboration with local health jurisdictions and state, federal, and private partners, our programs, and services impact every Washingtonian and visitor daily. We're driven by Equity, Innovation, and Engagement, as outlined in our Transformational Plan for the future of Washington health.

Conditions of Employment:

This position is covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). 

 I am prepared, with or without accommodations, to do the following:

• Commit to a full-time 40-hour workweek schedule (flexible work schedule requests must be approved supervisor).
• Communicate through applications such as MS Teams and MS Outlook, and by phone while working remotely.
• Adjust my work schedule occasionally to align with business needs, which may entail working evenings and weekends.
• Perform my job duties either remotely from home or in-person at the designated DOH site location.
• Occasional travel may be necessary, sometimes requiring overnight stays or trips out of state. You must be able to legally drive a vehicle or arrange alternative transportation for state business.
• Engage in emergency response exercises and high-priority assignments as assigned during emergency events. 

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS:

To apply, click "Apply" and complete the application. Attach your resume, and cover letter. In your Applicant Profile, include at least three professional references (including a supervisor, a peer, and someone you’ve supervised or led, if applicable). Please do not include private information such as social security number or year of birth.

Make sure to document your years of experience, skills, and abilities as listed in the qualifications section of this job posting.

Attach only the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• 3 or more References, include in your applicant profile
• DD-214 (if applicable)

Veterans Preference: Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or a signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. Please remove or cover any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers and birth year

Do not include or attach the following – these documents will not be reviewed:

• REMOVE personal photos – do not submit any documents containing personal photos. 
• Transcripts (unless specifically requested in the Application Directions)
• Certifications or Diplomas
• Projects or Portfolios
• Letters of Recommendation

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:   We regard diversity as the foundation of our strength, recognizing that differing insights and abilities enable us to reflect the unique needs of the communities we serve.  

DOH is an equal-opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on race/ethnicity/color, creed, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, national origin, marital status, the presence or perception of a disability, veteran’s status, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity. 

Questions and Accommodations: If you have questions, need accommodation in the application or selection process, or need information in an alternative format, contact Zach Covington at Zach.Covington@doh.wa.gov.  For general DOH recruitment questions, email the Talent Acquisition Team at employment@doh.wa.gov. Deaf or hard of hearing contact Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1; individuals outside of Washington State contact Washington Relay Service at 1-800-833-6874.  

Technical Support: Reach out to NEOGOV directly at 1-855-524-5627 for technical support and login issues. 

This recruitment may be used to fill positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment are filled, the candidate pool may be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days. 
 
Only applicants who follow the directions and complete the Application Process in full will have their responses reviewed for consideration. 
 
Experience and education selected, listed, or detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable on the submitted applicant profile.