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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
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POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
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Position Number: 00215768 |
Description Activated On: 4/16/2026 1:22:58 PM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. This position supports the Bureau of Epidemiology’s mission to protect the public health through design, management, and use of surveillance systems to identify, investigate, control and prevent vaccine preventable disease (VPD) in Pennsylvania; analysis and interpretation of epidemiological data; advising partners on the collection and analysis of statewide epidemiologic data; and leading the development and implementation of statewide plans, policies and procedures for surveillance and control of vaccine preventable diseases. |
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Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. Serves as the federally funded Vaccine Preventable Disease Epidemiologist. Collaborates in the implementation of Pennsylvania's Disease Reporting Act by participating in the development, implementation, use, oversight and evaluation of disease surveillance systems and outbreak response related to VPD disease . Surveillance: - Leads or participates in implementation, evaluation, and use of surveillance systems for VPDs. - Collects, manages, analyzes, and interprets surveillance data, including identification of disease burden in the state and in various subpopulations, and evaluation of potential risk factors - Reviews surveillance and data quality reports on a regular basis and communicates pertinent findings to appropriate staff members in a timely manner to enhance public health response - Initiates corrective actions when data problems are identified to improve the accuracy and reliability of surveillance data - Develops and sustains relationships with internal and external surveillance system partners - Collaborates with Information Technology personnel, communicating epidemiologic surveillance and outbreak management needs, participating in requirements sessions and working groups, and providing feedback on how systems are functioning, to enhance public health surveillance, reporting, and outcomes - Ensures that information received is meaningful and usable from a public health and epidemiological standpoint - Assists with review and development of general surveillance policies and procedures Data Analysis and Dissemination: - Develops new reports as needed, using analytic and statistical applications such as SAS and R - Prepares and provides summaries to leadership, Communications, and for the PADOH website - Creates and delivers presentations, including description of study designs and methods, key findings, data definitions and limitations of data - Works with the Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) Surveillance coordinator to facilitate transmission of VPD surveillance data to CDC - Responds to data requests from other entities, complying with all Department policies/guidelines and legislation regarding data release and confidentiality Investigations: - Leads or collaborates in investigations or studies of vaccine preventable diseases and outbreaks - Ensures quality of investigations/studies - Using knowledge of infectious disease epidemiology and methodology, supports data needs for outbreak investigations by developing outbreak surveys, databases, and reports appropriate for the condition being monitored - Works with investigative staff to ensure that surveillance activities support and inform outbreak investigations, such as monitoring surveillance data to identify new cases or potential sources of infection Prevention and Control: - Develops, in collaboration with colleagues, prevention and control recommendation guidelines for vaccine preventable diseases - Leads or collaborates in the development of statewide procedures relating to vaccine preventable disease surveillance, epidemiology and infectious disease prevention and control - Demonstrates awareness of the vulnerable populations the organization serves by identifying, providing, and advocating for resources, services, communication methods, and policies that would help those populations achieve health equity Consultation: - Provides consultation to Department field staff, county and municipal health departments, and others on surveillance and informatics topics, such as providing guidance on querying datasets, applying case definitions, troubleshooting reporting problems, etc. - Writes or reviews recommendations and guidance documents - Addresses and responds to inquiries from elected officials, public, schools, reporters, etc., on surveillance and related issues as directed by supervisor Grant and Infrastructure Management: - Writes grant applications as needed - Provides program progress measures for grant - Maintains awareness of potential funding opportunities - Participates and leads in workgroups, conference calls and attends conferences Demonstrate awareness of the vulnerable populations the organization serves by identifying, providing, and advocating for resources, services, communication methods, and policies that would help those populations achieve health equity. Work may require occasional statewide and out-of-state travel and irregular/flexible work hours including overnights, weekends and holidays in accordance with policy. Employee may travel using public transportation, private transportation or carpooling with other team members as assigned. Public Health Emergency Response This position may be assigned to an emergency assignment to support the public health emergency response mission of the Department of Health. Emergency assignments could at times be received with little or no advance notice and may continue for any length of time. The emergency assignments may at times be performed under adverse conditions and may require travel to another site other than the employee’s assigned headquarters for periods of time. Other duties as assigned. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. Decision making in work processes: Standards-based. Decision making is made based on standards defined by supervisor or the proper professional/technical discipline. Exploratory. Decision making occurs following careful interpretation, analysis and diagnosis. Employee is responsible to find information to develop solutions or approaches. Supervisor’s input to decision making: Professional. Supervisor reviews on-going work progress after completion or if there is a problem or exception. Employee has authority to change internal procedures or approaches as needed within the accepted professional approach. Communication authority: Position advises outside its work unit. |
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Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. N/A 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. N/A 5. N/A 6. N/A |
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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
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