Department: Risk Management
Salary/Grade: NEX/16

Job Summary:

Northwestern will hire, train and supervise a team of contact tracing staff across the University community. The objective of this team will be to call every faculty, staff, and student diagnosed with COVID-19, gather their contacts, and proceed to call every contact in the local area. This is in tandem with efforts by Northwestern, the cities of Evanston and Chicago, and the state of Illinois to increase testing, improve communication and implementation of isolation and quarantine. This will fortify efforts to control the pandemic within Northwestern and its surrounding communities.

Reporting to the Director of Environmental Health and Safety with a dotted line report to the Executive Director of Health Service, this position will supervise a unit of 10-15 contact tracers working remotely. This unit will be collectively responsible for calling people with COVID-19, helping make care plans for people with COVID-19, identifying and collecting contact details of people with COVID-19 and their contacts, and connecting contacts with various services (including social support structures, testing, clinical care, etc.). The team will provide education about COVID-19, on isolation and quarantine procedures and about social services. The Contact Tracing Supervisor is responsible for the unit, to track progress against target goals, provide direct supervision, oversight, and mentorship to the unit, and will be the unit’s point of contact with the supervisory structures. This position will also perform many of the functions of the team, including being the primary point of contact for people with COVID-19.

Please note: This is a remote position.  The contact tracing supervisor and contact tracers will not be working on campus. The contact tracing supervisor may be required to use their own telephone, computer and electronic equipment if equipment is not provided by Northwestern. Due to concerns regarding confidentiality and privacy, this position requires a private, isolated workspace. Contact tracers will be assigned a schedule of either 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. or 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Supervise a unit of 10-15 people that collectively performs all functions of Northwestern’s COVID-19 Community Team response.
• Coordinate the unit’s schedules and provide daily remote supervision and troubleshooting.
• Report issues from the unit to the Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Executive Director of Health Service, brainstorm and implement solutions.
• Act as primary point person to call people with a positive diagnostic test for COVID-19, provide support and gather information including information about the disease.
• Triage and coordinate next steps for care and isolation for individuals the person has been in contact with.
• Perform phone calls as needed, including to contacts who have been exposed to COVID-19, to places of business a COVID-19 positive patient has frequented, and to refer patients and their families to different social services.
• Track daily and weekly progress for the unit including cases contacted successfully, contacts tracked and referred, and patients and contacts referred to social support systems
• Maintain daily contact with supervisor. Perform quality assurance through listening in on calls or to recordings of calls and providing feedback to team as well as participating in quality improvement conversations with supervisors
• Perform quality assurance through listening in on calls or to recordings of calls and providing feedback to team as well as participating in quality improvement conversations with Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Executive Director of Health Service.
• Liaise with Northwestern partners and stakeholders.
• Maintain daily contact with Director of Environmental Health and Safety and Executive Director of Health Service.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Registered Nurse (RN) certification or Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN) required.
• Experience in clinical medicine and/or public health.
• Experience supervising teams in complex environments.
• Ability to speak, read, and write English.
• Technology requirements: PC with Windows 10, Antivirus Protection: Windows Defender and Windows Firewall; or Mac with Apple OS X 10.13, Antivirus Protection: Sophos; and personal mobile device to use for this job. A telephone headset is required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Ability to exhibit a professional, positive attitude and work ethic.
• Excellent interpersonal skills required and ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse individuals during a time of crisis and distress.
• Ability to show empathy to distressed individuals.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Critical thinking and sound judgment required.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Proficiency with computers.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Second or multiple languages a plus.
• Illinois resident preferred and familiarity with Illinois geography; cities/towns/locations required.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.