Position Overview
The Illinois Department of Public Health is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as Data Epidemiologist. Designs and conducts data analysis procedures, using analytical tools, to assess communicable disease data for trends, anomalies, cluster detection, and data quality. Participate a part of an outbreak response team to assist in data analysis to determine outbreak sources and describe the extent of spread and potential progression of outbreaks with various mitigation strategies.
Job Responsibilities
1. Designs and conducts data analysis procedures.
• Uses analytical tools to assess communicable disease data for trends, anomalies, cluster detection, and data quality.
• Reports findings to other epidemiologists within IDPH.
• Responds to requests for additional situational data.
2. Participates as part of an outbreak response team to assist in data analysis.
• Uses analytical tools, including, but not limited to, SAS, R and GIS tools, to present outbreak data, determine outbreak sources and describe the extent of spread and potential progression of outbreaks with various mitigation strategies.
• Summarizes outbreak findings for final reports.
3. Designs and produces data outputs for the consumption by local health departments and other partners on the IDPH Intranet and for public consumption on the IDPH website.
• Uses tools such as Tableau to organize and present data.
• Ensures data are up-to-date and relevant to consumers.
4. Assists in preparing annual data submissions and reports on surveillance data and outbreaks for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local partners, publication, and public consumption.
• Graphically and epidemiologically summarizes events to demonstrate trends, impacts and resolution, based on inject of mitigation strategies.
5. Leads a community of practice group with state epidemiologists and local health departments to advance broader use of data analysis tools at the local level and strengthen statewide outbreak response.
6. Prepares and presents summaries from literature reviews, data analyses, and study results for the Department and public presentation.
• Participates in annual trainings for local health departments.
7. Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications
Requires possession of a bachelor’s degree in epidemiology, public health, demography,biostatistics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics or related social science research field from an accredited university.
Requires four years of professional experience in applied epidemiology, bio-statistics or in population or community health assessments, or a related field.
Preferred Qualifications
Three years experience using analytical tools to assess communicable disease data fortrends, anomalies, cluster detection, and data quality.
Two years experience using analytical tools, including, but not limited to, SAS, R and GIStools, to present outbreak data, determine outbreak sources.
Two years experience assisting in preparing data submissions or reports on surveillance dataand outbreaks.
Two years experience in an Infectious disease program.
Two years experience with Epi Info computer applications.
Two years experience with Tableau computer application.
Two years experience with Microsoft Excel and other similar types of software

About Illinois Department of Public Health

Department Overview In Illinois, if you have eaten at a restaurant, required hospital or nursing home care, vacationed at a campground or swam at a public beach or pool, drank a glass of milk, got married or divorced ,had a baby, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has touched your life in some important way. Assuring the quality of our food, setting the standards for hospital and nursing home care, checking the safety of recreation areas, overseeing the inspection of milk producing farms and processing plants, maintaining the state's vital records and screening newborns for genetic diseases are just some of the duties of IDPH. In fact, IDPH has 200 different programs that benefit each state resident and visitor, although its daily activities of maintaining the public's health are rarely noticed unless a breakdown in the system occurs. With the assistance of local public health agencies, these essential programs and services make up Illinois' public health system, a system that forms a frontline defense against disease through preventive measures and education. Public health has provided the foundation for remarkable gains in saving lives and reducing suffering. ...Today, life expectancy is 80 years for women and 74 years for men compared with fewer than 50 years at the at the beginning of the 20th century. In the past, IDPH directed state efforts to control smallpox, cholera and typhoid, virtually eliminated polio, reduced dental decay through fluoridation of community water supplies, and corrected sanitary conditions that threatened water and food supplies. Today, IDPH has programs to deal with persistent problems that require continued vigilance – infectious diseases, such as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and meningococcal disease; foodborne and communicable diseases, such as E. coli 0157: H7, monkeypox, salmonella and West Nile virus; vaccine preventable diseases; lead poisoning; lack of health care in rural areas; health disparities among racial groups, breast, cervical and prostate cancer; Alzheimer's disease; and other health threats -- sexually transmitted diseases, tobacco use, violence, and other conditions associated with high-risk behaviors. In addition, IDPH has been charged with handling the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of bioterrorism. IDPH, which is one of the state's oldest agencies, was first organized in 1877 with a staff of three and a two-year budget of $5,000. IDPH, now has an annual budget of $2.9 billion in state and federal funds, headquarters in Springfield and Chicago, seven regional offices located around the state, three laboratories, and 1,200 employees. IDPH is organized into 12 offices, each of which addresses a distinct area of public health. Each office operates and supports numerous ongoing programs and is prepared to respond to extraordinary situations as they arise.

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