Introduction
Are you passionate about infectious disease prevention? Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to help others? Do you want to help Connecticut achieve health equity?

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking an experienced and qualified individual for the position of Epidemiologist 2 (Infectious/Chronic Diseases) to support the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Control Program. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, syphilis cases have tripled in Connecticut and congenital syphilis has returned. Join this fast-paced public health program to move prevention efforts forward during this nationwide resurgence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
HIGHLIGHTS

• Section: TB, HIV, STD and Viral Hepatitis Section
• Location: Hartford, CT
• Work Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week
• Schedule: First shift, Monday through Friday
• Work environment: Partial telework (hybrid) in accordance with State of Connecticut policies

This Epidemiologist 2 will work for the STD Control Program Surveillance Unit within the Infection Diseases Division's TB, HIV, STD and Viral Hepatitis Section under the supervision of an Epidemiologist 4. In this role, you will collaborate with DPH Informatics staff, Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS), and epidemiologists in the HIV Prevention and HIV Surveillance programs.
Major responsibilities of this Epidemiologist 2 will be:

• Leading the Connecticut Syphilis Reactor Desk, including development of related protocols and training materials for STD Control Program staff.
• Generating statistical reports on STIs in Connecticut.
• Detecting syphilis outbreaks.
• Communicating with clinicians and laboratorians to determine investigation priorities.
• Performing person and case deduplication for all STIs.
• Interpreting and following up on laboratory results and confidential case reports.
• Analyzing congenital syphilis, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia data.
• Convening monthly case review meetings for syphilis and congenital syphilis.
• Working with DPH Informatics on data reconciliation with a focus on adult syphilis.
• Conducting program evaluation, performance monitoring, and quality assurance activities.
• Contributing to progress reports, grant applications, and responses to technical reviews.
• Developing and delivering presentations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Assisting the Interstate Communications Control Records Coordinator.

Program staff work to ensure all Connecticut residents have equal chances for health regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic position, immigrant status, sexual orientation, language, disability, housing status, or geographic area of residence. The STD Control Program is committed to employing a diverse and skilled workforce representative of the communities we serve.
Please note: this position has an expected end date of January 31, 2026. The length of the position may be extended as additional funding becomes available.
DISCOVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO

• Join a dynamic and diverse team of public health professionals.
• Contribute to the exciting work of disease investigation and Partner Services.
• Make a difference in the lives of Connecticut residents.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company: 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule
• Professional growth and development opportunities
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees

MORE ABOUT US

The Mission of DPH is to protect and improve the health and safety of the people of Connecticut by assuring:

• The conditions in which people can be healthy;
• Preventing disease, injury, and disability; and
• Promoting the equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, which is a human right and a priority of the state.

DPH accomplishes this through the implementation of its Strategic Plan which outlines the actions that DPH is taking to accomplish its Mission.

START WITH US. STAY WITH US. GROW WITH US.
Selection Plan
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!
Please Note : For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
TO APPLY

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
• You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
• In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate's obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
• This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.

AFTER YOU APPLY

• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
• This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
• NOTE: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position. Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
• Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.

CONNECT WITH US

• Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
• Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Pamela Rochette at Pamela.Rochette@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Public Health this class is accountable for performing the full range of tasks in investigating infectious, chronic and non-infectious diseases and implementing disease prevention methods.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Leads and participates in routine epidemiologic investigations to identify risk factors and implements and evaluates resulting intervention measures;
• Collect and collates data including performing interviews;
• Performs data analysis and summarizes relevant epidemiologic investigation data into tables, charts and written reports;
• Provides technical information to the professional and lay public including local health departments;
• Collaborates in the preparation and presentation of workshops;
• May respond to media inquiries;
• Maintains an orderly surveillance system capable of detecting risk factors and changes in disease patterns;
• May administer biologics or collect specimens such as blood and urine samples, throat and rectal swabs under the supervision of a physician.
• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Considerable knowledge of
  • infectious and/or chronic disease processes;
  • relevant disease processes which affect humans and animals;
  • epidemiological methods and techniques;
• Knowledge of
  • basic biological processes;
• Skills
  • oral and written communications skills;
  • interpersonal skills;
  • computer skills;
• Ability to
  • independently perform epidemiological investigations;
  • independently collect, analyze and interpret epidemiological data.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Six (6) years of experience in conducting epidemiological investigations in a responsible technical or professional capacity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

One (1) year of the General Experience must have involved interviewing and performing trend analyses at the level of an Epidemiologist 1.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

• College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
• A Master's degree in public health, community medicine or a related health science may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.
• A Doctorate in a related discipline such as public health, medicine or a natural or behavioral science may be substituted for the General Experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working in the Connecticut Electronic Disease Surveillance System (CTEDSS) or a similar master patient index database.
• Experience in infectious diseases, laboratory sciences, or health care.
• Experience independently conducting data analysis and experience in SAS or R.
• Experience communicating with public health agencies, hospitals, medical providers, community-based organizations or the public to facilitate disease surveillance.
• Experience working with epidemiological data, including: maintaining confidentiality of personal health information; use of data management best practices; creating inclusion criteria; and writing abstracts.
• Experience conducting program evaluation or program performance monitoring.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office 365 apps and Adobe.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Incumbents in this class must be willing to be immunized for communicable diseases as necessary and appropriate.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be exposed to communicable diseases and hazardous substance.

Conclusion
AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.