EPIDEMIOLOGIST 2 - 66246

Executive Service

This position is designated as Hybrid.

For more information, visit the link below:

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/program-areas/careers/3%203%202025%20Epi%202%20CEDEP%20job%20ad.pdf

Background Check:

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Who we are and what we do:

TDH incorporates our values into the work we do each day to achieve our mission, live our vision and address our strategic priorities.

Job Overview:

The Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Program (VPDIP) within the Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness (CEDEP) division of the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is currently hiring an Epidemiologist 2 on the Tennessee Immunization Information System (TennIIS) team. This is a hybrid position that currently requires 8 in-person days per month at Central Office in Nashville. TennIIS maintains consolidated and accessible immunization records for Tennesseans of all ages. Authorized immunizing providers use TennIIS to submit and obtain records for any patient in the system; this system is at the heart of VPDIP efforts to ensure the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Epidemiologist 2 serves as the TennIIS Epidemiology Team Lead, supervising two epidemiologists to support electronic data exchange using interoperability standards, data quality reporting and improvement, and the fulfillment of programmatic data needs. This position reports to the TennIIS Director. A well-matched candidate will have experience in public health data systems and interoperability, staff management and supervision, data analysis using SAS, and data visualization in Tableau. The ideal candidate would be a well-organized, detail-oriented self-starter able to lead a team to complete complex projects and interact professionally in person with other government agencies and the public. Occasional travel may be required. This position is also responsible for helping to maintain our program's federal grant funding, including preparing documents for grant reporting purposes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership in collaboration with the TennIIS Director to staff tasked with promoting data quality and data use; lead routine and ad hoc data quality meetings and investigate and diagnose problems with data quality as they occur.
• Work with the TennIIS Director to establish strategic priorities for advancing the IIS that align with VPDIP, TDH leadership, and external partners.
• Manage large data projects and reports by developing and maintaining SAS code, REDCap databases, and Tableau visualizations.
• Regularly review data exchange and data quality processes and collaborate with the TennIIS Deputy Director, TennIIS clinical team lead, and IIS technology partners to modify processes as needed to improve data quality.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on national workgroups convened by CDC, the American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA), Public Health Informatics Institute (PHII), and other partners to assist in developing standards and best practices for IIS data extraction, analysis, validation, presentation, and use.
• Use the CDC IIS Data Quality Blueprint, data quality reports and IIS dashboard, TN's CDC Cooperative Agreement work plans, and reports from the AIRA Measurement and Improvement Aggregate Analysis Reporting Tool (AART) to identify and assist with prioritizing IIS enhancements to improve alignment with CDC IIS Functional Standards and IIS community best practices.
• Follow jurisdiction protocols to document, manage, and follow-up on data requests in a manner that increases IIS utility and credibility while adhering to jurisdictional and national laws and policies and data use agreements.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a doctorate's degree in epidemiology.

OR

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a doctorate's degree in medicine (MD), osteopathic medicine (DO), veterinarian medicine (DVM) public health, biostatistics, statistics, health informatics health sciences, biomedical sciences or environmental sciences with experience equivalent to two years' work experience in epidemiology.

Substitution of Education for Experience:

• Additional graduate coursework in public health or an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Fellowship may substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two years.

OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in epidemiology, public health, biostatistics, statistics, or health informatics with experience equivalent to four year's work experience in epidemiology.

OR

• Additional studies with an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Fellowship may substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two years.

OR

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in health science, biomedical science or environmental science with experience equivalent to six year's work experience in epidemiology.

OR

• Additional studies with an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Fellowship may substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two years.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.