EPIDEMIOLOGIST 2 - 76082

Executive Service

Hybrid

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 and live our vision and values.

How you make a difference in this role:

Under direction, is responsible for professional scientific and epidemiological assessments of considerable difficulty; performs related work as required. An incumbent in this class conducts scientific research in communicable diseases, environmental epidemiology and toxicology. The incumbent also makes health and risk assessments and provides expertise to health department physicians, departmental personnel, and environmental regulatory personnel. This class differs from that of Epidemiologist 1 in that an incumbent of the latter is responsible for work of lesser scope and responsibility and does not supervise. This class differs from that of Epidemiology 3 in that an incumbent of the latter is responsible for directing all functions of a major public health section, program or division as a whole.

Job Overview:

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) Division of Family Health and Wellness (FHW) is hiring an Epidemiologist 2. This executive service position reports to the Section Chief for Injury Prevention and serves as the senior data strategist for the section and is responsible for complex scientific analyses, data and surveillance oversight, and supervision of junior epidemiology staff supporting Child Fatality Review (CFR), Fetal and Infant Mortality Reduction (FIMR), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Injury Prevention, and Behavioral Health programs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide section-wide epidemiologic oversight of data systems and analytic activities, including management of surveillance systems, ensuring high-quality surveillance and timely reporting, alignment with federal and state grant requirements, and leveraging vital statistics, hospital discharge, emergency department, TBI registry, and other programmatic data to guide strategic planning, grant and pilot project development, evaluation, performance measurement, and actionable prevention strategies.
• Provide supervision and leadership to the sections evaluation team.
• Set clear expectations, identify areas of improvement, and promote professional development and other skill-building activities that enhance and improve work performance.
• Design, oversee, and maintain reporting systems and data-related products, including evaluation plans and reports, dashboards, infographics, and interactive maps, leveraging statistical and analytic software such as SAS, Tableau, ArcGIS, and related tools.
• Prepare and conduct final review and approval of qualitative and quantitative data products submitted to federal agencies and TDH leadership, including supervision and quality assurance of products developed by direct reports to ensure accuracy and completeness prior to official submission.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to translate analytic findings into actionable recommendations and data products suitable for lay and professional audiences.
• Represent the section in internal and external meetings, work groups, councils, and committees.
• Provide technical assistance and epidemiologic expertise to support program implementation, evaluation efforts, and strategic decision-making.
• Ensure that all public-facing work products follow Data Release and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance guidelines.
• Lead development of the annual Child Fatality Review legislative reports and oversee preparation of the annual TBI and Suicide Prevention legislative reports.
• Ability to travel within the US to conferences and meetings a few times a year, and to work remotely and in the Nashville, TN office as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience differ for this executive service classification based on the needs of the department. This might include:

• A Bachelor's degree in a health or science field, a Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Health Administration or Health Planning, experience with statewide leadership or directing all functions of a health program as a whole.

The preferred candidate will have:

• Experience working with large data sets and developing and managing data collection and reporting systems (e.g., REDCap).
• Experience utilizing statistical analysis and data visualization tools, including Excel, SAS, ArcGIS, Tableau, and similar platforms.
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills.
• Expertise working cross-functionally.
• Experience in staff supervision.

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.