Rapid Health Information Network (RHINO) Team Manager (Senior Epidemiologist) DOH8211

Salary : $0.00 Annually

Location : Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

Job Type: Full Time - Permanent

Remote Employment: Remote Optional

Job Number: DOH 8211

Department: Dept. of Health

Division: Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT)

Opening Date: 07/01/2024

Closing Date: Continuous

Description

This is a remote project position that will be funded through July 31, 2025. We begin reviewing applications on July 8, 2024.

Rapid Health Information Network (RHINO) Team Manager (Senior Epidemiologist)

As the Senior Epidemiologist and RHINO Team Manager, you will play a pivotal role in enhancing Washington's public health response. Reporting to the Deputy Director of the Center for Analytics, Informatics, and Modernization, you will lead efforts in robust data collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination to support surveillance for all public health conditions. Your work will directly contribute to the agency's mission by ensuring comprehensive healthcare encounters and syndromic surveillance, crucial for public health emergency preparedness and response.

In this position, you will manage and supervise a dedicated team while fostering strong collaborative relationships with a diverse range of partners. You will work closely with internal teams across the Department of Health and external stakeholders, including tribal health departments, federal agencies, local health jurisdictions, and academic institutions. Your leadership and expertise will be key in implementing effective surveillance systems and ensuring our state is well-prepared to respond to public health challenges. Join us and make a significant impact on public health in Washington.

Responsibilities:

• Manage, supervise, and direct RHINO Team for healthcare encounter and syndromic surveillance across Washington state.
• Design and oversee new epidemiologic analyses and research projects investigating human morbidity and mortality.
• Coordinate activities of the DOH research group focused on healthcare encounter and syndromic surveillance data.
• Lead epidemiologic investigations into new and emerging health conditions to support public health emergency responses.
• Disseminate scientific and public health information through reports, abstracts, manuscripts, visualizations, and dashboards.
• Ensure data management, including overseeing completeness, timeliness, and accuracy of ESSENCE systems.
• Develop documentation and processes for routine tasks related to data management and healthcare encounter surveillance.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local statutes, rules, and regulations governing public health data.
• Manage responses to public Yrecords and information requests related to ESSENCE systems and data.
• Collaborate with internal and external invested partners, including tribal health departments, federal agencies, and academic institutions.
• Oversee selection and implementation of additional data sources to enhance ESSENCE systems' capabilities.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with local health jurisdictions, other state agencies, Tribes, and federal agencies.
• Hire, supervise, and set performance expectations for RHINO Team supervisors, epidemiologists, and technical staff.
• Develop resource and staffing plans to address current and future workload needs effectively.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Your experience must be from full-time professional work and may have been gained concurrently. Additional years of experience can substitute for educational requirements on a year-for-year basis. You must meet one of the following qualification options and the additional experience criteria.

Required Qualifications

• Option 1: At least 5 years of professional experience in public health with at least 1 year in public health management, with significant responsibility in epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health informatics, including the design and management of epidemiologic research and surveillance programs.

• Option 2: A Master's degree or higher in epidemiology

• Option 3: A Master's degree or higher in public health or a closely allied field including 12 graduate quarter hours or equivalent (500 level or above) in epidemiology and 12 graduate quarter hours or equivalent in biostatistics.

Required Experience:

• Two (2) or more years of supervisory or lead experience in a public health or equivalent setting

Preferred Qualifications and Desired Experience:

• Demonstrated experience effectively overseeing or managing epidemiologists performing public health activities
• Demonstrated experience effectively performing data analysis and using statistical software.
• Strong oral and written communication skills on both technical and non-technical levels.
• Demonstrated experience in supervision and project/program management.

Our ideal candidate will also demonstrate the following interpersonal skills and competencies:

• Cultural humility by embracing diverse perspectives and honoring various cultures.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion, removing barriers, championing social justice, and fostering a sense of belonging.
• Using an outward mindset to fuel impactful contributions and blending your personal expertise with collaborative achievements.
• Problem-solving and crafting effective solutions while communicating clearly across different mediums.
• Dedication to customer service and navigating diverse interactions to build strong organizational relationships.
• Your technical competence should shine, making you an invaluable asset to our team!

Location and Flexibility

This position is open to candidates from across the United States. We welcome talent from coast to coast to join our team and make a difference, no matter where you're located. Attending events or working In-office at the DOH office located in Tumwater, WA is infrequent, rarely required, and would be scheduled well in advance at. (Requires authority approval)

Benefits and Lifestyle

We prioritize your work-life balance and offer one of the most competitive benefits packages nationwide, tailored to support your lifestyle. Discover more about "Why DOH" by visiting

About Us

CDS and the Rapid Health Information NetwOrk (RHINO) - Empowering Health with Data!

The Center for Data Science (CDS) within the Office of Innovation and Technology provides essential data insights to improve health outcomes. Our mission of Data Democratization ensures that data is accessible to all through the implementation of best practices and advanced systems in data science, informatics, epidemiology, and surveillance. Within the CDS, The Civic Analytics and Surveillance team enhances daily surveillance data management, ensuring code and process interoperability, while the Rapid Health Information NetwOrk (RHINO) team focuses on collecting and analyzing emergency-related clinical data to support local, state, Tribal, and federal partners.

We are the Washington State Department of Health (DOH)

At DOH, we safeguard public health in an ever-evolving world. Through collaboration with local health jurisdictions and state, federal, and private partners, our programs, and services impact every Washingtonian and visitor daily. We're driven by Equity, Innovation, and Engagement, as outlined in our for the future of Washington health.

Application Directions:

• To apply, please click "Apply" to complete the application, including attaching your Resume, Cover Letter, and References (at least 3 professional references including a supervisor, a peer, and someone you've supervised or led (if applicable)).
• Do not submit private information including social security numbers, year of birth, etc.
• The hiring manager WILL NOT review additional supplemental attachments. DO NOT attach or submit the following:
  1. Please REMOVE personal photos before attaching resume and/or cover letter.
  2. Transcripts
  3. Certifications or Diplomas
  4. Projects or Portfolios
  5. Letters of Recommendation

Veterans Preference: Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. Please remove or cover any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers and birth year.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: We regard diversity as the foundation of our strength, recognizing that differing insights and abilities enable us to reflect the unique needs of the communities we serve.

DOH is an equal-opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on race/ethnicity/color, creed, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, national origin, marital status, the presence or perception of a disability, veteran's status, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity.

Questions and Accommodations: If you have questions, need accommodation in the application or selection process, or need information in an alternative format, contact Shawnelle Goalder at For general DOH recruitment questions, email the Talent Acquisition Team at Deaf or hard of hearing contact Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1; individuals outside of Washington State contact Washington Relay Service at [redacted].

Technical Support

Conditions of Employment:

I am prepared, with or without accommodations, to do the following:

• Commit to a full-time 40-hour work week schedule (flexible work schedule requests must be approved supervisor).
• Communicate through applications such as MS Teams and MS Outlook, and by phone while working remotely.
• Adjust my work schedule occasionally to align with business needs, which may entail working evenings and weekends.
• Perform my job duties either remotely from home or in-person at the designated DOH site location.
• Travel periodically within the state of Washington.
• Possess the legal ability to operate a state or privately-owned vehicle or arrange alternative transportation for official state business.

Engage in emergency response exercises and high-priority assignments as assigned during emergency events.

Supplemental Information

Supplemental Information
This recruitment may be used to fill positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment are filled, the candidate pool may be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.

Only applicants who follow the directions and complete the Application Process in-full will have their responses reviewed for consideration.

Experience and education selected, listed, or detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable on the submitted applicant profile.

More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.

Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.

To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.

Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.

Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dol