Epidemiologist II

Population Health And Research OfficeThe Population Health and Research Office (PHAR) serves several important roles at the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). Broadly these include conducting research, public health surveillance, analysis and interpretation of public health data, and program evaluation support that focuses on understanding health equity and the determinants of health. With expertise in analyzing, interpreting, and disseminating Boston resident health-related data, PHAR provides core population health functions including evaluation, informatics and epidemiological support to BPHC public health programs and initiatives, policymakers, other city agencies, community organizations and residents.Duties:Works to help BPHC advance as an antiracist organization by meeting or exceeding the standards set by the BPHC Anti-Racism Policy.Works with the Health of Boston program director to design and conduct population health surveillance efforts, specifically as related to health equity and the social determinants of healthIdentifies needs, opportunities and sources of data for further investigation in areas related to population-level health including heath equity, population groups that are typically difficult to assess, small-area estimation, and the role of the social determinantsDevelops expertise working with various types of surveillance data, including complex survey data, birth and death data, infectious disease data, hospital billing data, and census dataAnalyzes quantitative and qualitative surveillance data; summarizes results of the analysis and draws insightful interpretationsPrepares data briefs, targeted reports, online dashboards, and social media content in partnership with other program staff and community partnersCollects and syntheses public health literature, including peer-reviewed journal articles, for analysis of health problems and for development of proposals and reportsProduces data visualization content, including tables, charts, maps, infographics, online content and other descriptive formatsWorks with BPHC programs to identify, analyze and interpret data relevant to program prioritiesWorks with other Research and Evaluation staff on data analysis for reports, presentations and data requestsCommunicates epidemiologic information through oral presentations to both professional and non-professional audiencesApplies principles of informatics towards data collection, processing, and analysis in support of epidemiologic practiceFollows ethical guidelines and principles when conducting research and collecting, disseminating and using dataUses leadership and systems thinking in epidemiologic planning and developmentPerforms epidemiological and statistical analyses, and prepares results for review.Designs Reports and Disseminates results of investigations, special studies, routine surveillance, and analyses of health outcome dataSupports data generation, analysis and epidemiological profiles for grant reports and applicationsPrepares manuscripts for peer-reviewed publicationsAttends internal and external meetings as requiredConceptualizes and develops research and analysis initiatives that support studies and expands surveillance capacity in those areasProvides direct analytic mentoring to bureau/program staffReviews surveillance data on an on-going basis to establish baselines and identify trendsPerforms other duties as required.Qualifications:Knowledge of or willingness to learn about the role of public health in addressing racism, the social determinants of health, and inequities in health outcomes as well as strategies to advance racial justice and health equity.Commitment to health equity and racial/social justice issues.Master's degree in public health or related field, required or bachelor's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience, required.Prior experience in designing, planning and managing of health analyses required.Knowledge of public health issues including the role of social determinants of health and disparities in health outcomesKnowledge of population health surveillance methods and analytics strongly preferredUnderstanding of Epidemiology concepts and quantitative methodologies requiredProficiency in use of SAS, SPSS, Stata, R, and/or Epi Info requiredExperience using R/Shiny or other data visualization software a plus;Experience using ARC-GIS or other mapping software a plus;Experience managing data using excel, Access, Epi Info or other database software a plusExperience analyzing BRFSS, YRBS,( or other complex survey design), vital records, case-mix, infectious disease and All Payers Claim Database a plusExcellent oral and writing skills required.Excellent organizational skills required.Experience in health communication preferredExperience in chronic disease and health policy surveillance preferredExperience working with community groups preferred.Ability to work as part of a diverse team, to manage competing priorities, & to consistently meet deadlines required.