(Competitive)
The work involves responsibility for directing a unit of the Onondaga County Health Department to provide prompt, quality services to the Department and to the public in the areas of community health surveillance, epidemiology, and biostatistics. An employee in this class performs quantitative research and analysis and provides direction, coordination, evaluation and assessment for all functional program areas in accordance with policies and guidelines outlined by the Commissioner of Health and Deputy Commissioner of Health, who oversee the programs. The incumbent is given latitude for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative in planning, developing, and recommending services, and for the supervision of all staff connected to the programs to which assigned. This position is technically oriented, requiring training and experience in the areas of statistics and biostatistics. The incumbent works closely with other administrative and/or management staff throughout the Health Department to provide continuity and coordinated effort towards high quality, effective and efficient public health services to the community. General supervision is exercised over a diverse group of employees, including professionals, paraprofessionals and clerical support staff. Supervision is received from, and work reviewed by, the Commissioner of Health. Does related work as required.
Provides both technical and administrative direction, coordination and assessment for Onondaga County Health Department's public health surveillance unit.
Performs and oversees ongoing epidemiological research and analysis of the health status of our community, associated needs, special populations at risk, financial impacts, and future local trends.
Provides and explains research results to Onondaga County Health Department administrators, heads of community agencies, legislators and others, with the goal of facilitating the planning of education and intervention programs, the cost-effective allocation of resources and the competition for federal and state grant monies.
Provides advice and consultation to administrators concerning community health needs, improvement of program effectiveness, interpretation of epidemiological factors and study results.
Acts as a liaison with community groups and other governmental agencies on matters pertaining to health surveillance and statistics.
Serves as a consultant to Onondaga County Health Department administration and to all Onondaga County Health Department program coordinators regarding the collection, management, analysis and use of program service statistics and program performance measures in program monitoring and evaluation.
Prepares written reports (including illustrative graphs and data tables) of a technical nature in a manner that is understandable to general audiences.
Plans and gives oral presentations of results and conclusions to diverse audiences, including community groups and agencies, legislative subcommittees, and panels of physicians and other professionals.
Responsible for design and maintenance of the computer and information management systems infrastructure that supports research activities.
Supervises a diverse staff, including research technicians and clerical support staff in the Office of Vital Statistics. Works effectively with unit personnel to establish goals, policy and procedures, planning and scheduling and other activities.
Prepares preliminary budgets for unit programs and monitors expenditures on an ongoing basis.
Provides support for quality improvement initiatives throughout the department, and is responsible for facilitating the identification, implementation and evaluation of quality improvement initiatives within the public health surveillance unit.
Supervises and mentors public health students completing field work for class credit in the public health surveillance unit.
Provides consultation and support to OCHD administration regarding issues related to local health department accreditation and strategic planning.
Participates in public health preparedness activities as trained and assigned.
Utilizes appropriate methods for interacting effectively and professionally with persons of all ages and from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, lifestyles and physical abilities.
Good knowledge of public health issues and problems, and the principles of epidemiology, demography and biostatistics.
Good knowledge of the principles, application and techniques of public health surveillance, epidemiology, research design and survey methodology.
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Good knowledge of the current developments in the field of statistics and biostatistics.
Good knowledge of sources of information, and of the application of statistical methods related to the subject matter field under study.
Working knowledge of the techniques and principles of supervision.
Ability to supervise and coordinate activities of professional, paraprofessional and clerical staff in separate programs and services.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Ability to describe and present technical information or concepts on a variety of levels and styles, to suit a targeted audience.
Ability to assess implication of research results for public health policy and programs, and to advise administrators of results.
Ability to act as a liaison, represent the Department, and communicate effectively with the public, legislators, the press, outside agencies and other County departments.
Good knowledge of the techniques of public administration in the budgetary, personnel and management areas.
Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Master's degree in epidemiology or a health related field with a minimum of 6 credits in epidemiology, and six additional credits in epidemiology or biostatistics, and three (3) years of full-time professional-level work experience, or its part-time equivalent, conducting data collection, analysis, and reporting in support of surveillance and epidemiologic investigations, two (2) years of which must have been in a supervisory capacity.
NOTE: A PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, or public health may be substituted for one (1) year of the above work experience.
03/2017 Revised