Public Health Epidemiologist I

Department: 400 Health & Human Services - Behavioral Health

Epidemiologist

Categories: Health Services, Public Health, Human Services, Health Sciences

Iowa HHS protects and improves the health and resiliency of individuals, families, and communities through services that support all Iowans.

At HHS, your work directly strengthens communities and helps save lives.

We’re seeking a motivated, curious, and forward-thinking Epidemiologist to help shape Iowa’s overdose prevention and response strategies. As part of our OD2A-S surveillance team, you’ll transform data into powerful insights that support public health action statewide.

This role offers the chance to contribute to innovative projects, collaborate with dedicated partners, and engage in work that truly matters to the health and safety of Iowans.

Explore overdose trends and identify emerging risks across Iowa

Analyze fatal and nonfatal overdose data using SAS and advanced epidemiologic methods

Support creative surveillance projects, including the rapid opioid death detection (RODD) initiative

Provide technical assistance to SUDORS abstractors and DOSE reporting sites

Conduct literature reviews to strengthen surveillance and inform public health actions

Collaborate with the OD2A-S team, contractors, and statewide partners

Present data clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

Support Division-wide data quality standards and epidemiologic reviews

Passionate about public health and energized by work that helps communities thrive

Innovative and comfortable exploring new surveillance approaches

A strong communicator who can make complex data understandable

Collaborative, team-oriented, and enthusiastic about partnership work

Flexible, adaptable, and ready to respond to emerging trends

In addition to a competitive salary, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and professional growth:

Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage: Health and dental insurance packages to keep you and your family healthy at a low cost with outstanding coverage!

Paid Time Off: Take time to recharge with paid time off, including vacation (96 hours/year to begin, increasing with years of service), sick leave (144 hours/year), and paid holidays (9 days/year).

Retirement Plans: Participate in retirement plans such as IPERS (employees contribute 6.29% and the State of Iowa contributes 9.44%) as well as our Retirement Investors Club (RIC), Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (the State of Iowa matches dollar for dollar up to $75/month).

Flexible Spending Accounts: Take advantage of flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.

Insurance Coverage: Benefit from life insurance and free long-term disability insurance for added peace of mind.

Employee Assistance Program: Access resources and support through our Employee Assistance Program for personal and professional challenges.

HHS values those with lived experience and encourages adults who were fostered as youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the DHS system to apply. Minorities, women, persons with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa View phone number on click.appcast.io TDD).

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. All work performed on behalf of Iowa Health and Human Services must occur in the State of Iowa.

Public Health

6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both related to improving, maintaining, and protecting the general condition of health within society, either on a personal, institutional, organizational, or community basis. Experience may be gained from direct provision of health care or from other ancillary programs and support mechanisms such as government public health departments.

Mental Health

6 months’ experience in providing service, treatment or assessment to those affected by mental health challenges, either in a private setting, group homes, local assistance agencies, or state or privately-run treatment institutions. Application must demonstrate that applicant has received a general orientation to the symptoms and treatment protocols for mental illness or public policies, procedures, or applicable laws related to the topic, or assistance programs for those affected by mental illness. Experience may come from public, private or non-profit organizations.

Initiation, design and/or review of education curriculums, which include alcohol/drug, related information (pharmacology, reasons for use, chemical dependency, etc.).

Presentations to professionals, community organizations, youth in school, on chemical dependency.

Training of youth, parents, and professionals in assertiveness training ("saying no" strategies), communication skills, assertive discipline, decision-making, peer helping, employee assistance programming, and/or student assistance programming.

Consultation with community organizations or other human service providers to develop prevention programming.

Inform the public of the effects of chemical dependency on families.

185 Epidemiology:

The surveillance for respiratory diseases, vector-born diseases, enteric diseases, antimicrobial-resistant agents, or other infectious or non-infectious diseases.

The development of protocols and procedures for data collection and analysis, ongoing analysis of data using a variety of databases and statistical analysis programs.

576 Quantitative Social Science Research:

Developing research methodologies and data collection methods.

Using statistical software such as SPSS and SAS.

Calculating statistical data and analyzing and drawing conclusions from it.Compiling statistical data and writing books and reports.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a graduate degree in public health with at least two courses related to the principles and practice of epidemiology. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a non-public health graduate degree with at least two courses related to the principles and practice of epidemiology; (Three years of experience in applied epidemiology in an infectious, non-infectious, or chronic diseases; environmental poisonings or conditions; or a substance misuse related epidemiology program.

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