NYC DEPT OF HEALTH/MENTAL HYGIENE
Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.
As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises — from New York City’s yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic — we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others.
Our Agency’s five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are:
1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a “response-ready” organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods
3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness
4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women’s health
5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change
Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism’s impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.
Program and Job Description:
The Bureau of Communicable Disease (BCD), part of the Division of Disease Control, is responsible for the surveillance, prevention, and control of over 70 infectious diseases including foodborne, enteric, waterborne, respiratory (including COVID-19), zoonotic and vectorborne diseases.
This position will oversee rapid investigations of infectious disease cases and exposures such as managing hepatitis A, meningococcal, and rabies exposures (which includes obtaining lab results, reviewing charts, interviewing patients, and providing guidance to providers), leading outbreak investigations and using data-driven approaches to conduct investigations. In addition, the position will be supporting data analytic needs in the bureau related to workload reports, quality assurance, and analysis of disease specific data. We anticipate this person taking on an ICS leadership role during emergencies.
BCD is seeking an Investigation Lead to oversee several teams including case investigations, contact tracing, data entry, molecular epidemiology, congregate setting investigations and investigations of special pathogens.
DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
Under the supervision of the BCD Assistant Commissioner.
Take a leadership role in advising on all aspects of infectious disease investigation work particularly in the following areas:
a. Oversight of case investigations, contact tracing and data entry into the surveillance system.
b. Investigation of special pathogens including bioterrorism agents and work with external partners as needed on prevention and control of outbreaks of these agents.
c. Investigations in congregate settings including residential congregate settings such as long-term care facilities, shelters and supportive housing sites, drug treatment centers and correctional facilities.
d. Work with internal and external partners on providing guidance and conducting investigations in these sites.
e. Investigation of unusual manifestations of COVID-19 disease.
f. Coordinate with lab partners on whole genome sequencing for infectious diseases.
g. Work with internal and external colleagues on methods to detect clusters, monitor variants and elucidate transmission.
h. Work closely with all units in the bureau and consult on complex investigations as needed, including the testing and vaccination team that was established during the COVID pandemic.
i. Write and review investigation reports.
j. Ensure that all work is done with a focus on equity and social justice.
Participate in creation, review and editing of operational protocols related to investigations and fact sheets to stay consistent with current city, state and federal guidelines.
Serve as a resource for school, worksite, and community providers managing infectious diseases in their organizations.
Participate in senior level meetings and policy discussions.
Contribute to special projects an analysis, as well as review abstracts and manuscripts.
Assist with grant report writing and renewal applications.
Serve in a leadership role in the Agency’s Incident Command System (ICS) for any public health emergency.
Minimum Qual Requirements
1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master’s degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master’s degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” or “2” above. However, all candidates must have at least a master’s degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in “2” above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in “1” and “2” above.
NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.
Preferred Skills
Expertise in infectious diseases and public health surveillance and investigation as well as strong communication skills.
In depth experience working in a local or state public health agency, especially in communicable disease surveillance and outbreak detection and response.
Grant writing and administration experience preferred but not required; supervisory and team-building experience and effective leadership skills.
Excellent written, oral and interpersonal skills, and ability to communicate expertly with clinical and non-clinical providers.
Ability to handle multiple and diverse assignments and manage multiple projects in a fast paced and high-pressure environment.
Additional Information
**IMPORTANT NOTES TO ALL CANDIDATES:
Please note: If you are called for an interview you will be required to bring to your interview copies of original documentation, such as:
A document that establishes identity for employment eligibility, such as: A Valid U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card/Green Card, or Driver’s license.
Proof of Education according to the education requirements of the civil service title.
Current Resume
Proof of Address/NYC Residency dated within the last 60 days, such as: Recent Utility Bill (i.e. Telephone, Cable, Mobile Phone)
Additional documentation may be required to evaluate your qualification as outlined in this posting’s “Minimum Qualification Requirements” section. Examples of additional documentation may be, but not limited to: college transcript, experience verification or professional trade licenses.
If after your interview you are the selected candidate you will be contacted to schedule an on-boarding appointment. By the time of this appointment you will be asked to produce the originals of the above documents along with your original Social Security card.
**LOAN FORGIVENESS
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.
“FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL”
To Apply
Apply online with a cover letter to https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/. In the Job ID search bar, enter: job ID number # 580793.
We appreciate the interest and thank all applicants who apply, but only those candidates under consideration will be contacted.
The NYC Health Department is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and gender non-conforming persons to apply.
All applicants will be considered without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, age, prior record of arrest; or any other basis prohibited by law.
NOTE: This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate in your resume that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a Program.
Public Svc Loan Forgiveness
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.