Epidemiologist II (Open & Promotional)

Salary : $8,226.40 - $10,282.13 Monthly

Location : County of San Mateo, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: F002Q

Department: Public Health Policy and Planning

Division: Health Policy and Planning

Opening Date: 02/09/2024

Closing Date: Continuous

Description

NOTE: This recruitment schedule was amended on February 22, 2024 to extend the Final Filing Date. This recruitment has been changed to "Continuous."

San Mateo County Health (SMC Health) is seeking well-qualified individuals for the position of Epidemiologist II.

There is currently one regular vacancy in the Public Health, Policy, and Planning Division located in San Mateo, CA, but will travel/drive throughout San Mateo County and the Bay Area as needed to attend meetings, participate in trainings, or field work.

The Epidemiologist will work as a member of a team under the guidance of a Supervising Epidemiologist and the Health Services Manager I within the Office of Epidemiology and Evaluation (OEE), and as a member of the Public Health, Policy, and Planning Division (PHPP). Responsibilities include analyzing, interpreting, and presenting data on the social determinants of health and other health data. The Epidemiologist will act as the lead for overseeing analyses, reports, and presentations related to sociodemographic data (e.g., American Community Survey). The Epidemiologist will also work closely with SMC Health staff and partners, including community-based organizations, to think creatively about data analysis, policy development, and community health planning related to addressing health inequities.

A key part of the Epidemiologist's work will be using GIS (ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online) to conduct spatial analyses, create maps, and build online mapping applications. The Epidemiologist will be responsible for building and managing an online map portal of health and sociodemographic data to support programmatic and policy decision making of SMC Health staff and partners. The Epidemiologist will serve as the GIS lead for the OEE and provide GIS support to SMC Health staff and partners.

The Epidemiologist will also manage the San Mateo County All Together Better (SMCATB) data portal (), including building, managing, and promoting data content, such as indicators, dashboards, and reports. Additional activities will include overseeing the analysis and reporting of data contained in the San Mateo County community health assessment report, which will be hosted on the SMCATB data portal and managed by the Epidemiologist. Management of the SMCATB data portal will also involve engaging with stakeholders to support data capacity building, such as providing technical assistance and trainings.

The Epidemiologist will take on special projects and provide guidance and supervision to interns and support staff as needed.

The Epidemiologist will work in a collaborative and positive environment with a strong, diverse and sophisticated epidemiology unit that works closely across programs within SMC Health, as well as other County departments. OEE works on epidemiological surveillance, builds informatics infrastructure, to support the epidemiology program, provides analytical leadership and creative research support to advance policy and equity agendas, and provides technical leadership across SMC Health and the County on public health data collection, analysis, and reporting, as well as engages in special projects led by SMC Health Leadership.

Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Collect, clean, analyze, interpret, and present sociodemographic and health data to illustrate health inequities.
• Identify research opportunities for exploring health inequities.
• Utilize ArcGIS Pro and/or ArcGIS Online to conduct spatial analyses, create maps, and build online mapping applications.
• Serve as the GIS lead for OEE and provide GIS support to SMC Health staff and partners.
• Manage the San Mateo County All Together Better data portal (), including building, managing, and promoting data content, such as indicators, dashboards, and reports.
• Oversee the analysis and reporting of data contained in the San Mateo County community health assessment report.
• Make technical and informational presentations to professional and lay groups in the community.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

PHPP provides opportunities for professional growth and maintains a flexible and open culture that stems from a belief that staff are motivated to meet the goals of SMC Health, serve the public, and be good partners to colleagues, community groups, and other agencies. The Epidemiologist position has opportunities for telework and some scheduling flexibility based on performance.

The ideal candidate will be experienced in social and spatial epidemiology; work well in collaborative team environments as well as independently; be proficient in the use of SAS, Stata, or R as well as GIS (ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online); and be successful in communicating with a diversity of stakeholders.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.
Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Basic principles and foundations of epidemiology.
• Basic principles and foundations of biostatistics.
• Basic use of geographic information systems (GIS).
• Principles of epidemiological investigation and disease control and prevention in the community.
• Analysis of variety of public health and other data from secondary sources.
• Sources of secondary public health and other social and demographic data.
• State and local laws, regulations and policies governing the investigation and reporting of communicable and other diseases.

Skill/Ability to:

• Identify potential communicable or other acute health conditions and take appropriate action.
• Collect, interpret and analyze health data and draw valid conclusions and prepare statistical and narrative reports.
• Work effectively with a wide range of health professionals and the public regarding sensitive health issues.
• Present findings and analysis using mapping and spatial analysis.
• Communicate orally and in writing to professional and lay audiences.
• Collect, interpret and evaluate health data and draw valid conclusions.
• Organize and evaluate disease prevention and control programs.
• Assist in instructing and training others.

Education:Possession of a Master's degree with an emphasis in epidemiology and/or analysis and assessment.

Substitution
Epidemiologist II: A doctoral degree in epidemiology OR a bachelor's or other non-epidemiology professional degree or certification and four years of experience performing epidemiology work under the guidance of a senior-level epidemiologist.

Experience:
Any combination of experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify at the II Level is at least two years of experience in public health epidemiology.
Application/Examination

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, Confidential and Management extra-help/limited term, and SEIU or AFSCME represented extra help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

This is a continuous recruitment which may close at any time. The final filing date will be posted 5 days in advance in the County of San Mateo Human Resources Department.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to to apply. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.
Apply immediately. This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and selections may be made at any time within the process.
~ TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE ~
Final Filing Date: Continuous
Application Screening: February 28, 2024
Combined Civil Service Panel and Department Interviews: March 11 and/or 12, 2024
Finalist Interviews: Week of March 18, 2024

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse communities. The County of San Mateo is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work. The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels.

Talent Acquisition Analyst: Yvonne Alvidrez (020924) (Epidemiologist II - F002)

Please visit for a complete listing of all benefits for this classification.

Benefits are offered to eligible employees of the County of San Mateo. All benefits are subject to change.

As an additional benefit, the County offers extensive training and development programs designed to improve skills and enhance career opportunities. Most programs are offered on County time at no cost to you.

County employees are also covered by the federal Social Security system and earn benefits for retirement based on salary and time worked.

01

IMPORTANT: Applicants for this position are required to submit responses to the supplemental questions below. Your responses will provide detailed information about your background and experience related to this position.

This information will weigh heavily in the application screening by the subject matter experts and will also be used in the selection process.

Answer the questions completely, paying attention to the multi-parts of the questions. While being thorough and detailed, also be concise. Your strategic use of language as well as neatness, clarity of expression, attention to detail, proper use of grammar and the ability to follow instructions will be considered in the evaluation process. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for your responses.

• I have read and understand this important information. Proceed to supplemental questions.

02

This position requires possession of a master's degree with an emphasis in epidemiology and/or analysis and assessment.

Substitution:
Epidemiologist II: A doctoral degree in epidemiology OR a bachelor's or other non-epidemiology professional degree or certification AND four years of experience performing epidemiology work under the guidance of a senior-level epidemiologist.

Please clearly describe how you meet this requirement. (A response that does not clearly indicate meeting the education or substitution requirement will be disqualified.)

03

Describe the work you have done in illustrating health inequities and in analyzing the relationship between social and physical environments and health. Include the data sources, applications used, data analysis conducted, how the data were reported/presented, and the audience. Be specific.

04

Describe your education, professional training, and/or experience in each of the following areas: a) creating static maps; b) creating web maps and building online mapping applications; and c) conducting spatial analysis. Include the purpose, applications and data sources you used, as well as the audience. Be specific.

05

Describe your experience developing, implementing, and analyzing community health data or assessments. Include conclusions or recommendations that you provided based on the analysis or assessment. Be specific.

06

Describe your experience working with diverse stakeholders (e.g., public health practitioners, researchers, community-based organizations, community members, elected officials, policymakers). Include any experience you have in conducting presentations and trainings and participating in collaboratives/coalitions. Be specific.

07

County of San Mateo departments sometimes need limited term workers in addition to permanent employees. Limited Term positions are designated for a specific and limited period of time, anywhere from six months to a maximum of three years depending on the assignment. Benefits package for term positions are similar to regular positions EXCEPT for retirement. Term employees receive a 401A retirement package and are not eligible for retiree health benefits or a defined benefit pension. Are you interested in limited-term employment? (A "No" answer to this question will not affect your application for permanent employment.)

• Yes
• No

08

County of San Mateo departments sometimes need extra-help workers in addition to permanent employees. Extra Help positions offer temporary part-time or temporary full-time employment for 1040 hours (which equates to working full-time for approximately six months). However, employment might end sooner depending on the needs of the hiring departments. Extra Help positions are paid on an hourly rate basis. Some extra help positions are eligible for benefits under the Affordable Care Act. Extra-help workers are not guaranteed permanent status at the end of the extra-help assignment. Are you interested in extra-help employment? (A "No" answer to this question will not affect your application for permanent employment.)

• Yes
• No

Required Question