Epidemiologist, Immunization and Vaccine Preventable Diseases - BC Centre for Disease Control

Epidemiologist, Immunization and Vaccine Preventable Diseases

BC Centre for Disease Control

Vancouver, BC

Reporting to the Medical Lead, the Epidemiologist is responsible for provincial communicable disease control, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and immunization coverage analysis.

The Epidemiologist manages surveillance; outbreak and hazard investigation and intervention; provides consultation based on expert knowledge to a broad range of stakeholders including regional health authorities, other provincial and national partners, and health professionals and disseminates critical information through electronic bulletins, prepared reports, presentations and media communications.

Accuracy and completeness of information as well as sound judgment are essential to ensuring decisions are made to guard public safety.

What you’ll do

• Develop and maintain surveillance initiatives, including performing functions such as getting an accurate reporting case definition, defining additional information required beyond that for routine reporting, and making sure the information gets to critical stakeholders.
• Ensure timely and effective communication of reports by continuous improvement of surveillance systems, holding a constant focus on turn-around times from various sources, and alerting all stakeholders and those who need the information to respond appropriately to threats.

Prepare background material and media releases and responds as delegated to media inquiries and interview requests.

• Critically analyzes communicable disease data utilizing comprehensive multi-layered understanding of epidemiology, public health and direct and indirect health care and societal impacts by identifying and responding to deviations from expected reporting patterns and clusters of disease / hazards, preparing, or collaborating in the preparation of reports, identifying and providing supporting rationale for appropriate interventions
• Provide consultation services to regional health authorities, other provincial partners, national partners, special interest groups, health care professionals, and the public including responding to inquiries, identifying and making recommendations for addressing risk factors, developing education materials and making presentations.

Liaise with public health, acute care, and other partners in these activities.

Evaluate existing programs and research relevant to the prevention and control of communicable diseases by conducting literature reviews, designing and implementing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and writing reports.

Design appropriate studies for investigating outbreaks or unusual clusters; prepare questionnaires; and analyzes outbreak data and recommends appropriate interventions.

Contribute to applied public health research and ensures new understanding and knowledge is shared by publishing findings in recognized / peer-reviewed scientific journals or presentations at professional conferences.

• Assist with budget preparation, briefing note development, and justification of program expenditures; represents Epidemiology Services and BCCDC on various internal and external working groups, including national and provincial committees;
• partner with other agencies to ensure multi-disciplinary input and collaboration in development of public health initiatives;

and provides input to the development of policies and provincial guidelines. Participate in strategic decision-making, program and policy development related to program area.

Contribute eighty percent of activities toward program specific goals and twenty percent on centre-wide initiatives. Collaborate and provide coverage across program areas.

Participate in quality improvement activities (including imPROVE) and ensure compliance with accreditation standards.

Provide mentorship and work direction to surveillance analysts, field epidemiologists and supervise students including community medicine residents and others;

oversee specific projects and provides input into performance evaluations.

What you bring

Qualifications

• A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Masters in Epidemiology or Public Health (MSc or MPH or MHSc) and a minimum of 2 years experience in the field of public health.
• Clinical skills and experience in nursing or infection control and / or experience as a communicable disease epidemiologist or federal field epidemiologist considered an asset.

Skills & Knowledge

• Ability and experience in designing, implementing, and conducting studies, their interpretation, written reporting and publication.
• Demonstrated ability to secure grant funding in support of research initiatives.
• Demonstrated statistical analysis skills, including disease mapping and analysis and recognition of disease clustering.
• Excellent computer skills with proficiency in maintaining large databases of statistical and analytical software.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to work well in interdisciplinary teams.
• Effective interpersonal skills, mature judgment and flexibility.
• Ability to use a variety of statistical software tools.
• Commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019).
• As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have : Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and familiarity with addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (The Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).

What we bring

Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future.

That’s why we’re focused on your care too offering health, wellness, development programs to support you at work and at home.

• Join one of BC’s largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations offering vast opportunities for growth, development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
• Access to professional development opportunities through our in-house training programs, including +2,000 courses, such as our San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course, or Core Linx for Leadership roles.
• Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
• Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
• PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
• Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more.

What we do

The (BCCDC) is dedicated to preventing and controlling communicable diseases and promoting environmental health for the province of BC.

BCCDC is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

The Provincial Health Services Authority () plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province.

Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include : Respect people Be compassionate Dare to innovate Cultivate partnerships Serve with purpose.

Learn more about PHSA and our programs :

PHSA and BCCDC is committed to equity in our hiring and employment practices. With learning and compassion, we are addressing existing inequities and barriers throughout our systems.

PHSA is seeking to create a diverse workforce and to establish an inclusive and culturally safe environment. We invite applications and enquiries from all people, particularly those belonging to the historically, systemically, and / or persistently marginalized groups identified under the Human Rights Code.

One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level.

We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and / or contact the Sanya'kula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at .

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and marginalization faced by Indigenous peoples.

These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and self-determination of Indigenous communities.

PHSA must uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents such as including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan : A First Nations Case Study.