Public Health Epidemiologist Technician 2 (VRD Epidemiologist)

State of Louisiana - New Orleans, LA

Full-time - Mid Level

New Orleans, LA

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The Public Health Epidemiologist Technician 2 (VRD Epidemiologist) position at the Louisiana Department of Health focuses on monitoring, analyzing, and interpreting epidemiological data to ensure the health and safety of Louisiana citizens. This role involves conducting surveillance and epidemiological investigations related to viral respiratory diseases (VRD), managing virologic surveillance programs, and leading outbreak responses. The technician will work under general supervision and is expected to perform duties independently, contributing to public health initiatives and data reporting.

Responsibilities

• Conduct surveillance and epidemiological investigations to identify, monitor, and control viral respiratory diseases (VRD) in the community.
• Manage the VRD virologic surveillance program to determine circulating viruses and confirm adequate sample testing at the state public health lab.
• Conduct VRD mortality surveillance for reportable deaths and ensure timely investigations and data entry.
• Lead VRD outbreak response and collaborate with healthcare providers for effective disease prevention and control measures.
• Conduct data analysis for public and internal reporting on a weekly and monthly basis.
• Manage the text-illness monitoring system for outbreak response or novel influenza infections.
• Support the VRD component of CDC's Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity grant.
• Update IDEpi surveillance annex of the Louisiana Pandemic Influenza Plan annually.

Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree with 24 semester hours in public health, epidemiology, social sciences, biological sciences, behavioral sciences, or nursing.
• One year of professional level experience in epidemiology.
• A master's degree in the relevant fields can substitute for the required experience.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plan options
• Paid holidays
• Flexible scheduling