Careers

Description:

Join the Office of Nutrition Services (ONS) within the Division of Prevention and Community Health at the Department of Health. ONS enhances public health by providing essential nutritional services to over 300,000 statewide participants through programs including WIC, WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling, WIC Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program, and SNAP-Ed. This Epidemiologist position offers the opportunity to significantly impact community health outcomes through detailed research, data analysis, and program evaluation.

Position Overview:
 The Data Analyst (Epi-1) is a crucial member of the Research, Analysis, and Evaluation (RAE) section, working closely under the supervision of the WIC Epidemiologist 3. The role primarily involves using sophisticated statistical methods to analyze demographic, health behavior, and health outcomes data to evaluate maternal and child health populations and risk factors. Additionally, the position entails developing, maintaining, and validating the WIC database.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform in-depth statistical analysis to evaluate the morbidity and mortality risks of maternal and child health populations, employing methods such as correlation, regression, and survival analysis.
• Conduct literature reviews to inform study designs, data analysis, and interpretation of results.
• Develop visual representations of hypothesized causes of increased maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates to identify preventative actions.
• Develop and maintain databases that combine former client management system (CIMS), WIC Client Information Management System (Cascades), and WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system data.
• Design and create reports for the WIC Client Information Management System (Cascades) and the WIC Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system.
• Validate and modify up to 300 canned reports in Cascades using SQL.
• Use Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, and/or SQLite to access data from the Cascades SQL server database.
• Use SAS and R to retrieve, manipulate, and analyze data to produce statistics and graphics.
• Prepare and communicate report summaries and visual data presentations, ensuring understanding for diverse audiences including internal staff, local health jurisdictions, and state agencies.
• Provide technical knowledge and assistance services to facilitate understanding of data and statistical reports.

Work Location:
 This position is based in Tumwater, WA, and offers a flexible/hybrid work arrangement with the option to tele-work or utilize our modern drop-in workstations, while enjoying the occasional in-person collaboration opportunities.

Our Ideal Candidate 

Demonstrates strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as technical and professional competence, to independently compile and analyze health data. This role requires mathematical reasoning, robust research capabilities, and advanced computer skills. The ideal candidate possesses exceptional communication skills, capable of preparing clear and informative reports and presentations. They effectively interact with diverse partners, demonstrating cultural, ethnic, and gender sensitivity and competence. Additionally, they are accountable and achievement-oriented, committed to producing high-quality work while respecting and maintaining confidentiality.

Required Qualifications:

The experience described below could have been gained concurrently and acquired through paid or unpaid activities. Please make sure to highlight your relevant experience in your cover letter, resume, and/or applicant profile.

• Option 1: Bachelor’s degree in public health or related field AND three (3) years of experience in epidemiology research and analysis.

OR

• Option 2: Master’s degree in epidemiology or public health which includes 12 quarter hours in epidemiology and 12 graduate hours in biostatistics, AND one (1) year of experience in epidemiology research and analysis.

AND (also required)

• One (1) or more years of experience using the following:
  1. Statistical software applications for handling large datasets, such as SAS or R.
  2. Microsoft Word or similar software to create, format, and edit documents. This may include working with tables, columns, charts, importing and sorting data, as well as inserting and formatting sections, headers, and footers.
  3. Microsoft Excel to develop advanced spreadsheets, which may include macros, complex functions, external data links, custom charts, and pivot tables.
  4. Microsoft Outlook for email communication and schedule coordination.

Desired Qualifications: 

• Experience working with WIC and/or SNAP-Ed data.
• Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in the manipulation and statistical analysis of multiple public health datasets for evaluation of health care outcomes and health system performance.