Public Health Investigator

Position Summary:

The Public Health Investigator is responsible for investigating and following up on a wide range of reportable conditions to ensure that appropriate prevention, treatment, control, and reporting measures are implemented in Jefferson County. This position works directly with medical professionals, agency partners, and county residents to investigate reportable diseases and conditions and provide education on how to control the spread of diseases.

We offer a competitive starting rate of $48,635 - $56,407 yearly salary, depending on education, relevant skills, and previous experience in the field. 

Essential Activities:

Communicable Disease Investigation 

1. Conduct communicable disease investigations following the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) Bureau of Communicable Disease and the Center for Communicable Disease and Prevention (CDC) 
2. Monitor outbreaks of communicable diseases and provide recommendations to support appropriate prevention, treatment, control, and reporting. 
3. Enter surveillance data into web-based electronic databases 
4. Assist with drafting reports, health education materials, and other documents. 

Communication and Education 

1. Provide consultation, outreach, education, training, and public messaging about communicable diseases to diverse community and healthcare provider groups through varies forums 
2. Respond to phone and email inquiries from the public and medical providers. 
3. Communicate with medical providers to ensure appropriate follow-up is completed. 

Perform other related duties as assigned. 

Behavior Competencies:

1. Attendance: Employee is expected to adhere to the JCHD Policy and Procedures for attendance and breaks and communicate with your supervisor about anticipated modifications.  
2. Communication Skills: Understand and communicate professionally and effectively with others using a variety of contexts and formats, which include writing, speaking, reading, listening, and interpersonal skills.  
3. Dependability: Meets commitments, works independently, accepts accountability, handles change, sets personal standards, and stays focused under pressure.  
4. Integrity: Earns the trust and confidence of coworkers and customers through honest communication, ethical behavior and professionalism in all interactions.  
5. Problem Solving: Breaks down problems into smaller components, can simplify and process complex issues, can identify and understand root cause.  
6. Productivity: Manages a fair workload, prioritizes tasks, develops good work procedures, manages time well, and handles information flow.   
7. Quality: Is attentive to detail and accuracy, is committed to excellence, looks for improvements continuously, monitors quality levels, finds root cause of quality problems, owns/acts on quality problems.  
8. Teamwork: Contributes to meeting team deadlines and responsibilities, listens to others and values opinions, helps team to meet goals, welcomes newcomers and promotes a cooperative team atmosphere 

Qualifications & Education Requirements:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; OR an associate degree and two years of experience in a related area of experience in public health, biological sciences or a related field. 
• At least one year's experience in a healthcare setting. 
• Valid driver’s license. 

Foundational Public Health Services:

Ability to follow the Missouri Foundational Public Health Services model’s capabilities and areas of expertise as necessary for this position.

Continuing Education:

Although not mandatory, completing continuing education coursework is encouraged to maintain currency in the discipline. Additionally, emergency response training courses must be completed within established time frames, as identified by ordinance, statute, or administration. Annually, JCHD administration will require various coursework completions, not specific to any discipline, that is deemed beneficial to the organization as a whole.

Work Conditions:

This position entails work that may be required at multiple locations, involving minimal lifting/carrying. There may be occasional evening and/or weekend work, and individuals should be prepared to work in reasonable adverse weather conditions such as snow, rain, or heat. All staff at JCHD are designated as first responders during public health emergencies. Therefore, employees must be available 24/7/365 if called upon during an emergency event.

Additional Notes:

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying the position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other Health Department-related duties requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, genetic information, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.