PUBLIC SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR Opt 6C(Health Statistician)

Agency Marketing Statement

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is tasked with the oversight of communities within Illinois to achieve and maintain optimal health and safety.  With an annual budget of over $600 million in state and federal funds, 7 regional offices, 3 laboratories and over 1,100 employees, IDPH is equipped to fulfill its mission of protecting the health and wellness of the people of Illinois through the prevention, health promotion, regulation and control of disease and injury.

Position Overview

The Illinois Department of Public Health is seeking a highly motivated individual to use technical expertise in epidemiology and statistics to assist in planning, directing and coordinating a statewide program to analyze and disseminate health data to Local Health Departments and other Internal and external stakeholders and in developing community and statewide health plans to improve the quality of state and local prevention, detection and treatment programs. Using scientific and epidemiologic approaches, performs and coordinates scientific investigations and specialized surveillance activities statewide using data from available data systems. Exercises considerable originality to adapt and expand existing techniques to develop solutions to Important questions. Maintains extensive personal contacts, both within and outside the Agency. Assists Department staff in the use and dissemination of health data and research findings in planning and program development. Serves as a working supervisor.

Job Responsibilities

1.  Plans, organizes and carries out epidemiologic activities related to a statewide program to analyze disseminate health data to Local Health Departments and other Internal and external stakeholders.

• Manages the collection of Information and performs descriptive or analytic study techniques such as crude data analysis, stratified analysis, age adjustment, regression analyses, risk analysis, and data compilation and presentation techniques.
• Analyzes and compares health statistics from a wide variety of health data sources. Provides technical assistance to local health department staff and other stakeholders In Interpreting health data for needs assessments and community plans.
• Prepares necessary reports, studies, and scientific publications.

2.  Develops, designs, implements and independently conducts highly complex analytical studies on health problems using health and health surveillance data and provides direction to the health data specialist in data compilation and analysis to support studies.

• Provides consultation in data base development.
• Conducts health data analysis and writes descriptive, analytic and interpretive reports in the development of a state health plans.

3.  Assists in compilation of local community health needs assessments and plans and provides analysis of local plans related to statewide trend and disease patterns.

• Assists in development of use plans and dissemination of health data, especially those managed by the department.

4.  Serves as working supervisor

• Assigns and reviews work
• Provides guidance and training to assigned staff
• Counsels staff regarding work performance
• Reassigns staff to meet day-to-day operating needs
• Establishes annual goals and objectives
• Approves time off
• Prepares and signs performance evaluations

Job Responsibilities (cont.)

5.  Conducts presentations of health studies and analyses to Department staff, other governmental agencies and outside organizations.

• Assures reports and presentations are comprehensive, professional, scientific form that can be understood by program staff and the public.
• Assists Department staff and public in interpretation of health and data studies.

6.  Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires possession of a Bachelor’s degree in epidemiology, demography, biostatistics, sociology, psychology, economics or related social science research field from an accredited university.
• Requires four years of professional experience in applied epidemiology, bio-statistics, or in population, or a related research field.

Preferred Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree with courses in demography, statistics, data science, research methods, social science and management.
• Three years experience using statistical software such as SAS, SUDAAN, SPSS, Epi Infor or STATA.
• Three years experience writing or editing reports/manuscripts.
• Ability to conduct surveillance studies and investigations to identify the magnitude of community health problems, duration trends, locations and populations at risk.
• Ability to create and deliver presentations.