Foundational Epidemiologist

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1.9 billion and launched more than 1,300 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of programs in the United States and in more than 90 countries last year. Visit www.cdcfoundation.org for more information.  

Position Title: Foundational Epidemiologist

Location: Rhode Island Department of Health Hybrid (Providence, RI) - office two days per week

Position End Date: 6/30/2025

Salary: $72,645

The CDC Foundation is seeking a foundational epidemiologist assigned to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). This position will be in the Center for Acute Infectious Disease Epidemiology (CAIDE), within the Division of Emergency Preparedness and Infectious Disease (EPID). This position will involve planning, developing, and conducting epidemiologic investigations, surveillance, and interventions to determine the causes of diseases and implement methods of disease control for a variety of acute infectious diseases. Responsibilities will include monitoring and analyzing the incidence, prevalence, and determinants of diseases; communicating these findings internally and external via presentation or publication on the website or in journal articles and overseeing the surveillance system for all assigned diseases.

· Master’s Degree in public health, epidemiology, or similar health-related field required. In lieu of degree, equivalent education and/or experience may be considered;

· Strong written and oral communication skills;

· Proficiency in Microsoft Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint;

· Intermediate to advanced experience in SAS, REDCap, PowerBI and Arc GIS;

· Understanding of basic epidemiologic reporting practices such as rates vs. counts, adjusted rates, odds ratios, relative risk, and cumulative vs. static reporting methods

· Experience with written communication methods and techniques to communicate skillfully and clearly complex scientific and/or technical information to diverse audiences

· Ability to be flexible if circumstances dictate and work under tight deadlines;

· Ability to manage multiple sources of online communication (email, conference calls, Teams) to stay connected in a hybrid environment;

· Extensive experience collaborating with other teams/groups;

· Ability to work in a professional team environment, as well as independently.

· Conducting routine surveillance activities for assigned diseases (i.e. Lyme disease, foodborne diseases, vaccine preventable diseases);

· Developing, and updating as necessary, protocols for assigned diseases;

· Assuring data quality and conducting data cleaning as needed;

· Performing epidemiological analyses;

· Preparing and presenting summary reports;

· Developing reports to be published on the RIDOH website;

· Assisting with outbreak investigations;

· Communicating with the public;

· Collaborating with community partners and clinicians;

· Writing grant applications and reporting on grant milestones and activities;

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program and may occasionally be required to work outside of normal business hours to respond to outbreaks and emergencies. In addition, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and the Rhode Island Department of Health, in order to best support the State of Rhode Island in their public health programming.