Acute Communicable Disease Program Assistant

Public Health Management Corporation; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 48,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) in Philadelphia seeks an Acute Communicable Disease Program Assistant to support surveillance, testing coordination, and outreach within the PDPH framework. The role emphasizes data management, specimen logistics, and community engagement in a grant-funded, on-site capacity.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree in public health or related field, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in Public Health or related field.
• Experience in public health or epidemiology is desirable.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Support data management for communicable disease surveillance, including data entry and validation.
• Coordinate submission of specimens and documentation for testing at public health laboratories.
• Transport clinical specimens to PDPH facilities or labs for testing.
• Package specimens for shipment to CDC and other labs as needed.
• Notify providers of results for testing conducted at public health laboratories during outbreaks.
• Schedule educational activities with healthcare and community partners.
• Assist with organization and documentation of internal meetings and trainings.
• Maintain inventory of testing, mitigation, and outreach supplies and coordinate new purchases.
• Support data intake for vaccination, chemoprophylaxis, and testing clinics in the community.
• Assemble materials for response clinics, outreach events, and mailings.
• Conduct interview-based interviews by phone or in person when needed.
• Participate in emergency preparedness exercises and after-action debriefings.

Skills

Attention to detail

Computer skills

Strong communication

Telephone interviews

Independence & teamwork

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor's degree in Public Health or related field

Tools

Word

Excel

REDCap

Job description

Acute Communicable Disease Program Assistant

Requisition Number: ACUTE007118

• Posted : August 12, 2026
• Full-Time
• On-site

Locations

Showing 1 location

City
Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA

Description

DEPARTMENT: City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH)

DIVISION: Division of Disease Control (DDC)

PROGRAM: Acute Communicable Disease (ACD) Program

ROLE TYPE: Full-Time

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Acute Communicable Disease (ACD) Program Assistant position is a contract position that offers a great opportunity to gain experience in routine infectious disease surveillance activities at a major urban health department. The position is within the ACD Program of the Division of Disease Control (DDC) at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). The ACD Program is responsible for the surveillance, investigation, prevention, and control of all reportable acute communicable diseases, except tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, and multidrug-resistant organisms. The position requires working on a multidisciplinary team with disease surveillance investigators, nurses, physicians, epidemiologists, and laboratory technicians.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This is a grant-funded position for at least one year and may require after-hours availability. The person filling this position will participate in data management activities, coordinate testing, including courier services, and execute educational outreach efforts. The Program Assistant will also support ACD with routine disease investigations and outbreak response. The position duties require on-site work (not virtual) and regular driving in Philadelphia (2 or more days per week). Anticipated duties are described below:

• Support data management activities for communicable disease surveillance, including processing and distributing electronic faxes to the investigation team, reviewing reports received electronically for completeness, entering new reports and laboratory results into the ACD web-based database (CDMS), and executing data quality assessments prior to the submission of datasets for nationally notifiable disease surveillance.
• Coordinate submission of specimens and supporting documentation for testing at public health laboratories.
• Transport clinical specimens from hospitals and healthcare providers’ offices to the PDPH Public Health Laboratory or DDC office for shipment to public health laboratories.
• Package specimens for shipment to CDC and other public health laboratories.
• Notify providers of results for testing conducted at public health laboratories when needed (e.g., outbreak response, emerging infections).
• Schedule presentations and other educational activities with healthcare and community partners.
• Schedule and assist with the organization and documentation of internal meetings and trainings.
• Maintain and monitor ACD’s inventory of testing, mitigation, and outreach supplies, including storage location, expiration tracking, and placing additional purchase requests per DDC and PDPH specifications.
• Coordinate the distribution of testing, mitigation, outreach, and medical countermeasure supplies in collaboration with other ACD or DDC staff.
• Organize and conduct data intake support for vaccination, chemoprophylaxis, and testing clinics in the community.
• Assemble materials for response clinics, outreach events, and mailings.
• Conduct investigation interviews by telephone, in-person visit, or medical record review when needed.
• Participate in emergency preparedness exercises along with training for potential surge support staff.
• Participate in debriefings and contribute to the development of after-action reports.
• Support other communicable disease surveillance and response activities as needed.

SKILLS:

• Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills
• Computer skills are necessary and should include familiarity with Word, Excel, and REDCap, or at least the ability to learn these software programs.
• Strong communication skills and ability to interact appropriately and effectively with a wide range of people
• Experience conducting telephone-based interviews is advantageous.
• The applicant will be expected to work independently and as part of a team.
• A valid driver’s license and familiarity with driving in Philadelphia are required, as position duties include work in the community.

EXPERIENCE:

Demonstrated interest in public health and/or epidemiology and documentable experience with community engagement

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

Bachelor’s degree required. Concentration in public health or biologic/social science preferred.

SALARY:

The position salary range is $48,000 to $52,000. This position comes with a comprehensive benefits package consisting of medical and dental coverage, as well as paid sick, vacation, and personal time.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

At the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, we value health justice and equity. Our work is guided by a commitment to all people’s health and humanity, and we recognize the impact that health disparities have on our city’s diverse population. We are dedicated to building a staff that reflects the diversity of Philadelphia. We are an EEO employer, and we are committed to providing a diverse, inclusive, safe workplace free from discrimination, sexual harassment, intimidation, or retaliation.

Applicants who are originally from and live in the Philadelphia area are strongly encouraged to apply.

PHMC is an Equal Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.

Qualifications

Education

Required

Bachelors or better in Public Health or related field.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.