Director, Infection Prevention & Emerging Infectious Disease

University of California, Irvine; Orange (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Sick and vacation time

Retirement savings plans

Discounts and perks

Job summary

UCI Health, the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, seeks a Director of Epidemiology and Infection Prevention (EIP) to provide strategic leadership for infection prevention across inpatient and perioperative settings.

The role focuses on implementing a high-reliability approach to infection prevention, standardizing practices, and collaborating with system leaders to improve national quality benchmarks, including HAI rates and safety metrics.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of experience as an infection preventionist.
• Knowledge of current trends and best practices in epidemiology and infection prevention.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Excellent public speaking skills.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Demonstrated skill in data management and analysis.
• Demonstrated leadership in emerging infectious disease preparedness and response.
• Demonstrated experience with strategic leadership and program development for EIP and EIDP.
• Demonstrated experience with standardization and integration of infection prevention policies, practices, and initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience with regulatory compliance and coordination with public health agencies.
• Demonstrated experience with performance improvement and achievement of nationally benchmarked infection metrics.
• Demonstrated experience with oversight of surveillance, investigation, and reporting of HAIs and communicable diseases.
• Demonstrated experience with mentorship, supervision, and professional development of EIP team members.
• Demonstrated experience with development and sustainment of a proactive, high-reliability culture of patient safety.
• Demonstrated ability to work with databases, systems opportunities, and statistical analysis.
• Certification in Infection Control (CIC).
• Bachelor's Degree in related field.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities and advance results in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to fulfill role as a cross-functional liaison to nursing, clinical, administrative, and medical staff leadership.
• 5+ years of progressive leadership and management experience in an academic medical center, public health or large healthcare setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for infection prevention and control.
• Drive system-wide efforts to improve safety, effectiveness, and patient-centered care.
• Develop and implement integrated infection-prevention quality and patient-safety initiatives.
• Lead standardization and consistent implementation of EIP program across the organization.
• Collaborate with system leadership to achieve nationally benchmarked infection prevention metrics.
• Oversee surveillance, investigation, and reporting of HAIs and communicable diseases.

Skills

Infection prevention

Epidemiology

English communication

Public speaking

Data management

Emerging infectious disease

Program development

Regulatory compliance

HAI surveillance

Mentorship

Cross-functional liaison

Data analysis

Team leadership

Strategic leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in related field

Master's Degree in Nursing/Public Health/Epidemiology

Master's Degree or equivalent in public health related field

California RN license or related healthcare license

Job description

UCI Health, the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, seeks a Director of Epidemiology and Infection Prevention (EIP) to provide strategic leadership for infection prevention across inpatient and perioperative settings.

The role focuses on implementing a high-reliability approach to infection prevention, standardizing practices, and collaborating with system leaders to improve national quality benchmarks, including HAI rates and safety metrics.