Program Monitor-LDH (Wastewater Program Monitor)

State of Louisiana; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Louisiana Department of Health seeks a Program Monitor in the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section to coordinate the statewide wastewater surveillance program and related public health activities.

The role involves fieldwork, data management, and collaboration with CDC and NWSS, with frequent travel across the state. Ideal candidates have 5+ years in developing, managing, or evaluating health or social service programs or a related bachelor’s degree plus experience.

Qualifications

• Experience developing, managing, or evaluating health or social service programs.
• Bachelor’s degree plus two years of relevant experience; or advanced degree with related experience.
• Experience substitution: 30 semester hours equals one year of experience, up to 120 semester hours.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate statewide wastewater surveillance program.
• Identify municipalities for participation and develop data management systems.
• Generate monthly site-specific wastewater reports and disseminate to sites.
• Establish statewide wastewater testing consortium and promote data sharing.
• Serve as liaison with CDC and participate in NWSS calls.
• Provide consultation with health jurisdictions to share best practices.
• Review data analyses and trigger public health actions when warranted.
• Compile de-identified sewershed data and submit to NWSS DCIPHER weekly.
• Assist in performance metric monitoring for federal cooperative agreement.

Skills

Program management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in health/public health

Advanced degree or JD in health field

Job description

The mission of the Louisiana Department of Health is to protect and promote health and to ensure access to medical, preventive, and rehabilitative services for all residents of the State of Louisiana.

Learn more about Louisiana Department of Health

Make an impact in protecting the health of Louisiana communities! Join the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section as a Program Monitor! The Infectious Disease Epidemiology Section is responsible for reducing the occurrence of infectious diseases. The Section conducts surveillance activities to detect cases and identify trends and to institute appropriate intervention and follow-up control measures. This Program Monitor position will be under the supervision of a Public Health Epidemiologist Manager. This position requires routine statewide duties, including fieldwork, inspections, investigations, or direct services that extend beyond the employee’s domicile parish. These statewide responsibilities are an inherent and ongoing part of the job and may require frequent travel.

• Five years of experience in developing, managing, or evaluating health or social service programs; or in public health, public relations, social services, health services, health regulation, or administrative services; OR
• Six years of full-time work experience in any field plus two years of experience in developing, managing, or evaluating health or social service programs; or in public health, public relations, social services, health services, health regulation, or administrative services; OR
• A bachelor’s degree plus two years of experience in developing, managing, or evaluating health or social service programs; or in public health, public relations, social services, health services, health regulation, or administrative services; OR
• An advanced degree or a Juris Doctorate plus one year of experience in developing, managing, or evaluating health or social service programs; or in public health, public relations, social services, health services, health regulation, or administrative services.
• EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION: Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties:

The Waste Water Surveillance Program Monitor will coordinate the statewide wastewater surveillance program, including the following:

• Work with the contracted testing partner to identify municipalities across the state for participation, and develop a systematic and streamlined system for data management including data collection, management, and analysis needs.
• Generate site specific wastewater situation reports will be produced on a monthly basis and distributed to all sites where wastewater testing is being conducted. These reports will include site specific as well as state level information and will be disseminated to participating sites every month.
• Establish a statewide waste water testing consortium for internal and external wastewater testing stakeholders, with a goal of encouraging data sharing so that wastewater surveillance data from all entities conducting wastewater surveillance in LA can be reported to NWSS.
• Serve as liaison with CDC and participate in all monthly NWSS community of practice calls, providing state wastewater surveillance situation updates upon request.
• Serve as the point of contact for consultation with other health jurisdictions in order to share best practices and exchange ideas for program implementation and improvement.
• Review data analysis provided by vendors to identify any need for public health action. Generate weekly wastewater situation reports. Conduct direct outreach to State Epidemiologist and Regional Medical Director upon identification of testing data that warrants public health action.
• Compile statewide de-identified sewershed-level case data and enter it into the NWSS DCIPHER portal on a weekly basis. Submit case-level sewershed data upon request.
• Assists in performance metric monitoring and reporting for federal cooperative agreement.

Position-Specific Details:

Location: Office of Public Health / Bureau of Infectious Diseases / Orleans Parish

Appointment Type: This position may be filled as a Job appointment (temporary appointment that may last up to 48 months)

Cost Center: 3262107644

Position Number(s): 50634526

This organization participates in E-verify, and for more information on E-verify, please contact DHS at 1-888-464-4218.

LDH supports Louisiana’s commitment to being a State as a Model Employer (SAME) by promoting the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

Information on the Louisiana Works, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services is available here.

LDH is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to recruit a highly productive and diverse workforce and will provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and prospective employees. Employment decisions shall be based strictly on merit and without regard to religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non-merit factor.