Wastewater Surveillance and Epidemiology Subject Matter Expert
Invoti L.L.C. ·
Duration
Part-time, 25–35% · November 2026 – July 2027 · Remote, with periodic travel to Kansas City, MO
About the role
Project involves development of regional wastewater data and predictive analytics platform for our client. We need a scientific lead who will guide the data model, normalization methods, and disease forecasting models. You will work alongside our data engineering, GIS and dashboard team.
Responsibilities
- Assess how laboratories and jurisdictions in the region sample and test wastewater, and identify where methods differ.
- Define the scientific content of the common data model: targets, assays, recovery controls, quality flags and method metadata.
- Recommend and document normalization methods (flow, population, fecal-strength markers) and agree them with client’s laboratory partners.
- Design forecasting and trend-detection models for infectious disease and opioid prevalence, and validate them against clinical surveillance data.
- Set model performance metrics and document assumptions, limitations and responsible-use safeguards.
- Review dashboard content so public and agency messaging is scientifically accurate.
- Recommend future indicators for expanding the platform.
- Present methods to health departments, state laboratories and advisory groups.
Required qualifications
- MPH, MS or PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental engineering, environmental microbiology or a related field.
- 3+ years of wastewater-based epidemiology work with a public health agency, public health laboratory or academic program.
- Working knowledge of qPCR/ddPCR results, sampling methods and normalization approaches.
- Familiarity with CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) data standards.
- Experience building and validating time-series or forecasting models in R or Python.
- Ability to explain methods and limitations to non-technical audiences.
Preferred qualifications
- Experience with opioid or drug-metabolite wastewater analysis.
- Experience with multi-jurisdiction or regional surveillance programs.
- Experience with geospatial or sewershed-level analysis.
- Published or presented work on wastewater surveillance.