Chief Epidemiologist

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), with some 1600 staff and a budget of $350 million, promotes and protects the health of all Philadelphians and provides a safety net for the most vulnerable. PDPH leads programs to: prevent communicable diseases (including HIV, other STDs, tuberculosis, and vaccine-preventable diseases); prevent chronic diseases and injuries and promote healthy behaviors; prevent environmental health risks; investigate outbreaks of disease; respond to public health emergencies; and promote the health of women, children, and families. In addition, PDPH operates eight primary care clinics. Recently, PDPH has participated with other City agencies in responding to Philadelphia’s opioid crisis and to the COVID-19 pandemic. PDPH has been an innovator in public health, pursuing novel policies to prevent and mitigate disease and injury, and intends to continue that tradition with creative solutions to both long-standing urban health problems and new crises.

Job Description

Position Summary

This senior leadership position will be responsible for acquiring and analyzing health data, communicating results of those analyses, and developing strategic data use and analysis strategies. The successful candidate will have strong epidemiological expertise and strength in data analysis and interpretation. The Chief Epidemiologist must be a strong communicator, comfortable directing staff, making community presentations, and working with diverse academic and research partners. This position requires occasional evening or weekend work.

Essential Functions

• Acquire new public health data sets that can inform public health strategy for the agency.
• Lead epidemiologic analyses of data sets on a wide range of health topics, either directly or through subordinate staff or through cross-divisional collaboration.

• Lead the writing of reports summarizing analyses for various audiences, including medical and public health professionals, policymakers, the press, and the public.
• Provides population data and information to departmental programs to determine primary determinants of illness, injury, and premature death in Philadelphia communities.
• Work with epidemiologists across the department to promote cross-divisional collaboration and strengthen capacity
• Identify and promote staff development and training opportunities for epidemiologists across the agency.

• Represent the Health Commissioner and/or Philadelphia Department of Public Health to diverse internal and external constituencies with a high degree of professionalism.
• Oversees preparation, and communication of public health reports, briefs, policy papers, etc.
• Examine data sources that can offer information relevant to the Department’s planning, programming, and policies.
• Develop and expand PDPH’s organizational capacity for evaluation of its public health programs, policies, and interventions.
• Support and extend partnerships to accelerate the exchange and use of data across the public health ecosystem.
• Lead various data-related departmental committees and provide guidance on topics including epidemiological methods, data quality, data security, data sharing, and related topics.

• Organize, facilitate, and participate in meetings of stakeholder groups to identify needs and build consensus and collaboration.
• Manage a staff of 2-5 direct reports
• Oversee the effective management and stewardship of contracts and data-sharing agreements.
• Develop, manage and report on a budget.
• Seek grants and other partnerships and manage ongoing grants
• Participate in other Department projects and initiatives as requested/ needed.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced skills in use of various data analysis software tools (R proficiency preferred; experience with SAS, SQL, or GIS is a plus) and analyzing various types of public health data.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, including presentation skills making the results of complex public health analyses easily understandable by non-expert audiences
• Ability to supervise others and manage projects that require contributions from others.
• Ability to mentor less experienced staff in epidemiological analyses and presentation of results.
• Ability to successfully collaborate with others within and outside the Department of Public Health on epidemiological projects.
• A commitment to high professional ethical standards.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate Institutional Review Board (IRB) review processes, including preparing and submitting protocols, ensuring compliance with ethical standards, and maintaining accurate documentation throughout the research lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Completion of a doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH, or equivalent) from an accredited institution(s) of higher education in public health, Epidemiology, or Biostatistics.
• A Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in epidemiology or Biostatistics
• Five to ten years’ of progressive management experience may be considered in lieu of a doctoral degree
• At least five years’ experience working in epidemiology
• At least two years’ experience working in federal, state, tribal, or local health departments

Additional Information

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, and references.

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx

Client-provided location(s): Philadelphia, PA

Job ID: 8064b738-72b7-4085-b2a7-cd829083dc9f

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2025-12-22T20:09:44