Data and Surveillance Specialist - HP III - Health Equity Branch, Occup Hlth Indust Hygiene Unit

This posting is only open to current residents of the State of Colorado

At the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, we are charged with protecting Colorado’s health and environment – a responsibility that affects every person and every community in the state. CDPHE is distinctive because we bring public health and environmental protection together under one agency, recognizing that healthy people depend on healthy places. Our teams prevent diseases and injury, respond to emergencies ranging from E.coli outbreaks to global pandemics, reduce air pollution, protect water quality, regulate health facilities, manage environmental hazards, perform advanced laboratory testing, provide birth and death records, and implement health promoting programs. We turn science and data into action, set statewide standards, and work alongside local public health agencies and community partners to meet Colorado’s most pressing health and environmental challenges. Working at CDPHE means applying your expertise to complex, consequential work that can improve lives across the state. 

Our mission captures this broad portfolio of work: to advance Colorado’s health and protect the places we live, learn, work, and play. Our vision is a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations can thrive. Achieving the mission and vision takes bold action, talented people, broad partnerships, and a commitment to serving every Coloradan.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

CDPHE Offers: 

CDPHE offers a comprehensive benefits package and the opportunity to build a meaningful career in public service. Benefits include:

• Medical and dental plans.

• Colorado PERA retirement options, including defined benefit plan or defined contribution plan. 

• Optional 401(K) and 457 retirement plans. 

• Employer-paid life insurance.

• Short- and long-term disability coverage.

• Potential flexible working arrangements

• 11 paid holidays per year and generous paid time off.

• Free parking and access to RTD bus lines.

• Tuition assistance. 

• Employee wellness programs.

• Professional development opportunities.

• Career opportunities throughout Colorado state government. 

Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. 

The Work Unit: This is a term-limited position within the Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Unit of the Health Equity Branch, within the Disease Control and Public Health Response (DCPHR) Division. 

The DCPHR Division is responsible for ensuring that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and, more broadly, the State of Colorado has the ability to effectively prepare for, monitor, detect, diagnose, investigate, and nimbly respond to all types of conditions, events, and disasters that impact the public’s health. The 

DCPHR Division leads the planning, prevention, detection, testing, data management, analysis, investigation, mitigation, preparedness, and response to communicable diseases and other acute health conditions. 

DCPHR’s Health Equity Branch exists to expand and promote equitable access to opportunities and resources that impact an individual’s or community’s health and wellbeing. The Branch partners with community-based organizations, healthcare entities, and local public health agencies in Colorado by promoting health equity and implementing strategies tailored to address the varying complex causes of health disparities. The Branch works collaboratively to set strategic priorities, collect and disseminate data, identify and implement effective strategies, and align resources within the division and across the department and other state agencies. 

The Health Equity Branch includes an Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Unit. This Unit consists of several lines of work focused around tasks of providing support and prevention for workforces impacted by various exposure and health concerns. The Unit is driven by a foundational understanding that work is a social determinant of health and that there are a number of intersectionalities between what people do for work and health equity. Supporting workers in ensuring a healthy work environment is an integral part of CDPHE’s mission to advance Coloradoan’s health and protect the places where we live, work, and play. The Unit also contains an Indoor Air Quality Program, which serves to support the general public in understanding how building ventilation, HVAC operations, and other building management decisions can impact indoor air quality and the connection between indoor air quality and health, as well as what can be done to improve indoor air quality, in DCPHR, and the Health Equity Branch, operate on the belief that all people -- no matter their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, education level, age, language, religion, ability or geographic location -- should have the opportunity to live healthy lives.

What You Will Do: The Occupational Health/Industrial Hygiene is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data on workplace health and safety metrics. The two primary projects that this position works on are: a) a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to conduct the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), and b) the “Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings” Program, which is an EPA grant funded initiative that provides outreach, education, and training for local community partners on responding to wildfire smoke and its impacts on community health

Key Responsibilities: 

• Serves as a subject matter expert for work in Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Unit, on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injury and Illness (SOII) and Census of Fatal Occupational Inuries (CFOI) surveillance programs. 
• Perform technical and procedural tasks required of the BLS SOII program for annual survey data collection. 
• Select the annual sample frame, using pre-defined criteria from BLS to identify the percentage of the total annual sample from each NAICS industry code.
• Conduct mailing address refinement for the annual sample workplaces prior to the first survey selection mailer. 
• Respond to phone calls and emails for SOII program from survey respondents to answer questions to complete the survey and assist respondents in providing accurate survey responses by the deadline. 
• Process returned surveys sent by mail, phone, fax, or entered into the BLS respondent website directly for the SOII program. 
• Follow up with non-responsive employers for the SOII program to encourage response and improve response rate. 
• For surveys for SOII with identified missing information or errors in the survey responses, contact the respondent to verify and and complete the survey. 
• Code survey responses according to the standardized code systems established by the BLS. 
• Identify from vital statistic records all potentially occupationally related deaths in the sample year. x Conduct searches for secondary source validation of all fatalities for the CFOI program, such as online obituaries, news articles, police reports, or other publicly available data. 
• Code data related to the fatality according to the standardized code systems established by the BLS for the CFOI program.
• Conduct statistical analyses to identify trends in occupational health data across industries in Colorado and compared to nationally, and interpret results. 
• Conduct statistical analyses to identify trends in indoor air pollution data from the Wildfire Smoke Program Purple Air Initiative, and interpret results. 
• Prepare reports as requested by the program manager that summarize data outcomes for different audiences for workplaces/industry stakeholder groups. 
• Helps identify, establish, and maintain partnerships with LPHAs or other local government representatives, school representatives, community based organizations, university partners, business owners/managers,and internal CDPHE partners in Air Pollution Control Division, Environmental Health & Sustainability Division, or other state agency partners. 
• Coordinates and/or participates in content area working groups and partner meetings on a regular basis, to discuss our program and its expertise and support offerings. x Collaborate or assist partners in reaching their goals related to indoor air quality, wildfire smoke preparedness, and healthy indoor environments for community members. 
• Facilitates and manages the development of outreach activities and education opportunities for partners. 
• Effectively communicating advice and assistance related to complex public health issues around indoor air quality, wildfire smoke, other air pollution issues, and related emergency preparedness, to stakeholders representing a variety of perspectives and interests. 
• Presentations to various audiences, active facilitation of/participation in partner and consultation meetings, and written guidance and education materials. 
• Position works directly with internal team members and external partners to collaborate on the types of technical assistance and consultation needed. 
• Develops content and guidance for emergency planning and preparedness for community partners, related to air pollution and air quality events. 
• Facilitates individual and group consultation meetings to support partner preparedness and planning efforts for air pollution events that impact indoor air quality in community buildings (e.g., wildfire smoke events). 
• Provide support to community partners conducting emergency planning and preparedness tasks, on how to incorporate actions related to for air pollution events that impact indoor air quality in community buildings (e.g., wildfire smoke events). 
• Identify and engage with key community partners to advance preparedness efforts related to indoor air quality in community buildings during air pollution events (e.g., wildfire smoke events). 

Residency Requirement:

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Class Code & Classification Description:

C7C3XX Health Professional III

NOTE: An applicant may meet the minimum qualifications for this job in one of two ways: They may qualify through their work experience alone or through a combination of education and work experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

Six (6) years of relevant experience in gathering, processing, and cleaning raw data from digital networks, physical security feeds, or automated tracking databases survey
responses or collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data on workplace health and safety metrics, or in health surveillance and epidemiology, or in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position

Or

A combination of related education in technical or analytical fields related to biology, epidemiology, public health, occupational health, industrial hygiene, or closely related field and/or relevant experience gathering, processing, and cleaning raw data from digital networks, physical security feeds, or automated tracking databases survey responses or collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data on workplace health and safety or in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position equal to six (6) years

**You must substantiate that you meet the minimum qualifications when filling out the Work Experience section of the application. Failure to do so will result in the application not moving forward in the hiring process.  “See resume” will not be accepted. Resumes are considered supplemental information and are not considered in the initial evaluation.  In addition, part-time work will be prorated when determining whether minimum qualifications are met.**

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

In addition to the minimum requirements, the successful candidate in this position will have the following highly desirable experience and competencies:  

• Relevant experience with the State of Colorado (ONLY IF HM use this as a part of the COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS)
• Knowledge of and experience working with occupational health surveillance
  methods and systems
• Knowledge of and experience working with occupational health data systems,
  sources, and data management best practices
• Experience processing surveys and coding survey results
• Experience working with data from, or related to programs of, the U.S. Bureau of
  Labor Statistics
• Experience working with Purple Air monitors
• Knowledge of and experience working with community partners related to wildfire
  smoke exposures and building management best practices for indoor air quality

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Residency Requirement Options:

  • This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

• A pre-employment background check will be conducted as part of the selection process.

• This is a critical position and can be expected to work and/or remain at their worksite in delayed start, early release, or closure situations.

• Critical Status: Must be available in the event of an emergency, (e.g., bio-terrorist attack, chemical attack, disease outbreak or all hazards) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. During this time, travel restrictions may be in place.

• Critical Status: Must be available in the event of the activation of the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. During this time, travel restrictions may be in place.

Appeal Rights:

As an applicant who has been removed from consideration during the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board and/or request a review by the State Personnel Director. A standard appeal form is available on the State Personnel Board website, https://spb.colorado.gov/forms-and-filing. If you appeal, your appeal must be submitted in writing on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative, and received at the following address within ten (10) days of your receipt of this notice: Colorado State Personnel Board/State Personnel Director, Attn: Appeals Processing, 1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver, CO 80203. Fax: 303-866-5038. Phone: 303-866-3300. Email address: [email protected]. The ten-day deadline and these appeal procedures also apply to all charges of discrimination. Refer to Chapters 4 and 8 of the State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, 4 CCR 801, for information about the appeals process. The State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures are available at spb.colorado.gov.

A complete application packet must include:

• Completed State of Colorado application.

• If using education to qualify for this position a copy of your transcripts (unofficial acceptable) or diploma must be provided with application. Transcripts must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.

• If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214 must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.

The Selection Process:

• All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications proceed to the next step.

• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process.

Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position may be a structured application review, which involves a review of the information you submit in your application materials by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) against the preferred qualifications.

• A top group, up to six candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.

E-Verify: 

CDPHE uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

ADAAA Accommodations:

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator at [email protected] or call 303-692-2060, option 5.