Epidemiologist - Louisiana

In the United States, more than 4,000 people on average die from unintentional drowning each year. Drowning prevention strategies can prevent these tragedies from occurring, but knowledge gaps exist in fatal and nonfatal drowning data and understanding how to effectively implement interventions.

The CDC Foundation is working in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health to provide a term-limited, one year position within the Louisiana Department of Health to identify opportunities to strengthen drowning data collection and surveillance and describe burden and circumstances of drowning in Louisiana.

The Epidemiologist will support the independent design, development, and implementation of epidemiological surveillance, research, evaluation, and dissemination to support drowning prevention activities.

Under this project, the Epidemiologist will serve as a focal point to identify additional sources of drowning data, validate sources, collect detailed information on the circumstances of drowning from these sources, and collate this along with existing data to report on the burden and circumstances of fatal and nonfatal drowning.

The Epidemiologist will work under the general direction of the Bureau of Family Health within the Louisiana Department of Health and work closely with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

The Epidemiologist may be asked to travel (5%) to support to project objectives, as necessary.

Job Highlights

• Position Type : Grant Funded, Limited term opportunity
• Full Suite of Benefits Available, Exempt, Salary
• Starting Salary Range : $75,000 to $90,000, based on education and experience
• Duration of Assignment : 9 Months
• Location : Remote, United States-based required

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews on drowning-related topics and develop questions around fatal and nonfatal drownings.
• Work effectively with partners from other agencies, multi-disciplinary professionals, lay organizations, individuals, and other water safety stakeholders.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to identify new data sources that could help provide a better understanding of the burden of drowning in Louisiana and identify information gaps.
• Provide authoritative scientific guidance or consultation to other scientists and staff contributing to research, surveillance, and control of injuries.
• Develop dissemination materials based on fatal and nonfatal drowning data, including summary and state-specific fact sheets, data visualizations, manuscripts, and / or surveillance reports.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Master’s degree is required (preferably in public health or a health-related field).
• At least two years of experience leading the analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Proven ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at conferences.
• Proficiency in SAS, R, or other statistical analysis software and Microsoft Office Suite are required.
• Organizational skills demonstrating high attention to detail and the ability to organize multiple priorities.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Experience working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and engaging in strategic partnerships and strong interpersonal skills required for teamwork and interaction with people across CDC and with external partners.
• Strong understanding of drowning or other injury prevention epidemiology.
• Demonstrated experience interacting effectively and achieving results with internal team members and external partners.
• Ability to work well both independently and as a member of a multidisciplinary team.

About the CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation helps CDC save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world.

The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission.

The CDC Foundation manages hundreds of programs each year impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola.

Visit for more information.