About The Role

The California Department of Public Health Center for Infectious Diseases Informatics Branch (IB) is recruiting for a Informatics Specialist II to join an exciting team developing innovative solutions to strengthen CDPH’s public health data ecosystem. The incumbent will join the team leading the design and implementation of disease prevention and control activities related to reportable communicable diseases. Responsibilities will include the following:

Learning and applying professional public health informatics concepts to projects of intermediate scope and complexity.
Participating in project teams to develop innovative informatics and public health data collection, management, and analysis systems, and implement strategies for improving existing public health surveillance data systems and infrastructure.
Conducting data analysis, data quality assurance, and quality improvement projects.
Contributing to the development and maintenance of monitoring systems and processes.
Developing protocols and guidelines and providing information and technical assistance to support local health jurisdiction, community-based organization, clinical, and other program partners in their application. .

Collaborate with epidemiologists, informaticists, and data analysts. Additionally, this position requires programming (R, SQL, and/or Python) and/or informatics knowledge to support data analysis and data quality assurance projects. The position will interact and collaborate with several multidisciplinary CDPH teams as well as other internal and external partners as they contribute to communicable disease projects.

Department Summary

The Informatics Specialist hired will contribute to infectious disease work across the Center for Infectious Disease (CID) in CDPH. This specific position will join staff in the Informatics Branch of the Division of Communicable Disease Control. The scope of the Informatics Branch’s work includes managing, analyzing, and reporting on data from many systems including laboratory testing, cases, vaccinations, genetic testing, hospitalizations, and more.

UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences (IGHS) is dedicated to improving health and reducing the burden of disease in the world’s most vulnerable populations. It integrates UCSF expertise in all of the health, social, and biological sciences, and focuses that expertise on pressing issues in global health. IGHS works with partners in countries throughout the world to achieve these aims. IGHS seeks to improve health worldwide, especially in developing countries, through research that informs policy.

IGHS is committed to ensuring a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment as we work towards becoming an anti-racist organization. We strongly encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. Please see our statement on anti-racism here: https://globalhealthsciences.ucsf.edu/about-us/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/statementhttps://globalhealthsciences.ucsf.edu/about-us/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/statement-structural-racismstructural-racism.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Identify the functions or tasks that employees in the job perform. The essential functions should state the purpose of the work and the results to be accomplished, rather than how the function is performed. Of the tasks listed , what percentage of time is devoted to each? The more time employees spend on a function, the more likely it is that the function is essential. Generally, include those functions that account for 10% or more of the work, i.e., key items that contribute significantly to the achievement of the job. The functions should add up to 100%.

of time

Essential Function (Yes/No )

Key Responsibilities

(To be completed by Supervisor)

35

Yes Utilizes acquired skills and experience to participate in the development and deployment of moderately complex public health informatics systems, tools, and architecture to ensure optimal use and functionality.

Development and Deployment of Systems, Tools, and Archetecture

Collaborates with Informatics Branch and other Center for Infectious Disease (CID) staff to develop, implement, and analyze public health informatics systems of broad scope. Ensures that systems are designed to maximize interoperability, while maintaining functionality, integrity, reliability, and an optimal and efficient user experience. Collaborates with a variety of stakeholders to translate operation workflows into technical requirements compatible with existing disease reporting system (CalREDIE). Performs moderately complex quality assurance testing and validation procedures, ensuring data system functionality integrity, security, and confidentiality. Resolves technical/informatics-related issues in interfacing data systems, including related to data quality and workflow of data processing. Provides sophisticated metrics and analytics to support decision-making related to system modifications. Develops systems for monitoring to ensure consistent data delivery.

10

Yes Working with informatics staff and stakeholders, contributes to recommendations and implementation of modifications and improvements that will optimize effective use of public healthinformatics programs.

Updates and Enhancements

Supports the Informatics Branch with peer-review of existing and new processes/pipelines and application code, and provides input on potential modifications and improvements. Provides feedback and recommendations to Informatics Branch staff on application usability and functionality. Engages stakeholders to gather input on business requirements, and solicit feedback on process and application modifications and improvements. Implements modifications and improvements to processes/pipelines and applications managed by the Informatics Branch, as assigned. Other update and enahancement responsibilities, as assigned.

10

Yes Applies professional concepts in informatics to assist in developing and applying metrics and business analytics to support senior staff and management decision making, planning, and strategic and business analysis.

Data Systems and Informatics Support

Serves as a technical resource for data management and informatics support activities, including reviewing and writing SQL, Python, R, and occasionally SAS code for data access, data management, and data matching across multiple systems. Provides technical support, troubleshooting, and problem-solving for data coming from various sources (e.g., CalREDIE, vital statistics registries, electronic medical record data extraction, and other data systems relevant for communicable disease prevention evaluation). Develops system/process documentation and/or training curricula as needed.

10

Yes Performs quality assurance testing of moderately complex scope, helps develop SQL (Structured Query Language) queries, and follows department protocols to document design and deployment processes, workflows, and results.

Testing and Quality Assurance

Develops and executes test plans that address areas such as: database impacts, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, and usability. Designs and develops automated testing tools. Plans test schedules and strategies in accordance with project scope and delivery dates. Evaluates process/pipeline and application performance. Coordinates user or third-party testing, as requested. Documents test plans/procedures to ensure replicability and compliance with standards. Completes other testing and quality assurance responsibilities, as assigned.

Testing and quality assurance efforts may require the use of SQL, Python, and/or R programming languages.

35

Yes As assigned, provides system support, troubleshooting, problem solving and instruction for informatics stakeholders.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Oversees system performance to ensure effective operations of processes/pipelines and applications managed by the CID Informatics Branch and/or impacting CID Informatics Branch stakeholders. Identifies and documents issues, performs initial debugging (e.g., reviewing logs and configurations), and collaborates with stakeholders to diagnose and resolve problems. Documents defects and resolution efforts to support ongoing improvements and future troubleshooting efforts.

Serves as the primary point-of-contact for troubleshooting requests received from stakeholders such as CID programs or Local Health Jurisditions (LHJs). Also serves as the primary point-of-contact for basetable monitoring and troubleshooting efforts, including for: COVID basetables and Data Distribution Portal (DDP) basetables loaded to the Integrated Infectious Disease Data (I2D2) cloud-based warehouse. Serves as the primary point-of-contact for monitoring and troubleshooting other processes/pipelines, and/or applications, as assigned.

100%

(To update total %, enter the amount of time in whole numbers (without the % symbol - e.g., 15, 20) then highlight the total sum (e.g., 1%) at the bottom of the column and press F9. The total sum should add up to 100%.)

Required

Bachelor's degree in public health, health care information technology, computer science, or related area, and / or equivalent combination of experience / training.
Minimum 1+ years of directly relevant experience.
Intermediate skills in data analysis, database management and systems programming, including SQL, Python, and/or R.
Working knowledge of all relevant clinical or public health informatics software and systems, and of the concepts, principles, policies, methodologies, techniques, best practices, regulations, and standards practices involved with health systems, health analytics, public health surveillance or electronic medical data management.
Broadly encompassing or in-depth knowledge of clinical, health systems, health analytics, or public health informatics.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to quickly analyze problems, determine appropriate level of intervention, and develop and apply effective solutions, collect and analyze system performance data, and produce substantive reports and analyses.
Detail oriented, with demonstrated organizational skills and the ability to manage time efficiently, prioritize tasks, complete projects, and consistently meet or exceed deadlines.
Demonstrated interpersonal and customer-service skills to work productively with all levels of stakeholders.
Ability to work with senior staff and managers in information technology, health care management, and business analytics, serving as a technical resource and providing advice and counsel on issues of functionality, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, policy, and performance.
Demonstrated problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly diagnose problems and develop multiple options for effective and timely resolution of issues and problems.
Strong ability to communicate complex information in a clear and concise manner both verbally and in writing.
Ability to run queries, and to collect, analyze, and interpret relevant data.

Preferred

Master’s degree in public health, health care information technology, computer science, or related area, and / or equivalent combination of experience / training.
Working knowledge of departmental systems and protocols for documentation and reporting.
Public health domain knowledge.
Strong ability to think creatively to recommend action steps or strategize solutions relative to public health surveillance, epidemiology, or informatics.
Demonstrated proficiency relating to logical data design, data warehouse design, data integration, and data modeling.