Veterinarian Job Openings

Purpose of the Position
As the Zoonotic Disease Epidemiologist, the veterinarian works with the South Dakota Department of Health (SD-DOH) Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Informatics Center (ESIC) to manage surveillance, response, and prevention activities for zoonotic diseases, including providing guidance and direction to staff. Position will assign and coordinate investigation of zoonotic disease cases (e.g., brucellosis, hantavirus, Q fever, rabies, trichinosis), ensure implementation of control measures, and lead prevention efforts. This is a supervisory position that will provide leadership to the Enteric Disease Epidemiologist and Vectorborne Disease Epidemiologist and support surveillance for campylobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis, West Nile Virus, and other conditions.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities
• Provides leadership and management of zoonotic disease surveillance, investigation, control measures, and prevention;
• Uses Maven, the electronic disease surveillance system, for surveillance and monitoring of zoonotic disease;
• Conducts analyzes and disseminates data from Maven to track performance measures and inform key stakeholders;
• Serves as the subject matter expert for zoonotic disease, including providing guidance to medical professionals, providing support to case investigators, monitoring new and current guidance from CDC and professional organizations, and coordinating responses with animal health professionals;
• Oversees webpage educational content development is accurate and dashboard development and maintenance ensures data are appropriate;
• Provide regular updates to epidemiology and agency leadership;
• Coordinate activities with other SD-DOH programs or state agencies;
• Serve as the DOH liaison to Animal Industry Board, Game, Fish, and Parks, and the Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, and community veterinarians;
• Ensure case initiation, completion, review, and transmission to CDC to meet NNDSS requirements;
• Initiate, maintain, and evaluate authoring in RCKMS (Reportable Conditions Knowledge Management System), case reporting using MMG (Message Mapping Guides), and electronic case reporting;
• Coordinate zoonotic disease prevention, outreach, and other activities with the State Public Health Veterinarian, including participation on the South Dakota One Health program planning group;
• Support outbreak coordination within DOH through collaborations with the Bioterrorism Surveillance Epi, Office of Disease Prevention, Office of Public Health Preparedness, and the SD Public Health Laboratory;
• Supervise two staff members to achieve program objectives.
• Serve as a member of the on-call team to provide support to the general public, medical providers, veterinarians, and others during nights, weekends, and holidays.

This position is exempt from the Civil Service Act.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:
• A veterinary medical degree (DVM or VMD), from an accredited university.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Knowledge of and experience in infectious disease surveillance;
• Knowledge of epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health;
• Working knowledge of accounting and budgetary principles;
• Strong interpersonal skills and broad ability to communicate with professionals, agency officials, public health staff, media, and the public.

Salary: $94,795.20 - $110,584.66, Depending on Qualifications
Pay Grade: MD
Full-Time

Applicants can send a letter and CV to Dustin Ortbahn, Deputy State Epidemiologist, SD Department of Health at dustin.ortbahn@state.sd.us. He can be contacted if there are any questions as well.