Public Health Laboratory Surveillance and Outbreak Coordinator

Public Health Laboratory Surveillance and Outbreak Coordinator

BC Centre for Disease Control

Vancouver, BC

In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values and Coast Salish Teachings, and strategic directions of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates selected specialty and province- wide health care services across BC, working with the five geographic health authorities to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians. PHSA embodies values that reflect a commitment to excellence.

Reporting to the Public Health Manager, Public Health Laboratory (PHL), BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the Laboratory Surveillance and Outbreak Coordinator is responsible for providing laboratory leadership within the PHL programs and with key partners to develop and coordinate ongoing laboratory surveillance and outbreak detection, investigation, and management. The role coordinates all programs within the PHL in developing best practices for public health laboratory surveillance. They work closely with Program and Team Leads to implement best laboratory clinical and environmental surveillance practices. They assist the PHL Medical Director in developing policies and laboratory strategies in alignment with BCCDC, Provincial Laboratory Medical Services and PHSA, to improve public health surveillance for both clinical and environmental communicable disease laboratory areas. The Coordinator works closely with PHL leaders to assist in external network coordination for best public health laboratory practices province-wide, with national links through the Canadian Public Health Laboratory Network. This will include assisting in province-wide, appropriate laboratory standardization, interpretation and quality assurance related to laboratory surveillance and outbreak management.

What you'll do

• Coordinates with key leaders in all areas of the PHL to develop and enhance surveillance and outbreak responses within a Quality Management System framework.
• Liaises with BCCDC, local, regional, and national partners for surveillance data needs including routine and ad hoc requests for laboratory data.
• Provides analytic leadership using advanced programmatic skills to produce surveillance products and contributes to local, provincial, and national surveillance systems.
• Works with key local, provincial, as well as national partners, to validate, gain support for, and assist in implementing projects that will help ensure optimal response to the detection, investigation, and management of outbreaks of disease or events or that will result in enhanced surveillance of microbial agents.
• Supports the integration, validation, utility, and application of various information management systems by proactively consulting with internal and external system partners.
• Produces communications materials such as newsletters using surveillance products and contributes to analytic pipeline development for use in dashboards and data summaries that are internal and/or externally facing.
• Plans, develops, and implements updates to PHL requisitions in consultation with PHL programs.
• Coordinates requests for information for the PHL Medical Director, including Freedom of Information requests, working with BCCDC Privacy Office and PHSA Information Access Office as needed.
• Assists the PHL to develop policies, procedures, and standards of practice to support quality laboratory information management, including the achievement of an international level of laboratory accreditation.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of strategic plans as it relates to laboratory surveillance and outbreak response capabilities and capacities.

What you bring

Qualifications

• A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree in Health Information Management, Public Health or related discipline and a minimum three (3) years of recent related experience in information management, data analytics or health research using reporting tools and data management skills or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Skills & Knowledge

• Ability to plan and manage requests/tasks with advanced analytical skills in common programming languages and knowledge of query and report-writing tools.
• Knowledge of and adherence to privacy and confidentiality policies and measures to protect data. Ability to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team, while working independently to organize workload, set priorities, and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience effectively engaging with diverse groups of professionals and programs, building relationships/networking, and collaborating.
• A combination of analytical, creative, critical thinking skills and a high level of attention to detail.
• Excellent troubleshooting and organizational skills, capable of identifying problems and developing creative solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to multitask and deliver multiple concurrent assignments in a fast-paced and changing environment.
• Commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019).
• As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have: Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and familiarity with addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (The Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).

What we bring

Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That's why we're focused on your care too - offering health, wellness, development programs to support you - at work and at home.

• Join one of BC's largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations - offering vast opportunities for growth, development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
• Access to professional development opportunities through our in-house training programs, including +2,000 courses, such as our San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course, or Core Linx for Leadership roles.
• Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
• Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
• PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
• Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more.

Job Type: Regular Full-Time
Salary Range: $74,618 - $107,264/year. The starting salary for this position would be determined with consideration of the successful candidate's relevant education and experience, and would be in alignment with the provincial compensation reference plan. Salary will be prorated accordingly for part-time roles.
Location: 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver BC V5Z 4R4
Closing date: Applications Accepted Until Filled
Hours of Work: 08:30-16:30
Requisition #: 175986E

What we do

The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is dedicated to preventing and controlling communicable diseases and promoting environmental health for the province of BC.

BCCDC program is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

PHSA plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people - Be compassionate - Dare to innovate - Cultivate partnerships - Serve with purpose.

PHSA and BCCDC are committed to employment equity, encouraging all qualified individuals to apply. We recognize that our ability to provide the best care for our diverse patient populations relies on a rich diversity of skills, knowledge, background and experience, and value a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.

One of PHSA's North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya'kula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at indigenous.employment@phsa.ca.

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and marginalization faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and self-determination of Indigenous communities. PHSA must uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents such as including Truth & Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.

ATTN: PHSA Employees:

To be considered as a PHSA employee (internal applicant) for this position, you must apply online via your internal profile at http://internaljobs.phsa.ca

Please note the internal job posting will no longer be accessible after the expiry date of December 2, 2024. If the internal job posting has expired, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk and advise that you would like to be considered as a late internal applicant for this position. Please do not apply for the external job posting.

If you have not registered your internal profile, a password is required to log in for the first time. To obtain your password, please contact the Internal Jobs Help Desk at 604-875-7264 or 1-855-875-7264. Please note regular business hours are Monday - Friday (excluding stats), 8:30am to 4:30pm. For inquiries outside of regular business hours, please email the Internal Jobs Help Desk at internaljobshelpu@phsa.ca and a Help Desk Representative will contact you the next business day.