VPD Epidemiologist

Introduction

The Department of Health Services (DHS), Division of Public Health (DPH), is recruiting for a Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) Epidemiologist in the Bureau of Communicable Diseases (BCD).

This position offers the option to work remotely up to 5 days per week and is headquartered in the 201 E. Washington Ave. office in downtown Madison. This schedule may vary based on training or operational need.

As an employee of the State of Wisconsin, you'll also have access to an amazing benefits package, including:

• 3.5 weeks of vacation, 9 paid holidays and ample sick time; limitations may apply for leave time usage in the first six months.
• Top rated health plan options starting at $47/month for single plans and $117/month for family plans, after 2 months of state service.
• Exceptional pension plan with a 7.2% employer match in 2026 with lifetime retirement payment. Plus, a tax advantaged supplemental retirement savings plan which allows you to save money directly from your paycheck for retirement. Use this Total Rewards Calculator to see the total value of our competitive benefits package!
• Several flex spending accounts: medical, dependent care, commuter, parking and High Deductible Health Savings.
• Well Wisconsin Wellness Program.
• A free and confidential employee assistance program that offers employees and their immediate family dependents a variety of tools, resources, and professional consultation services to support their health, goals, and overall well-being.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program employer.

Position Summary

As the VPD Epidemiologist, you will independently analyze, evaluate, and report VPD data from the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS) and other related data systems. Responsibilities include:

• Using SAS, R, or similar data analysis software.
• Summarizing VPD surveillance data to identify trends as well as areas for improvement of surveillance and control methods to inform programmatic direction and policy.
• Running routine quality assurance queries on WEDSS data to improve data quality and ensure timeliness of public health follow-up.
• Identifying unusual geographic and temporal patterns in morbidity and mortality.
• Writing periodic surveillance and outbreak summaries.
• Developing and maintaining Tableau dashboards.
• Supporting VPD surveillance and outbreak response activities related to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epidemiologic and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) grant.
• Assisting the Vaccine Analytics Unit Supervisor in developing work plans and budgets for the annual ELC and Immunization Program’s Cooperative Agreement grant applications and submission of quarterly progress reports to the CDC.

Salary Information

The starting pay is between $40.68 and $46.46 per hour (approximately between $84,600 and $96,600 per year), depending on qualifications, plus excellent benefits. A 12-month probationary period is required.

Pay for current or former state employees will be set based on the rules that apply to compensation for the applicable transaction. The position is classified as an Epidemiologist – Advanced and is in pay schedule and range 11/03.

Job Details

All applicants who may be appointed will be required to allow DHS to conduct a background check to determine whether the circumstances of any conviction may be related to the job being filled.

DHS does not sponsor work visas for this position, thus, in compliance with federal law, selected candidates will be required to verify eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required I-9 form upon hire. DHS is not an E-Verify employer nor a STEM-OPT eligible employer.

For positions that allow remote working flexibility, working outside of Wisconsin or in bordering cities will not be allowed except in extremely limited circumstances due to the need to report to an office location in Wisconsin on short notice.

Employees must have access to secure high-speed internet for remote work option. Mileage reimbursement to the employee’s headquarter location is not provided. Remote work flexibility will be discussed in more detail during the interview process.

Qualifications

Minimally qualified applicants will have all of the following:

• Experience working in public health, epidemiology, communicable diseases, immunizations, or a related field.
• Experience compiling epidemiologic reports, fact sheets, surveillance summaries, or presentations for dissemination to internal and external partners.
• Experience communicating technical information to both health professionals (e.g., public health professionals, local and Tribal health departments, federal partners, health care providers, laboratory staff, etc.) and the public.
• Professional experience using data systems and statistical software (e.g., SAS, R, ArcGIS, Tableau, etc.) to collect, manage, clean, analyze, visualize, and assess data quality (e.g., performing data quality assurance, maintaining data systems, identifying epidemiologic trends, etc.).

Well-qualified applicants will also have one or more of the following:

• Experience interpreting and applying Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) case definitions, testing terminology, and laboratory-based diagnosis to classify diseases in a surveillance system (e.g., WEDSS) or making recommendations for system enhancements.
• Graduate degree in public health, biostatistics, epidemiology, infectious disease, or a related field.
• Experience working with statewide immunization or VPD prevention and response activities for three or more years.
• Experience applying epidemiologic methods in a professional setting using public health data to investigate VPD cases or outbreaks using either SAS or R statistical software packages.

Your letter of qualifications and resume are limited to two (2) pages each. For a guide on developing your resume and letter of qualifications and what should be included in these materials, click here.

How To Apply

Applying is easy! Click “Apply for Job” to start your application process. Sign into your account or create an account before applying for the job. Follow the steps outlined in the application process to submit your application.

Helpful Information:

• Once your application is submitted, no changes are allowed. Click “Save” to allow changes to your application as needed before submitting by the deadline.
• You may want to save a copy of the job posting for referencing after the deadline.
• Submitted materials will be evaluated by a panel of job experts according to the qualifications above.
• Please monitor your email for communications related to these positions.
• Current or former permanent, classified, state employees must complete the online application process to be considered.
• If viewing through an external site, please apply directly at Wisc.Jobs.
• For technical assistance and general information, please see Frequently Asked Questions. For questions about the position, to request a copy of the full position description, or for other employment inquiries, please contact Human Resources at [email protected].

DHS is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. Veterans are encouraged to apply. For complete information on Veterans’ hiring programs with the WI Department of Veteran’s Affairs, click here.

Deadline to Apply

The deadline to apply is 08/18/26 by 11:59 pm.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to allow ample time to finalize their applications keeping in mind that technical assistance is only available Monday through Friday 7:45 am – 4:30 pm. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.