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Chief Physician Epidemiologist – Public Health

State of Delaware – Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)

Division of Public Health (DPH) | Community Health

Location: 30 Sunnyside Road, Smyrna, Delaware 19977

Employment Type: Full-Time | Regular | Exempt, Non-Merit

Salary: $175,828 – $293,046 annually

Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM; some weekends and after-hours may be required

Lead Public Health. Shape Delaware’s Future.

Are you a physician and epidemiology leader ready to make a statewide impact?

The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is seeking an experienced State Chief Medical Epidemiologist to serve as the Delaware State Epidemiologist and provide strategic medical and epidemiological leadership across the state.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a physician with expertise in epidemiology to lead a highly specialized team, strengthen Delaware’s public health infrastructure, and help shape strategies that address the health needs of communities across the state—including rural and other vulnerable populations.

The State Epidemiologist will oversee the DPH Epidemiology Section, help reorganize existing resources, and establish the Office of Rural Health Epidemiology (ORHE). The position will lead epidemiology professionals working across infectious diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, chronic diseases, and rural health.

This is a hybrid position with an office location at the Delaware Public Health Laboratory in Smyrna.

Why Join Us?

This position offers the opportunity to:

Serve as Delaware’s State Epidemiologist and provide statewide medical and epidemiological leadership.

Lead a diverse team of epidemiology and public health professionals.

Influence statewide public health policy, clinical guidance, and resource allocation.

Use surveillance, laboratory, and population health data to identify disease trends and emerging health risks.

Strengthen Delaware’s approach to rural health and vulnerable populations.

Collaborate with federal, regional, state, local, healthcare, and community partners.

Provide medical and scientific leadership during public health emergencies.

Contribute to both population health initiatives and direct patient care through in-person or telemedicine services.

Key Responsibilities

As State Chief Medical Epidemiologist, you will:

Serve as the designated Delaware State Epidemiologist and oversee epidemiologist and non-epidemiologist staff within the DPH Epidemiology Section.

Direct statewide epidemiology activities, including surveillance, investigation, reporting, and response.

Provide leadership across infectious disease, chronic disease, environmental health, maternal health, rural health, and other areas of public health significance.

Analyze and interpret surveillance, laboratory, and population health data to identify disease trends and assess health risks.

Use epidemiological evidence to inform public health policy, clinical guidance, and resource allocation.

Serve as Delaware Epidemiology’s liaison with federal and regional partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).

Provide medical and scientific consultation to state and county health officials, healthcare providers, and community partners.

Provide clinical leadership during public health emergencies, including issuing clinical advisories and recommending appropriate control measures.

Provide direct patient care when assigned, either in person or through telemedicine.

Support the development of the Office of Rural Health Epidemiology (ORHE) and initiatives focused on improving health outcomes for rural Delaware communities.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Possession of a Delaware Physician M.D. or Delaware Physician D.O. license, or eligibility to obtain a Delaware license. The license must be secured within six months of hire.
2. At least six months of experience practicing medicine in a hospital, clinic, or private practice.
3. At least six months of experience in health or human services program administration, including experience overseeing or directing the development, implementation, and evaluation of health or human services programs and services; establishing short- and long-range program goals and objectives; and providing consultation to other organizational units.
4. Demonstrated experience in Epidemiology, Statistics, Biostatistics, or management of large datasets.

Preferred Qualification

A Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH), Health Administration, Business Administration, or an equivalent degree is preferred.

Applicants who do not possess the preferred qualification may still be eligible to compete if they meet the minimum job requirements.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of:

Physician leadership and clinical experience

Epidemiology and population health expertise

Strong analytical and data interpretation skills

Experience leading multidisciplinary teams

Public health program administration experience

Ability to translate complex scientific and epidemiological information into actionable recommendations

Strong communication and consultation skills

Experience collaborating with healthcare, government, community, and public health partners

A commitment to improving health outcomes for Delaware residents, including rural and underserved populations

We offer a commitment to your personal and professional life. Working for the State of Delaware you may qualify for a retirement pension, paid parental leave, a compressed work schedule and shift differential pay.