Surveillance Coordinator – Waterborne Diseases

About the role

The Waterborne Disease Surveillance Coordinator is a full-time, term-limited position within the Acute Communicable Disease (ACD) Program of the Division of Disease Control (DDC) at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH). This role reports directly to the Program Manager of the Acute Communicable Disease Program and serves as the primary liaison with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD). The position requires working in a multidisciplinary team with disease surveillance investigators, nurses, physicians, and epidemiologists to address water-related public health concerns. Availability after-hours is required, and the role may involve moderate physical effort, including lifting materials under 50 pounds and extensive use of a computer screen.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate surveillance and investigation for waterborne diseases, including reviewing case investigations for appropriate classification and public health management.
• Lead and participate in disease outbreak investigations related to drinking water contamination, healthcare-associated infections, and recreational water.
• Develop and distribute disease control guidelines and educational materials for the prevention and control of waterborne diseases in settings such as skilled nursing facilities and buildings with cooling towers.
• Maintain, update, and execute response plans for waterborne diseases, including protocols for environmental testing and coordination with public health reference laboratories.
• Develop and perform analyses for waterborne diseases and produce routine surveillance reports for PWD.
• Participate in PWD’s contamination warning system development, training, drills, and exercises on emergency response and communication.
• Represent the Health Department on the Philadelphia Water Department’s Water Quality Committee.
• Assist with preparedness planning for water-related emergencies and develop joint exercises between Water and Health departments.
• Lead public health education campaigns, such as Healthy Swimming.
• Develop, execute, and oversee special projects related to the epidemiology of waterborne diseases.
• Maintain a voluntary cooling tower registry and monitor legislation related to Legionella prevention.
• Address emerging concerns such as mycobacterial biofilm in plumbing systems and pharmaceuticals in PWD’s source waters.
• Work with PWD and PDPH communications teams to update public websites and serve as a liaison for wastewater surveillance.
• Participate in telephone duty during business hours, including case report collection and providing public health recommendations to healthcare professionals and the public.
• Support coordination of response to miscellaneous communicable diseases, such as invasive group A streptococcal infections.
• Participate in emergency preparedness exercises and outbreak response for other communicable diseases.

Requirements

• Master’s degree, preferably in epidemiology, public health, or science.
• Basic SAS programming skills or demonstrated experience with other analytic software.
• Demonstrated understanding of infectious disease transmission, prevention, and control.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to present information effectively.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Excel) and REDCap or similar data management software.
• Flexibility, professionalism, and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Comfort working individually and within an interdisciplinary team in a dynamic urban health department.
• Valid driver’s license to facilitate local travel for investigative activities.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental coverage.
• Paid sick, vacation, and personal time.

Pay

Salary range: $62,000–$72,000 (commensurate with experience).