Epidemiologist

Position Title: Epidemiologist 

Location: Boston, MA (Remote)

Position End Date: 9/29/2026

Salary: $75,000, Plus Benefits 

The CDC Foundation is working with CDC and state and local authorities to provide surge staff to support surveillance, prevention and response activities within the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program. Under this cooperative agreement, CDC Foundation will hire and place epidemiologists in OD2A jurisdictions who demonstrate a need for epidemiology support to implement OD2A objectives. The epidemiologist will conduct surveillance and epidemiologic activities including assisting partners with the collection and sharing of drug overdose data with the health department; analyzing data to determine patterns and causes of drug overdoses in fatal [i.e., State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS)] and nonfatal [i.e., Drug Overdose Surveillance and Epidemiology (DOSE)] systems; implementing innovative surveillance projects; and disseminating important results for local communities to implement prevention and response efforts.

• A Master’s degree is required (preferably in public health or a health-related field)

• Minimum two years of qualitative and quantitative data analysis experience; data visualization and mapping skills preferred.

• Proven ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at conferences

• Proficient in R (required) and Microsoft Office Suite; additional experience with Power BI, SAS, and GIS platforms preferred.

• Organizational skills demonstrating high attention to detail and the ability to organize multiple priorities.

• Strong communication skills, both written and oral

• Experience working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and engaging in strategic partnerships

• Strong interpersonal skills required for teamwork and interaction with health department staff and with external partners

• Strong understanding of design and implementation of research and epidemiologic studies

• Demonstrated ability to work well independently and within teams

• Experience working in a virtual environment with remote partners and teams

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams and Zoom 

• Clean, process, and assess drug overdose surveillance data

• Perform epidemiological and statistical analyses and interpret results to inform public health action

• Knowledge and application of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements and protection of health information

• Produce data visualizations, including tables, charts, maps, and presentations • Conduct literature reviews on drug overdose related topics to support program priorities

• Develop state specific and national fact sheets, manuscripts, data briefs, and surveillance reports

• Collaborate with overdose surveillance teams to refine data processing workflows and improve data quality

• Create and maintain data dictionaries/codebooks for new and existing datasets

• Support the implementation of innovative surveillance activities within OD2A-funded health departments

• Participate in discussions and work groups focused on translating OD2A surveillance findings into action

• Provide technical assistance, training, and consultative support regarding epidemiology and disease control

• Serve as a point of contact for public health partners regarding moderately complex epidemiological issues

• Assist in completing or reviewing grant-related reporting requirements, including close-out reports

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and the Boston Public Health Commission in order to best support the City of Boston in their public health programming.

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1 billion and launched more than 1,000 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 140 countries last year. Learn more at www.cdcfoundation.org.