Senior Practice Leader, Epidemiologist - Drug Checking Surveillance - BC Centre for Disease Control

Senior Practice Leader, Epidemiologist - Drug Checking Surveillance

BC Centre for Disease Control

Vancouver, BC

Are you ready to make a difference? The BC Centre for Disease Control, a dynamic Provincial Health Services Authority program, seeks passionate individuals to join us in providing provincial and national leadership in disease surveillance, detection, treatment, prevention, and consultation.

At our core, we aim to cultivate vibrant communities where everyone can achieve optimal health and well-being—right where they live, work, learn, and play.

If you're driven by the desire to create positive change and contribute to healthier communities, this is the opportunity you've been waiting for! Apply now to join our innovative team and show your 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).

BCCDC values lived experience within Indigenous communities, so if you are interested in this role, we encourage you to apply even if you feel your skills don't perfectly align with those listed.

Reporting to the Director of Surveillance, the Senior Practice Leader Epidemiologist is a leader, innovator, knowledge translator and change agent who is accountable for promoting excellence in surveillance and epidemiological methods.

The scope of practice of the Senior Practice Leader Epidemiologist (SPLE) is broad and complex, encompassing program coordination, team management, stakeholder engagement, system evaluation and standardization, knowledge translation, and dissemination of surveillance and research results across the Health Authorities, provincially and federally.  The SPLE is an advanced practitioner who works as an independent specialist and as part of multi-disciplinary teams responsible for provincial communicable and chronic disease surveillance with a specific focus on provincial methods standardization, surveillance/analytic system development, education and research.

What you’ll do

• Provides leadership and strategic guidance on the development, implementation and evaluation of provincial surveillance systems, emerging issues and epidemiologic analyses and manage the processes and resources to achieve deliverables and outcomes
• Coordinates multi-sectoral and cross-sectoral surveillance initiatives and acts as a resource and consultant for local, provincial and national planning in the area of public health epidemiology and surveillance. This includes representing the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and the service line on provincial and federal committees.
• Promotes evidenced-based practice and shares knowledge about current research and literature including novel practices in public health surveillance and advanced surveillance and epidemiological methods. Establishes opportunities to support staff in implementing evidence based practice. Promotes and advances best practice through publications, presentations, and conferences.
• Scans the environment and the literature to identify emerging practice trends and challenges. Develops and implements strategies to integrate novel surveillance and analytic approaches as well as strategies to mitigate challenges affecting surveillance.
• Leads and manages complex and innovative projects and initiatives and engages all disciplines to find solutions. Retains relevant epidemiological, analytic and surveillance expertise.
• Guides the development, implementation and utilization of public health information to inform public health priorities, programs and policies across the province via the use of evaluation methodologies and effective knowledge translation approaches, thereby leading to evidence based policy making.
• Works closely with the service lines to facilitate the development and implementation of data integration and visualization methods to various surveillance initiatives.
• Provides coaching and mentorship for public health analysts, epidemiologists and/or other surveillance-related roles. Provides oversight on the day-to-day activities of data analysts and epidemiologists within the service line.
• Guides the analytic and methodologic development of other epidemiologists and data analysts within the service line and monitors and documents analytical approaches across the centre.
• Builds effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders and negotiates and facilitates provincial collaboration. This includes collaboration with Health Authorities, Ministry of Health, First Nations Health Authority, Public Health Agency of Canada, clinicians and other public health practitioners.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

What you bring

Qualifications

• A level of education, training and experience equivalent to a Master’s or PhD Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, or a related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of recent, related direct experience working with national/provincial/regional surveillance systems and surveillance data, outbreak investigation, protocol development for applied research, data analysis, and report writing.

You will also have

• Experience with oversight of an analytic team that works with epidemiologic or surveillance data.
• Excellent quantitative analysis skills.
• Qualitative expertise an asset.
• Solid understanding of public health policy and programs.
• Commitment to develop knowledge and understanding of legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents – 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 – and how they intersect across the health care system.
• 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.).

• Strong facilitation skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Detailed understanding of the Provincial and Federal public health system, and a strong ability to engage and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders while navigating provincial politics.
• Ability to work independently and as an effective member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated leadership through teaching, dissemination of research and mentoring.
• Strong problem solving skills within a complex challenging environment and across the health care system.

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: Temporary, Full-Time (until March 31, 2027)
Salary Range: $106,026 - $152,413/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
Applications will be accepted until position is filled.
Hours of Work: Monday – Friday, 08:00-16:00/08:30-16:30
Requisition # 178571E

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

The Provincial Health Services Authority (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. Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services

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 January 28, 2025. 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.