Overview
Job Title: Tribal Communicable Disease Epidemiologist
Reports to: Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit Project Director
Initial Salary Range: $86,311 – $90,000 annually
Benefits: Health, Vision, & Dental Insurance, Retirement Contributions, PTO, and Paid Holidays
Funded Through: September 30, 2026
Classification: Salaried, Exempt
Status: Full-Time (1.0 FTE), Regular Employee
Location: Portland, OR
JOB SUMMARY
About the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB)
The Northwest Tribes have long recognized the need to exercise control over the design and development of health care delivery systems in their local communities. To this end, they formed the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (also referred to as NPAIHB or “the Board”) in 1972.
Guided by a vision of “Health and Wellness for the Seventh Generation,” NPAIHB is a 501(c)3 designated (non-profit) organization and Tribal organization, P.L. 93-638, under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) serving the 43 federally recognized Tribes in the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (Northwest Tribes). Tribes become voting members of the Board through resolutions passed by their governing body. Each member Tribe designates a delegate to serve on the NPAIHB Board of Directors.
Led by our Board of Directors, NPAIHB’s mission is to “eliminate health disparities and improve the quality of life of American Indians and Alaska Natives by supporting Northwest Tribes in their delivery of culturally appropriate, high-quality health programs and services.” We have a staff of over 120 professionals dedicated to advancing Tribal health for the 7th generation in the Pacific Northwest.
The NPAIHB’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030 can be found here.
Position Summary
The Tribal Communicable Disease Epidemiologist (CD Epi) is responsible for leading data analysis, data communication, training, and coordination activities related to the Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center’s (NWTEC) communicable disease surveillance and prevention activities in addition to advancing data analysis and reporting related to vaccinations. Duties include, but are not limited to: conducting statistical analysis and interpretation of data; developing and providing trainings to Northwest Tribes on communicable disease epidemiology, outbreak investigations, and vaccine epidemiology; providing consultation on the epidemiology, control, and prevention of communicable diseases to Tribes and other partners and assisting with survey/tool development; participating in the development of local-level health status reports, manuscripts, dashboards, and presentations; supporting data access and quality improvement activities, such as record linkages; and providing technical assistance to Tribes and Tribal health programs on a variety of data and public health issues.
The CD Epi must have knowledge of communicable disease processes and control measures, notifiable conditions and their associated reporting, and vaccination principles. They must have experience in management and analysis of large and/or complex databases. They must have intermediate to advanced skills in statistical software such as SAS, SPSS, R or Stata. SAS and R programming experience are preferred. They must demonstrate a willingness and capability to learn new software applications, such as QuickSight, Match*Pro, AWS, and other applications.
The CD Epi supports the NPAIHB’s Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit of 5 public health professionals who provide routine surveillance, data analysis, and reporting to Northwest Tribes.
The CD Epi reports to the Project Director of the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit. This scope of work is housed within the NWTEC Division.
This position is based at NPAIHB’s offices in Portland, Oregon. Local travel and/or overnight travel outside of the area is required approximately 15% of the time.
Essential Functions
CD Epi Main Functions
Serve as a subject matter expert for communicable disease epidemiology within NWTEC, with a focus on sexually transmitted infections, respiratory diseases, and vaccines
Prioritize and pursue access to communicable disease and immunization data sources based on Tribal needs
Design and conduct statistical analysis of survey data and health status data, including but not limited to: communicable disease registry data, immunization registry data, vital statistics, hospitalization, emergency department, and health services utilization data.
Understand and document dataset limitations, and maintain and support quality improvement and data management activities
Prepare and maintain technical documentation related to communicable disease and immunization-related analyses
Assess racial misclassification in AI/AN communicable disease/immunization-related data, disseminate findings, and support NWTEC work to correct misclassification and improve recording of racial data
Conduct interpretation of statistical findings and translation of results for tribal health status reports and other publications
Participate in preparation of reports, manuscripts, and presentations to disseminate project activities and results
Respond to communicable disease and immunization data requests and provide technical assistance to Tribes and partners upon request
Support epidemiology and surveillance by working with NWTEC data modernization efforts
Participate or lead state, regional, and national workgroups related to AI/AN communicable disease/immunization data and support NWTEC and Tribal data interests
Assist in collecting and analyzing evaluation data to measure progress towards grant and organizational goals
Participate in assessing tribal data and training needs, and lead the development of trainings, capacity building tools, and products to respond to tribal needs
Ensure that all project data are maintained with complete confidentiality in accordance with the Federal Privacy Act, IRB specifications, and NWTEC policies for data management, analysis, and dissemination
Administrative and Reporting Functions
Collaborate with internal and external partners in order to achieve tribal, organizational, and grant-related goals
Ensure compliance with all human subjects requirements for confidential and/or limited data access
Assist in preparing and submitting IRB protocols, data sharing and confidentiality agreements, and ensuring compliance with all human subjects requirements
Assist the Project Director with outreach, planning, and implementation of project activities.
Participate in and lead meetings, site visits, and conferences as required to achieve project objectives
Maintain well-organized filing system for documents and computer files
Submit a Monthly Activity Report (MAR) to the Project Director at the end of each month and any additional tracking of project activities as needed
Other Duties
Research, and with the approval of supervisor, attend trainings as needed to improve skills that enhance overall capabilities related to job performance
Perform other duties as assigned by the Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit Project Director and/or Executive Director or designee
Standards of Conduct
Act in service to the Tribes and Tribal communities we serve
Uphold the Mission, Values, and Vision of the NPAIHB
Maintain the highest level of confidentiality with all NPAIHB information and documentation
Consistently exhibit professional behavior and a high degree of personal and professional integrity and impartiality appropriate to the responsible and confidential nature of the position
Exercise good judgment and initiative in performance of duties and responsibilities
Demonstrate high emotional intelligence in the performance of all duties and responsibilities
Orientation toward learning, innovation, service, and the building of second-line leadership
Commitment to building an organizational culture which centers NPAIHB’s service to Tribes, promotes professional excellence, and builds an environment where employees grow and thrive
Commitment to build an inclusive workplace across a range of identities and experiences, including (but not limited to) geography, age, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, class, language, disability, religion, spiritual practices, and immigration status
Sees diversity as a strength, and equity as a baseline
Work in a cooperative manner with all levels of management and with all NPAIHB staff
Effectively plan, organize workload, and schedule time to meet workload demands
Use reasonable judgment to consistently display professional work attire during normal business hours, and/or dress appropriately for the workday, space, or event in lieu of a formal dress code
Be present, available, and responsive for meetings and calls during regular working hours
Commit to sharing knowledge and building expertise by participating in all virtual spaces in our workplace with cameras on
Show consideration by communicating effectively and building collective understanding
Recognize relationships are the cornerstone of NPAIHB’s work by treating all NPAIHB delegates/ alternates, partners, staff, and American Indian/Alaska Native people with dignity and respect
Participate willingly in NPAIHB activities
Qualifications
Education
Minimum education required:
Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree, with focus in epidemiology and/or biostatistics, or related field
Experience
Minimum experience required:
At least four (4) years of experience managing, analyzing, and/or interpreting public health data
At least four (4) years of experience in a health or public health field, preferably as an epidemiologist or biostatistician
Additional experience preferred:
Direct experience working with Northwest Tribes
Experience in the planning, organization, implementation, and follow-up of public health-related coalitions
Some experience with GIS software and Epi Info a plus.
Some familiarity with substance use and maternal child health epidemiology due to comorbidities and risks
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Demonstrated knowledge, discretion, tact, judgment, and overall ability in working effectively with federal, Tribal, and other professionals, and facilitating participation and partnership in the activities of the Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit
Proficiency with computer applications (specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft Office Suite programs)
Strong technical writing skills, including good spelling and grammatical skills, and the ability to produce polished deliverables under a deadline
Excellent research and analysis skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
Must be sensitive to cross-cultural differences, and able to work effectively within their context
Ability to work with minimal supervision, exercise initiative, and make independent decisions and recommendations
Ability to make professional oral presentations in settings at the national, regional, and community levels, as well as in Tribal settings
Ability to complete tasks in a timely and accurate manner
Ability to travel occasionally (approximately 15% of the time)
Probationary Period
External applicants must agree to serve a minimum six-month probationary period during which time their employment can be terminated at will. For the purpose of evaluating job performance, internal applicants must agree to serve a minimum six-month probationary period when job duties change significantly.
Worksite Location
NPAIHB generally requires employees to work in its main office, located in Portland, OR. Under certain circumstances, however, the NPAIHB may allow employees to work from home, on a case-by-case basis. The Executive Director, the employee’s direct supervisor, or the employee may suggest teleworking as a possible work arrangement. NPAIHB considers circumstances such as, but not limited to, whether the employee is organized, has proven their ability to work independently, has completed their probationary period, has a good work record, has no record of abuse of leave, the duties and responsibilities of their position, travel requirements, funding source stipulations, and other considerations.
Telework is not an entitlement, nor a Board-wide benefit. NPAIHB retains discretion to withdraw, alter, modify, cancel, or otherwise terminate an employee’s eligibility for telework on a case-by-case basis, in its sole discretion.
Work Conditions
Physical Demands
This position:
Frequently involves sedentary work (exerting up to 10 pounds of force and/or a negligible amount of force to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body)
Occasionally involves light work (exerting up to 20 pounds of force and/or up to 10 pounds of force and/or a negligible amount of force to move objects)
Physical Requirements
This position:
Consistently requires the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and expressing or exchanging ideas or important instructions accurately, loudly, or quickly
Constantly requires working with fingers, rather than the whole hand or arm
Constantly requires repetitive movement of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers
Often requires walking or moving about to accomplish tasks
Occasionally requires standing and/or sitting for sustained periods of time
Occasionally requires ascending or descending stairs or ramps using feet and legs and/or hands and arms
Occasionally requires raising objects from a lower to a higher position, or moving objects horizontally
Occasionally requires stooping, which entails the use of the lower extremities and back muscles
Infrequently requires crouching
Typical Environmental Conditions
The worker is frequently subject to inside environmental conditions, which provide protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes, and is occasionally subject to outside environmental conditions.
Travel Requirements
Local travel and/or overnight travel outside of the area is required approximately 15% of the time. Attendance at quarterly NPAIHB Board Meetings is occasionally required. These meetings are held both locally and hosted by our Member Tribes on a rotating basis, taking place during the third or fourth weeks of January, April, July, and October, and typically require a minimum stay of two/three overnights per meeting.
Disclaimer
The individual must perform the essential duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation efficiently and accurately without causing a significant safety threat to self or others describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required of all personnel so classified.
Except as provided by Title 25, U.S.C. § 450e(b), which allows for Indian preference in hiring, the NPAIHB does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, politics, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, veteran or military status, genetic information, ancestry or any other characteristic protected by law.
For more information, or to apply now, you must go to the website below. Please DO NOT email your resume to us as we only accept applications through our website.