Avian and Novel Influenza Project Coordinator

Company Overview

With an annual budget of $2.3 billion and more than 7,000 employees throughout the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is one of the largest public health agencies in the world, serving 8 million New Yorkers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We're tackling a broad range of public health issues with innovative policies and programs and getting exceptional results, but our work is never finished. The breadth of our innovative programs provides the widest range of choices for every member of our team.   

With grant funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the NYC Health Department is undertaking an initiative to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the expanding multistate outbreak of Influenza A/H5N1 and strengthen readiness for any respiratory disease threat with the potential to result in large, disruptive outbreaks to communities. 

The selected candidate will be an employee of Public Health Solutions, a nonprofit organization which is the fiscal and administrative manager of the grant but will work be supervised by the NYC Health Department.  This is a grant-funded position ending on January 16, 2026. 

The Division of Disease Control performs identification, surveillance, treatment, control and prevention of 90+ infectious diseases. It is one of the largest Divisions at the Health Department with seven bureaus including the Bureau of Communicable Diseases.

The Bureau of Communicable Diseases is responsible for the surveillance, prevention, and control of over 70 infectious diseases, including foodborne, waterborne, respiratory, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. Within the Bureau of Communicable Diseases, the Zoonotic and Vector-borne Disease Unit conducts surveillance and epidemiologic investigations for zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, and diseases in animals of potential public health concern (e.g., rabies, tularemia, anthrax, and avian influenza). Much of the unit’s work is conducted in collaboration with partners within and outside the Health Department.  

Job Description

The NYC Health Department has an opening for an avian and novel influenza project coordinator. This position will serve as primary support for epidemiologic investigations for avian influenza/novel influenza viruses in NYC, develop \protocols, and summarize data. They will have experience in epidemiology and data management and analysis and will participate in a wide range of activities. They will report to the Bureau of Communicable Disease (BCD) Zoonotic and Vector-borne Disease Unit Animal Health Team Lead, and will collaborate with the Disease Investigation Unit as well as Respiratory Pathogens Unit. 

Duties:

• Oversee contact investigations (people and pets) related to avian influenza detections in animals
• Develop and maintain protocols related to avian and novel influenza for contact tracers, on-call physicians, and BCD staff including questionnaires, data entry tools, and trainings
• Conduct trainings for interns and rapid response teams on case and contact investigations and data entry
• Conduct routine and ad hoc analyses and prepare summaries of surveillance data, including analyses to identify clusters, or changes in epidemiologic trends
• Participate in outbreak investigations and as needed special epi projects on avian and novel influenza viruses
• Collaborate with outreach and health education staff to provide input for initiatives related to avian influenza and respiratory diseases, as well as a variety of diseases and conditions managed by the Bureau of Communicable Disease including foodborne, waterborne, zoonotic and vector-borne associated diseases 
• Participate in development and maintenance of presentations to internal and external audiences
• Participate as needed on other animal disease investigations 
• Understanding and addressing cultural differences, health inequities and disabilities when interacting with a diverse population in the workplace and the general public. 

 Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in field of public health
• Previous experience working in fields related to public health.
• The ideal candidate for this position must be a pro-active and self-motivated individual with the ability to work in teams and in a highly dynamic environment with multiple stakeholders and timelines.

Additional Desired Qualities: 

• Experience in infectious disease epidemiology
• Ability to work well with others
• Experience with conducting interviews with health care providers, contacts and case patients.
• Ability to effectively work independently as well as collaboratively and effectively on an interdisciplinary team
• Excellent communication (verbal & written) and interpersonal skills.
• Desire to grow professionally, develop new skills and willingness to work outside of comfort zone.
• Experience working with the public health sector and coordinating projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritize and work in fast-paced environment with hard deadlines.
• Fluency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, SAS, R, and GIS

Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Schedule.
• Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays.
• An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision.
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Commuter Benefits.
• Company Paid Life Insurance and Disability Coverage.
• 403 (b) + employer matching and discretionary company contributions.
• College Savings Plan.
• Ongoing training and continuous opportunities for professional growth and development.

Additional Information: 

• This is a temporary grant-funded position ending January 16, 2026.
• This individual must reside in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) by their confirmed start date. 
• Preference may be given to individuals residing in New York City (5 boroughs) or surrounding New York State counties. 
• This individual will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies. 

At PHS, we place immense value on diversity within our teams, understanding that varied backgrounds and experiences significantly enhance our community and propel us toward our goals. If you find you don’t have experience in all the areas listed above, we still encourage you to apply and share your background and experiences in your application. We are eager to discover how your unique perspective can bring positive transformations to our team and help advance our mission of creating healthier, more equitable communities. We look forward to learning more about you.

PHS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and veterans.