CDC Job Opportunity

SEEKING A PHD-LEVEL RESEARCHER TO WORK WITH THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION AND HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS ON A NATIONAL “HEROIN RESPONSE STRATEGY”

1-YEAR APPPOINTMENT, WITH OPTION FOR RENEWAL

LOCATED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA

APPLICATION DUE AUGUST 1, 2018

Seeking a PhD-level researcher to work full-time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. The candidate will be hired by the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, but will maintain office space and work with CDC’s Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, within the Overdose Prevention Branch, located at the Chamblee campus near Doraville.

Duties: The incumbent will work closely with CDC and 10 HIDTAs on the National Heroin Response Strategy, which encompasses 22 states and the District of Columbia, to identify effective or promising strategies that prevent opioid-related overdose at the community, state, or health-system level. Specifically, the selected scientist will:

(1) provide subject matter expertise on existing opioid overdose prevention strategies in the United States;
(2) assist in the promotion of and education around evidence-based opioid overdose prevention strategies, especially those endorsed in the CDC-branded document of the same name (soon to be available);
(3) assist in the development of annual “cornerstone projects,” which requires the coordination of public health and drug intelligence staff across all 22 HRS states and DC on a focused, coordinated research project;
(4) make site visits to up to 5 selected “HRS focus states” to understand local need and capacity to address the opioid epidemic;
(5) with CDC, HIDTA directors, and local coalitions, assist in the development of an innovative pilot project to address the opioid epidemic in each focus state;
(6) work intensively with each focus state to implement the pilot project;
(7) collaborate with assigned program evaluators, epidemiologists, and administrators to gather and analyze relevant data to monitor progress of pilot project implementation;
(8) report progress to date and findings to relevant stakeholders at conferences, meetings, webinars, and in writing;
(9) other tasks as required or merited.

Requirements: (1) PhD degree in hand at the time of application; (2) PhD in public health, behavioral science, or a social science; (3) a research or educational background related to substance use, opioid use disorder, or opioid overdose; (4) excellent oral and written communication skills; (5) demonstrated track record of working effectively across disciplines, community environments, or Agencies; (6) an understanding of public health; (7) demonstrated experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

For more information: Please contact Dr. Rita Noonan at CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, RNoonan@cdc.gov, 770-488-1532.

Application procedure: Please submit your CV and 3 references to Ms. Jessica Wolff, JWolff@cdc.gov, with the subject line “CDC-HIDTA research position.”