Five Great Jobs at the CDC
- Epidemiologist
- Environmental Engineer
- Veterinary Medical Officer
- Director for Management
- Community Lead/Specialist
The CDC is the leading organization in the United States that works to protect the public’s health and well-being. As such, there is a wide range of jobs at the centers for disease control for professionals in varying fields. The CDC addresses acute issues like prevention of disease outbreaks and environmental toxins but also tackle widespread long-term problems like obesity and addiction with public health programs. These federal employees at the centers for disease control are professionals employed in every state across the nation with a headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as ten other large field operating offices where field employees report. The CDC Human Resources office hires all kinds of people including health scientist, human services, and even for a remote job. Some CDC careers include the following.
1. Epidemiologist
This position with the CDC foundation combines medical sciences with public health and statistics, and these professionals study the causes of disease as well as trends in specific communities. At the CDC, epidemiologists generally work on teams that focus on a particular health issue and are involved in every part of the process. This includes designing studies, collecting information, analyzing data, and then communicating the results and recommendations with program management as well as public policy experts and health educators.
2. Environmental Engineer
Using principles of conservation, city planning, resource management, and engineering, these CDC foundation careers involve identifying problems in the environment and then proposing and implementing solutions. Some examples of projects include working with cities to fluoridate and treat city water, minimizing damages after chemical spills, and evaluation and management of lead exposure in soil and older homes.
3. Veterinary Medical Officer
This is one of the top CDC foundation careers that is not as well known since these professionals work with animals, not people. An increasing number of diseases are being transmitted from animals to humans, so it is important that scientists study the biology of animals and the pathology behind diseases like SARS and West Nile Virus. As Forbes reports, the number and scope of these zoonotic diseases are rising which makes it necessary to study how and why they begin affecting humans.
4. Director for Management
There are also high-level careers at the CDC that do not require technical expertise as qualifying experience. Since it is such a large organization, the CDC has an entire wing of business and administrative professionals. The Director for Management deals with the big picture and day-to-day operation of a CDC office including approving budgets, directing departments, monitoring progress of projects, and team-building and leadership tasks. Personnel management plays an important role in disease control and prevention.
5. Community Lead/Specialist
This position involves the planning and execution of public health education campaigns and all contact with news organizations and the general public. Effective communication and marketing skills are essential as well as the ability to understand scientific jargon and then explain the information to those without a technical background. Sometimes these professionals lead teams that create educational materials and plan programs. Other times, they coach researchers on effective messaging techniques or information management.
What are some of the benefits of working for the CDC?
The CDC is one of the largest organizations protecting humankind from a serious, preventable health crisis ranging from species-threatening viruses to quality of life concerns. Experts from many different academic backgrounds take advantage of the various available CDC careers such as health and human services. Jobs at CDC may even include collaboration with other organizations such as Homeland Security in a remote position to meet the goal of disease control and prevention.
CDC jobs carry with it federal benefits, which are among the best in both the private sectors, public sectors and non federal jobs. Incentives to work at the CDC foundation can include cost of living allowances, recruitment and relocation incentives and incentive awards. Generous annual leave is generous, as is family friendly leave policies causes many to be encouraged to apply. Federal workers also enjoy the benefit of 11 paid holidays each year. Check out the CDC website for more information about working for this organization in a CDC job and apply online.
MPH staff, 2023
Additional Resources:
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