Informatics Specialist

Job Summary:

The California Department of Public Health Office of Data Strategy (ODS) is recruiting for an Informatics Specialist IV to serve as a lead engineer supporting CDPH’s enterprise data modernization efforts. The incumbent will lead engineering, operational reliability, data access, and data governance activities for CDPH’s cloud‑native Databricks Lakehouse environment. Responsibilities will include:

• Applying advanced professional public health informatics and enterprise data engineering and data architecture concepts and extensive knowledge of industry practices to projects of all levels of scope and complexity. 

• Leading project teams in developing innovative informatics and enterprise data pipelines, reusable data models, data access frameworks, and automated data quality systems

• Identifying and implementing strategies for integrating multiple enterprise data sources, platforms, and systems to support statewide analytics, operations, and program needs. Conducting complex database design, data quality assurance, and quality improvement projects. 

• Developing protocols and guidelines and providing information and technical assistance for CDPH programs, ODS partners, and system users related to data governance, access, interoperability, and metadata standards.

• Leading engineering efforts for scalable data pipelines, enterprise data marts, and secure data access. Supporting data governance, operational reliability, and continuous improvement of CDPH’s data infrastructure. 

• Serves as a technical lead to engineers, informaticists, analysts, and program partners across CDPH.

• This position requires strong programming skills (SQL, Python, PySpark), experience with Databricks and distributed computing frameworks, and expertise in data governance and secure data access. The incumbent collaborates across ODS teams and CDPH programs to support enterprise data architecture, operational reliability, and continuous improvement of CDPH’s data systems.

Department Summary:

UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences (IGHS) is dedicated to improving health and reducing the burden of disease in the world’s most vulnerable populations. It integrates UCSF expertise in all of the health, social, and biological sciences, and focuses that expertise on pressing issues in global health. IGHS works with partners in countries throughout the world to achieve these aims. IGHS seeks to improve health worldwide, especially in developing countries, through research that informs policy. 

 IGHS is committed to ensuring a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment as we work towards becoming an anti-racist organization. We strongly encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. Please see our statement on anti-racism here: https://globalhealthsciences.ucsf.edu/about-us/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/statement-structural-racism. 

The California Department of Public Health’s Office of Data Strategy (ODS) leads enterprise-wide data modernization efforts to advance public health outcomes statewide. ODS is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining scalable, secure, and interoperable data systems that support public health program operations, analytics, and strategic decision-making. ODS collaborates with internal CDPH programs, Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs), and external partners to ensure efficient data integration, governance, and quality. The office fosters innovation in data engineering, analytics, and informatics, supporting initiatives such as enhanced surveillance, operational data systems, and public health response. ODS is committed to equity, transparency, and continuous improvement, empowering teams to deliver high-quality data products and actionable insights for California’s public health ecosystem.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Identify the functions or tasks that employees in the job perform. The essential functions should state the purpose of the work and the results to be accomplished, rather than how the function is performed. Of the tasks listed, what percentage of time is devoted to each? The more time employees spend on a function, the more likely it is that the function is essential. Generally, include those functions that account for 10% or more of the work, i.e., key items that contribute significantly to the achievement of the job.  The functions should add up to 100%.

% 

of time

Key Responsibilities

(To be completed by Supervisor)

Serves as a technical leader in collaborating with public health, technical, local health jurisdictions, community, and clinical leaders to plan, develop, implement, and analyze highly-complex public health informatics systems, and to design integrated architecture to ensure an optimal and efficient user experience and functionality, integrity, and reliability of systems. 

• Represents ODS and CDPH enterprise data needs in high‑level design discussions related to the Databricks Lakehouse environment, data governance, data access, interoperability, and cloud architecture.

Leads project teams that include advanced public health, local health jurisdiction, community, and clinical staff to improve public health informatics results and to provide advice and sophisticated metrics and analytics to support management's decision-making processes for systems modifications that are cost-effective, scalable, and meet present and future needs.

• Conducts complex data analysis using data from multiple sources including program, operational, administrative, and surveillance datasets from diverse CDPH systems (such as communicable disease, cancer, and vital statistics registries, laboratories, electronic health records, and claims data) to inform programmatic action.
• Develops strategies and technical solutions to support enterprise‑wide linkage, matching, metadata alignment, and interoperability across CDPH systems.

• Develops dashboards, operational tools, and Lakehouse‑enabled visualizations to support CDPH programs, leadership, and operational teams

Performs highly-complex quality assurance testing, designs and runs SQL (Structured Query Language) and R queries for enhanced and complex data access, and plans, develops, and writes documentation of design and deployment processes, workflows, and results.

• Conducts high-level data quality assurance activities; makes recommendations and implements processes to improve enterprise data lake structure, governance, data access, platform performance and functionality.
• Recommends and establishes protocols for improvements to processes for producing routine and ad-hoc data reports using data from multiple sources.
• Ensures data sharing is compliant with relevant security and privacy requirements and that access to protected health information (PHI) is limited to the minimum necessary information needed for analysis

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in public health, health care information technology, computer science, or related area, and / or equivalent experience / training.
• 5+ years of experience in computer or data pipeline programming and database management, OR 5+ years working in public health
• Demonstrated proficiency relating to logical data design, data warehouse design, data integration, and data modeling.
• Advanced skills associated with statistical analysis, data transformation or linking, data visualization, or data systems programming using programming languages including SQL, R,Python, and/or experience with Apache Spark language APIs (e.g. PySpark, sparklyr). .
• In-depth knowledge of all relevant clinical or public health informatics software and systems, and of the highly-complex concepts, principles, policies, methodologies, techniques, best practices, regulations, and standards practices involved with health systems, health analytics, public health surveillance or electronic medical data management.
• Advanced organizational and project management skills, with the ability to lead a project team, prioritize tasks, and see projects through from inception to completion on schedule.
• Ability to apply advanced problem-resolution skills to highly complex issues, quickly diagnose problems, and develop, test, and implement appropriate and effective solutions in a timely manner.
• Advanced ability to serve as a technical leader and information resource, and to work collaboratively with senior staff and management across departments, providing advice, counsel, and analysis on issues of policy, functionality, system efficiency, upgrades, business analytics, and industry advances and trends.
• Advanced analytical skills and expertise in documentation and reporting, with the ability to apply metrics, design and run queries, collect and analyze performance data, and produce sophisticated reports and analyses for management use.
• Advanced interpersonal communications skills, to convey highly technical information and instructions to all levels of users and stakeholders in a clear and concise manner, both verbally and in writing, to provide technical support, and to develop and deliver training materials as needed.
• Advanced ability to think creatively to recommend action steps or strategize solutions relative to public health surveillance, epidemiology, informatics, program evaluation, or research.

Preferred: 

• Master’s degree in computer science, informatics, public health, biostatistics, epidemiology or epidemiology and biostatistics and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Doctorate degree in computer science, informatics, public health, biostatistics, epidemiology or epidemiology and biostatistics and / or equivalent experience / training.
• In-depth knowledge of machine learning, and deployment of predictive analytics in operational environments. Knowledge of pattern recognition, machine learning, and/or natural language processing, clinical workflows, user interface optimization, data integration and mining, clinical ontologies and adoption of technology.
• Experience with interoperability standards such as Health Level Seven International (HL7) V2.x, V3, IHE profile, Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) and/or Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR).
• Public health domain knowledge is preferred but not required, and may be developed or expanded after hiring