Equal Opportunity Employer
The mission of the Health Federation of Philadelphia is to promote health equity for marginalized communities by advancing access to high-quality, integrated, and comprehensive health and human services. Health equity is at the heart of all our work. We believe in and are firmly committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status. This commitment applies to all aspects of the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promotion.
JOB SUMMARY
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), through its Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Program (BT-PHP), located within the Division of Disease Control, is the lead administrative and planning agency for public health emergency preparedness and response in the City of Philadelphia. BT-PHP is responsible for establishing local public health preparedness priorities, developing, and testing response plans, coordinating with local, state, and federal partners, and managing the public health response to real events.
The Public Health Preparedness Planner will assist with the development, implementation, and evaluation of an integrated public health preparedness program to support emergency response activities in Philadelphia. The position addresses citywide gaps by developing emergency response plans, risk communication materials, trainings, and exercises for a variety of public health emergency situations, including severe disease outbreaks and pandemics, radiological events, mass casualty incidents, and extreme weather events.
JOB SPECIFICATIONS
Responsibilities/Duties
- Gain an understanding of public health preparedness capabilities and corresponding performance measures as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and apply these capabilities and measures to the work conducted by PDPH’s Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness Program
- Lead public health radiological response planning, including completion of a Community Reception Center plan for population monitoring.
- Support the Volunteer Coordinator in recruiting and training a specialized radiological response team within the Philadelphia Medical Reserve Corps
- Update PDPH’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Response Plan
- Develop risk communication materials for CBRN events
- Support mass prophylaxis, mass care, mass fatality, and medical surge planning and response activities in conjunction with other program staff as needed
- Support planning and execution of seasonal influenza clinics for first responders and essential personnel that are conducted annually to test mass prophylaxis and immunization plans in the event of a public health emergency
- Support regional public health emergency planning by participating in the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Regional Task Force’s Public Health Subcommittee and the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area (PCW-MSA) Public Health Workgroup. Assist in updating regional guidance documents and planning regional exercises, including the next PCW-MSA full-scale exercise (FSE)
- Develop exercise planning documents and after action reports that comply with Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) requirements
- Represent the Philadelphia Department of Public Health at local, regional, and state preparedness meetings, as appropriate
- Participate in and support Program activities as needed, including emergency preparedness trainings, exercises, and real responses
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
Education
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a public health, scientific, or other relevant field.
Skills/Experience
- 1 – 3 years of relevant work experience, preferably in a public health, healthcare, or emergency management setting.
- Strong research and critical thinking skills.
- Interpersonal, leadership and group facilitation skills to coordinate with diverse stakeholders to achieve common goals.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively and work with various teams.
- Flexibility, professionalism, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously are highly valued attributes.
Work Environment:
This is not remote work. The applicant will work from the Health Department offices or other locations as assigned. The position requires responding to public health emergencies on short notice and some after-hours activities to achieve Program objectives.
Position Type and Work Schedule:
This position is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with occasional work after hours and on weekends to support Program activities. This is a grant-funded position; continuation of the position is contingent upon sustained funding.
Travel:
The position may require some travel and participation in off-site functions.
Physical Demands:
This job may require moderate physical effort including lifting materials and equipment of less than 50 pounds and involves viewing a CRT or VDT screen 50 to 75 percent of the time.
Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement:
Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination must be produced upon hire.
Salary and Benefits:
Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Our employees are our most valuable resource, so we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, which can include:
- Medical with vision benefits
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending accounts
- Life, AD&D and long-term care insurance
- Short- and long-term disability insurance
- 403(b) Retirement Plan, with a company contribution
- Paid time off including vacation, sick, personal and holiday
- Employee Assistance Program
Eligibility and participation is handled consistent with the plan documents and HFP policy.
DISCLAIMER
The Health Federation reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the Company desires. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an employee assigned to this position. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, responsibilities and/or skills to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This job description is not an employment contract, implied, or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “at will.” The aforementioned job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified disabled individuals.