Job Posting: SaPHIRE Unit Supervisor

Department of Public Health

JC-511119
-
SaPHIRE Unit Supervisor
RESEARCH SCIENTIST SUPERVISOR I

$9,578.00 - $12,343.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 4/2/2026

Job Description and Duties

THERE IS ONE VACANCY BEING ADVERTISED ACROSS MULTIPLE COUNTIES. THE INCUMBENT WILL BE HEADQUARTERED IN THE COUNTY NEAREST THE RESIDENCE OF THE SELECTED CANDIDATE. THE COUNTIES ARE: * Sacramento or Contra Costa *

This position supports the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) mission and strategic plan by maintaining the integrity of surveillance and epidemiologic data for public health investigation in the State of California. Individuals in the SaPHIRE Unit may participate in a diverse array of surveillance and data science related activities in support of the Public Health Reporting Information Exchange (PRIME) Branch, including but not limited to: collecting, managing, and analyzing electronic lab reporting (ELR) data, reporting of electronic case reporting data (eCR), cloud database development and maintenance, routine and ad-hoc data quality report generation, data visualization (e.g., Power BI), public health data infrastructure monitoring and intervention, collaborating with CDPH disease programs and local health departments about data quality issues, and working with data submitters, vendors, and other internal and external public health partners to resolve data quality issues.

 

The Research Scientist Supervisor I (RSS I) supervises a team of data analysts responsible for  developing monitoring systems and alerts to ensure laboratories and healthcare organizations are appropriately reporting notifiable conditions to public health in a timely and complete manner. The RSS I collaborates with the SaPHIRE application vendor to maintain system reliability, ensure data integrity, and support proper reporting processes by laboratories and healthcare organizations. The RSS I conceives, plans, and coordinates initiatives to improve communicable disease surveillance data quality and completeness. The position requires effective communication with internal and external partners to identify and resolve issues related to data transmission, message structure, or other data quality issues. The RSS I must demonstrate strong leadership, organization, and planning skills, along with advanced programming and informatics knowledge to support the success of these efforts, including knowledge of SQL and either R or Python.

 

The Research Scientist Supervisor I will perform duties in the Epidemiology/Biostatistics discipline.

 

The incumbent works under the direction of the Research Scientist Supervisor II, Chief of the CalREDIE Surveillance Section.

Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CDPHRecruitment

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

Telework Information     

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework permitted is at the discretion of the Department and is subject to change, consistent with CDPH’s Telework Program. All employees who telework are required to be California residents in accordance with Government Code 14200. Candidates who reside outside of the state of California may be interviewed; however, the selected candidate must have a primary residency in the state of California prior to appointment (and continue to maintain California residency) as a condition of employment. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the job offer being rescinded.

Travel may be required for this position. Reimbursement for travel takes into consideration an employee’s designated headquarters, as reflected in the duty statement, and is subject to regulations and bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the designated headquarters office will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

The headquarters office location for this position is identified in the attached duty statement.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Position Details

Job Code #:
JC-511119
Position #(s):
580-480-5643-002
Working Title:
SaPHIRE Unit Supervisor
Classification:
RESEARCH SCIENTIST SUPERVISOR I
$9,578.00 - $12,343.00
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
1
Work Location:
United States
Telework:
Hybrid
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

At the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the core of our mission to advance the health and well-being of California’s diverse people and communities. We are genuinely and strongly committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness where we can grow and learn together with a diverse team of employees. In recruiting for team members, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring to us and the work we do.

The California Reportable Disease Information Exchange (CalREDIE) is a secure system that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has implemented for electronic disease reporting and surveillance. Specified diseases and conditions are mandated by State laws and regulations to be reported by healthcare providers and laboratories to the public health authorities. The purpose of CalREDIE is to improve the efficiency of surveillance activities and the early detection of public health events through the collection of complete and timely surveillance information on a statewide basis. This allows for 24/7/365 reporting and receipt of notifiable conditions. Local Health Departments (LHDs) and CDPH have access to disease and laboratory reports in near real-time for disease surveillance, public health investigation, and case management activities.

Coordinated by the Public Health Information Exchange (PRIME) Branch within the Division of Communicable Disease Control (DCDC), the CalREDIE system is widely utilized by LHDs and healthcare providers within California. Additionally, over 800 laboratories electronically submit reportable lab results to public health through Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) and over 2500 healthcare facilities submitting electronic Case Report (eCR) data via the Surveillance and Public Health Information Reporting and Exchange (SaPHIRE). Today, all 61 LHDs in California use CalREDIE in some capacity, and 58 LHDs use the system for surveillance of all notifiable communicable diseases.

“The salary information listed on this advertisement may not reflect recent salary increases from salary adjustments or changes in the fiscal year.”   

“CDPH is an E-Verify Employer”   
Department Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov

Special Requirements

In order to be considered for this position, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts official or un-official and/or Degree for education verification  



For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Employment Application (STD 678) and/or Resume, including detailed job descriptions, hours worked per week, and start/end dates (MM/DD/YYYY). Application packages without this information will experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

A completed State application (STD. 678) and any other relevant documents (e.g. unofficial transcript, copy of degree, resume, etc.) should be submitted electronically via your CalCareers Account. Please reference Job Control # (511119) and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application. Please remove any confidential information (i.e. social security number, date of birth) from your documents prior to submission.

 

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareers Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. Submitting an electronic application through your CalCareers account is strongly recommended since electronic applications will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing. Please submit only one application.

If you are unable to submit your application electronically through your CalCareers account, please email apply@cdph.ca.gov for assistance and a CDPH Human Resources Division staff member will contact you to assist with the online application process or, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method as explained in the How to Apply section below. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included.

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 4/2/2026

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s).

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Department of Public Health
CCAU Mailing
Attn: Classification & Certification Unit
P.O. Box 997378
MS 1700-1702
Sacramento, CA 95899-7378

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Public Health
CCAU Drop Off
Classification & Certification Unit
1615 Capitol Avenue Suite 73.430
Sacramento, CA 95814
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

  • Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
  • Resume is required and must be included.
  • Statement of Qualifications -

    Please see Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) instructions below at end of posting. Applications received without a written response to the SOQ may be rejected.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

  • Intermediate/advanced skills in database management and data analysis/programming, including knowledge of SQL and either Python or R.
  • Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to quickly analyze problems, determine appropriate level of intervention, develop and apply effective solutions, collect and analyze system performance data, and produce substantive reports and analyses.
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with public health and IT professionals.
  • Knowledge of security and confidentiality requirements for reportable disease/public health surveillance data.
  • Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and work well independently and with a team.
  • Demonstrate reliability, integrity, and attention to detail.
  • Experience leading or supervising a team.
  • Experience with public health surveillance data, including electronic laboratory reports and electronic case reports, preferred.
  • Experience interpreting HL7 messages, preferred.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Department Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov
Human Resources Contact:
Human Resources Division
(916) 445-0983
apply@cdph.ca.gov
Hiring Unit Contact:
Mireya Huerta
(916) 650-0362
Mireya.Huerta@cdph.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
EEO Office
(916) 445-0938
CivilRights@Cdph.CA.gov
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Statement of Qualifications

The SOQ must be no more than four pages in length, double-spaced, with 12-point Arial font and one-inch margins. You must indicate your Full Name and Job Control Number at the top right corner of each page. Include the prompt followed by your response. Incomplete or missing responses to the information requested will disqualify your application from this posting.

  1. Describe a work experience where you had to supervise staff or lead a team where a conflict or performance issue arose. Please describe the project, the conflict/performance issue, how you resolved the conflict/performance issue, and the outcome.
  2. Describe a project or task you completed that used data reported via electronic laboratory reporting or electronic case reporting or that involved HL7 formatted data. Please describe the project and its goals, the data used, the data analysis methods, and the outcome or results.
  3. Describe your experience with programming using structured query language (SQL) and at least one of the following: R or Python. Include examples of work assignments where you had to write code using one or a combination of these programming languages to conduct data analysis.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
Drop-off
Print Job