Epidemiologist: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire an epidemiologist?

An epidemiologist studies health problems in specific populations or the spread / occurrence of different diseases. They can work in research laboratories, hospitals, or public health offices to help businesses stay safe from infectious diseases.

Contributions of a great epidemiologist:

• understand how a disease can spread
• explain medical information to the public
• determine ways of preventing the spread of disease

What are the different types of epidemiologists?

Epidemiologists study diseases and their effects on public health, which has a wide variety of applications. An epidemiologist studies both the diseases and the environments in which they spread, meaning they can be involved in public health systems, research laboratories, or hospitals. The following is a list of a few areas that an epidemiologist can specialize in:

• Applied epidemiologist: Helps develop public health policies around infectious diseases.
• Clinical epidemiologist: Studies how infectious diseases are passed from one person to the next.
• Infectious disease epidemiologist: Studies the spread of infectious diseases.
• Environment epidemiologist: Studies how the environment can affect the spread of disease or illness.
• Chronic disease epidemiologist: Studies chronic diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

Where to find an epidemiologist

To find the right epidemiologist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Universities with epidemiologist programs: You can find new graduates through different university programs if you are looking to hire an epidemiologist. Hiring fresh graduates will mean that your candidate has the most up-to-date information on epidemiology.
• Professional associations: There are both Canadian and international associations of epidemiologists that are able to help you find qualified candidates. These associations can make sure your job is posted for members only, meaning the quality of candidates is high.
• Networking events/conferences: Since epidemiology is a changing science, there are often events or conferences held for people in the field. By attending one of these events you could find an epidemiologist that would be a great fit for your organization.

Post your job online: Try posting your epidemiologist job on Indeed to find and attract quality epidemiologist candidates.

Skills to look for in a great epidemiologist

A great epidemiologist candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• being highly skilled at solving complex problems
• having expert knowledge of science and disease
• the ability to learn new information continually
• being able to communicate with both scientists and the general public
• analytical skills and the ability to perform research or laboratory tests

Writing an epidemiologist job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified epidemiologist candidates. An epidemiologist job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your epidemiologist job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on epidemiologist jobs, according to Indeed data:

• epidemiologist
• epidemiology
• public health
• research
• biostatistics
• health informatics
• forensic science
• field epidemiology
• infectious disease

Interviewing epidemiologist candidates

Strong candidates for epidemiologist positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• experience with researching and testing diseases
• experience with presenting findings of research to colleagues
• ability to work as part of a team
• use of computer programs to compile, calculate and analyze data
• openness to continuous study

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of interview questions for examples (with sample answers).