Surveillance Scientist

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

The Surveillance Scientist will:

• Design, validate and manage infectious disease surveillance datasets relating to healthcare associated infections (HCAI), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and notifiable diseases for analysis, reporting and presentation at relevant clinical and governance meetings as required.
• Oversee the extraction, validation, and transformation of large datasets of laboratory data generated by the MedLIS system for local surveillance and public health surveillance purposes.
• Validate data produced by MedLIS reports, ensure data quality, completeness and timeliness for local and national reporting.
• Develop, maintain and update surveillance databases integrating data from a number of data sources including the MedLIS, iPIMS and ORBIS systems and other hospital systems within specified time frames.
• Attend and contribute to relevant clinical, laboratory, surveillance and governance meetings as required.
• Attend daily laboratory rounds as required to support surveillance, review new cases, and facilitate timely reporting
• Coordinate and facilitate the collection and dispatch of surveillance samples in line with laboratory protocols and reporting requirements.
• Prepare and circulate routine line lists and surveillance summaries for key reportable pathogens and other priority organisms
• Prepare and distribute routine laboratory operational surveillance reports, to support laboratory workflow and quality monitoring.
• Liaising with stakeholders within and across teams including the microbiology laboratory, IT colleagues, MedLIS colleagues and clinical teams to develop and advance surveillance processes.
• Develop and enhance surveillance dashboards, for routine and ad hoc monitoring reports, using outputs from a number of data sources including the MedLIS, iPIMS and ORBIS systems.
• Maintain and develop expertise in relevant public health information systems e.g. HIPE, CIDR, COVID Care Tracker (CCT), MedLIS, iPIMS and ORBIS.
• Attend weekly MedLIS team meetings
• Respond to routine and ad hoc data requests from clinical teams, hospital management and national surveillance bodies, ensuring accurate and timely analytical outputs.
• Identify access and analyse data on antimicrobial resistance, indicator organisms and health-care associated infection.
• Analysis of data using available software such as MedLIS, WHONET software and statistical software packages.
• Monitoring and supervision of communicable disease surveillance, ensuring that new cases are promptly reported, enhanced questionnaire forms are completed and records updated as necessary.
• Notify communicable diseases as appropriate and facilitate timely and effective feedback to the HPSC and other national surveillance programmes, utilising MedLIS CIDR reporting and other relevant software as appropriate.
• Participate in and expand involvement in national and international programmes.
• Participate in communicable disease epidemiological research and assist in the development of questionnaire design, data processing and analysis, and manuscript preparation where appropriate.
• Provide analytical support in the management of outbreak investigation of healthcare associated infections including attending outbreak control meetings as well as preparation of epidemiological situation summaries and other relevant documentation for the outbreak control team (OCT).
• Access and assemble information from relevant literature and participate in CPD to maintain up to date knowledge and expertise in infectious diseases surveillance and health informatics.
• Provide analytical, epidemiological and statistical support to the Department of Clinical Microbiology and to working groups as required.
• Provide training and guidance to relevant staff and students in surveillance methodologies and reporting systems. Liaise, as appropriate with a variety of professional groups and organisations at local, regional and national levels regarding communicable disease surveillance.
• Liaise with the antimicrobial consumption data in the hospital as required.
• Ensure the quality assurance, integrity, timeliness, and confidentiality of surveillance data in line with ISO15189 and data protection regulations. Contribute to the strategic development of hospital infectious disease surveillance systems, ensuring alignment with national policy and evolving digital infrastructure.
• Undertake any other duties as required by the Consultant Clinical Microbiologist / Chief Medical Scientist consistent with the scope and level of the post

The principle duties and responsibilities as outlined above indicate the main functions and responsibilities of the post and are subject to review and amendment in light of changing circumstances and may include other duties and responsibilities as may be determined from time to time by the Clinical Microbiology Team / Chief Medical Scientist.

NOTE: The post holder will have the responsibility for the development and implementation of infectious disease databases and other relevant databases and for ensuring smooth flow of data within the hospital as well as to HPSC and other agencies.

The job description is an outline of the post as it is currently perceived by the hospital and will be subject to review and amendment. This job description will therefore be subject to change in light of the various strategies for the hospital and the development of the Clinical Directorate model and any future developments that arise and will evolve and change over time.

Selection Criteria: 

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post. 

Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria.

Mandatory:

1          PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

This post is open to members of the Academy of Medical Sciences and others, once the following requirements are fulfilled:

Each candidate must possess, on the latest date for receiving completed application forms for the office:

1. Professional Qualifications, and Experience
2. Hold a post-graduate NFQ* level 9 qualification, or higher, in one of the following:
3. Epidemiology
4. Public Health

iii.      Microbiology and/or Infectious Diseases

1. Biological Sciences
2. Biomedical Sciences
3. Health Informatics

vii.     Other relevant health sciences subject

*https://nfq.qqi.ie/

And

1. Have at least four years’ experience working in microbiology/infectious disease, biological/biomedical science, public health, health service research, epidemiology or a relevant health sciences field, of which at least two years must include the application of  epidemiological and surveillance methods

And

1. Demonstrate evidence of Continuous Professional Development.

And

1. Demonstrate the requisite professional knowledge, analytical capability and technical expertise (including a high standard of suitability, management, leadership and professional ability)to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of the role

Post Specific Requirements

Effective communication skills, including the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner; build relationships with staff, colleagues and external contacts at all levels; facilitate and manage groups through the learning process; give constructive feedback to encourage learning.

2          KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

The post holder must demonstrate:

• Knowledge of communicable disease surveillance systems and the principles underpinning the monitoring, prevention and control of infectious diseases.
• Strong understanding of epidemiological principles and methods, including trend analysis, outbreak detection, surveillance signal interpretation and applied research methodologies.
• Knowledge and awareness of national strategies, the health services and other agencies in a wider context and with a focus on biological, medical and public health concepts.
• Knowledge and expertise to support the development, testing, extraction and validation of data generated through a laboratory information system (LIS) (e.g. MedLIS national laboratory information system) ensuring accuracy and completeness to support infectious disease monitoring and public health decision-making.
• Experience in integrating data from multiple clinical and administrative systems.
• Experience in advanced data management and healthcare informatics; including the manipulation and management of computerised databases, statistical analysis and interpretation of large healthcare datasets to support infection prevention and executive reporting.
• A high level of computer literacy and experience of using a range of proprietary software packaged in data analysis and preparation reports.
• A high level of computer literacy particularly Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel
• A proven ability to manage deadlines and effectively prioritise, organise and schedule a wide variety of tasks simultaneously is also required.
• Ability to analyse data intelligently and to present and communicate technical/scientific material clearly, both in written and verbal formats.
• Effective communication skills including the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner; build relationships with staff, colleagues and external contacts at all levels; facilitate and manage groups through the learning process; give constructive feedback to encourage learning.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within multi-disciplinary clinical and laboratory teams.
• Understanding of data governance principles, data quality assurance, GDPR comp-liance and ISO15189 requirements.

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/ Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and other Provisions) Act 2012.

Please note: In applying for this position you are acknowledging that you understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the employing Department/ Office/ Body will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position.

Please be aware that Beaumont Hospital will never ask candidates to pay money at any stage of the recruitment process. Any requests for payment, bank details, or financial information in connection with a job application should be treated as fraudulent. If you receive such a request claiming to be from Beaumont Hospital, please do not respond and report to the recruitment department immediately

Informal Enquiries ONLY to: (Please note NO APPLICATIONS will be accepted via the Informal Email)