University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Faculty/Staff Contact Tracing Operations Co-Leads

Job Profile Title

Associate Director C

Job Description Summary

The Operations Co-Leads are responsible for the design, delivery, execution and assessment of all facets of Penn’s contact tracing initiative for faculty and staff. The Operations Co-Leads will manage a team of lead case investigators/contact tracers, case investigators, and contact tracers in order to rapidly identify and investigate cases of COVID-19 among Penn staff/faculty and facilitate safe isolation and quarantine. This position supports Penn’s critical operation to safely reopen the University and help control COVID-19 outbreaks on campus.

These positions organize and liaise with numerous stakeholders including local departments of public health (e.g., Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Chester County Department of Public Heath, etc.) to ensure case investigation and contact tracing are comprehensively facilitated. The Operations Co-Leads are responsible for building the contact tracing initiative from the ground up, and this is a brand-new initiative from the University in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Term position, anticipated end date June 30, 2021

Job Description

The Operations Co-Leads are responsible for the design, delivery, execution and assessment of all facets of Penn’s contact tracing initiative for faculty and staff. The Operations Co-Leads will manage a team of lead case investigators/contact tracers, case investigators, and contact tracers in order to rapidly identify and investigate cases of COVID-19 among Penn staff/faculty and facilitate safe isolation and quarantine. This position supports Penn’s critical operation to safely reopen the University and help control COVID-19 outbreaks on campus.

These positions organize and liaise with numerous stakeholders including local departments of public health (e.g., Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Chester County Department of Public Heath, etc.) to ensure case investigation and contact tracing are comprehensively facilitated. The Operations Co-Leads are responsible for building the contact tracing initiative from the ground up, and this is a brand-new initiative from the University in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Operations Co-Leads Specifically, Operations Co-Leads responsibilities include:

• Hiring and onboarding team of 15 new staff to constitute Penn’s faculty/staff contact tracing team (e.g., interviewing candidates, facilitating case investigation/contact tracing trainings).
• Developing and facilitating ongoing education and support for staff (e.g., trauma-informed interview training) as well as small-group supervision. This will require weekly forums for contact tracing staff to present and debrief regarding particularly difficult cases.
• Extensive coordination among relevant Penn departments (e.g., working with the Center for Health Care Innovation, EHRS, and Occupational Medicine to delineate roles and responsibilities, liaising with the Social Needs Response Team to assist with unmet social needs). This will be critical to quickly identifying outbreaks as there are numerous University entities involved in the University reopening.
• Developing and managing a detailed and intricate workflow to ensure all faculty/staff who have tested positive for COVID-19, or who have been exposed to COVID-19 receive appropriate public health guidance, case investigation, and contact tracing.
• Working closely with the data analyst to identify super spreader events and case clusters.
• Managing the development and rollout of a new contact tracing software platform to ensure compliance with PDPH needs. This will include working closely with IT to build the new platform, troubleshoot any issues, and develop appropriate trainings to migrate from the current software system.
• Liaising with local health departments. Local departments of public health are working to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. All of Penn’s efforts will need to be done in close coordination with local departments of help to ensure protocols are aligned, policies are adhered to, and to limit duplication of efforts.
• Fostering Penn-partnerships to curate and train a group of student volunteers who can be called on if cases surge.
• Providing direct oversight of Faculty/Staff Case Investigators, Faculty/Staff Lead Contact Tracer, Administrative Assistant, and Data Analyst.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public administration, public health or other relevant field
• 8+ years in program management
• Ability to lead a large team of contact tracers while coordinating/liaising with relevant university stakeholders (e.g., Occupational Medicine).
• Exceptional interpersonal skills
• Highly detail oriented, pro-active, and flexible.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Health and Wellness

Pay Range

$50,684.00 - $91,232.00

Affirmative Action Statement 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.