Application Guide
How to Apply for Chronic Disease Senior Epidemiologist
at CDC Foundation
🏢 About CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation is unique as a nonprofit that partners exclusively with the CDC, allowing it to rapidly mobilize private and philanthropic resources to support public health initiatives where government funding may be limited. Working here means contributing directly to CDC's mission through innovative partnerships, with a focus on both chronic and infectious disease prevention on a global scale. This offers the chance to work at the intersection of public health practice and private-sector collaboration.
About This Role
This Senior Epidemiologist role focuses on chronic disease prevention within the Division of Community-Based Prevention and Care, specifically implementing evaluation plans for Asthma Prevention and Control and Cancer Initiatives. You'll develop analytic strategies using multiple data sources to meet surveillance needs and oversee grant activities, directly impacting how CDC programs measure effectiveness and set goals. Your work will provide critical evidence to shape national chronic disease prevention strategies.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve analyzing surveillance data from multiple sources to identify asthma prevalence trends, then meeting with Cancer Initiatives program staff to discuss evaluation metrics for an ongoing grant. You could spend the afternoon developing an analytic plan for a new chronic disease risk factor study and reviewing grant deliverables with division leadership to ensure reporting requirements are met.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who CDC Foundation Is Looking For
- Holds an MPH in epidemiology with 5+ years of hands-on experience designing epidemiological studies and conducting data analyses using statistical software like SAS, R, or STATA for chronic disease surveillance
- Has extensive practical experience with program evaluation design and implementation, particularly in community-based prevention settings similar to DCBPC's focus
- Demonstrates proven experience managing federal grant reporting and deliverables, understanding the compliance requirements of CDC or similar public health agencies
- Possesses superior knowledge of statistical methodology applied to chronic disease epidemiology, with ability to work across multiple data sources (e.g., surveillance systems, survey data, clinical data)
📝 Tips for Applying to CDC Foundation
Quantify your 5+ years of epidemiologic work with specific examples of chronic disease projects, mentioning exact statistical methods and software used (e.g., 'conducted logistic regression analysis of asthma prevalence using NHANES data in SAS')
Highlight any direct experience with CDC programs, grants, or partnerships, as the Foundation works exclusively with CDC and values understanding of their systems
Tailor your resume to explicitly mention 'program evaluation design and implementation' and 'federal grant reporting' using the exact terminology from the job description
Include specific examples of working with multiple data sources in one analysis, as this is explicitly mentioned in the job responsibilities
Demonstrate knowledge of DCBPC's focus areas by referencing asthma prevention, cancer initiatives, or community-based prevention in your application materials
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your specific experience with chronic disease epidemiology, particularly related to asthma or cancer prevention, and how it aligns with DCBPC's mission", 'Examples of successfully designing and implementing program evaluations in public health settings, with measurable outcomes', 'Experience managing federal grant deliverables and reporting requirements, highlighting any CDC-specific experience if applicable', 'Your ability to work with multiple data sources and translate epidemiological findings into actionable program recommendations']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → The Division of Community-Based Prevention and Care (DCBPC) structure, current initiatives, and recent publications to understand their specific focus areas
- → CDC Foundation's current partnerships and projects related to chronic disease prevention to understand their operational model
- → Recent CDC reports on asthma prevention and cancer initiatives to understand current priorities and data sources being used
- → The specific grant mechanisms CDC uses for community-based prevention programs to understand reporting requirements
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on infectious disease epidemiology without demonstrating chronic disease experience, as this role specifically targets asthma, cancer, and related conditions
- Vague descriptions of program evaluation experience without specific methodologies, outcomes, or your direct role in implementation
- Failing to demonstrate understanding of how epidemiological work translates to programmatic decisions and community-based prevention strategies
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to CDC Foundation!