Public Health Scientific Writer

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS • Austin, TX

19d

About The Position

This position is responsible for shaping, developing, and managing major Healthcare Safety Unit publications and related communications. The role provides editorial guidance, consultative support, and technical assistance to program staff, governmental agencies, community organizations, and the general public. Primary job duties include advanced scientific and technical writing and editing – ensuring accuracy, clarity, and consistency across materials – as well as supporting data-focused communications. This includes reviewing data for accuracy, developing data-driven visualizations, and ensuring that published materials effectively communicate key findings. The position may serve as a lead worker, offering direction and oversight to other contributors while helping maintain editorial standards across publications.

Requirements

• Knowledge of: scientific/professional/grant writing and statistical analysis processes; research techniques; and program management processes and techniques.
• Skill in: identifying measures or indicators of program performance and the use of a computer and applicable software; performing data analyses using Excel; and reviewing and writing scientific and legal documents for public-facing state and national health audiences.
• Ability to: gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze facts; devise solutions to problems; market programs; prepare reports; develop, evaluate, and interpret policies and procedures; and serve as lead providing direction to others.
• Professional experience with scientific, academic, and/or high visibility documents or grants.
• At least two years of increasing responsibility in data collection, organization, analysis, and preparation of reports and scientific writing.

Responsibilities

• Plans, prioritizes, and performs a variety of scientific writing and data-related technical, training, research, planning, policy, program assessment, and administrative activities for assigned program(s) including overseeing the delivery of services
• Provides technical assistance for the Healthcare Safety Unity of the Office of the Chief State Epidemiologist
• Coordinates the collection, organization, analysis, and preparation of materials in response to requests for program information and reports.
• Completes and monitors required administrative and performance reports, studies, and specialized projects; and recommends appropriate changes to programs.
• May serve as a lead worker providing direction to others.
• Ensures compliance with program policies and procedures, statutes, and rules; and takes corrective action(s) as needed.
• Provides advice and counsel by interpreting policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and standards related to the program.
• Performs and/or oversees studies and analyses of operations and the preparation of reports of findings and recommendations.
• Analyzes legislation to develop recommendations for policy in programmatic issues relating to the implementation, improvement, and/or expansion or reduction of program activities
• Assists in responding to legislative and external inquiries and requests.
• Will assist with writing Texas Administrative Code and CDC grant requirements, reports, and documents.
• Performs other duties as assigned including but not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation.

Benefits

• DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees