Division of Public Health Fellowship Program
The application cycle has closed. Please check back periodically for updated opportunities.
The Division of Public Health (DPH) invites recent graduates and early career professionals to apply for the DPH Fellowship Program.
This opportunity is intended for those who are interested in working in public health for state government and may not meet the required experience level to qualify for state positions. DPH has over 1,100 positions statewide, covering a variety of expertise and skill sets.
As part of this program, fellows gain hands-on work experience, working as part of a team to make a meaningful difference in the lives of North Carolinians. Simultaneously, with the support of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, they receive monthly professional coaching sessions, attend monthly learning sessions, participate in peer-to-peer learning, and attend conferences.
This combination of practical work experience and professional support is designed to give fellows a foundation of skills and confidence, plus an understanding of their role in the broader public health context, enabling them to excel in a public health career in North Carolina.
Who Should Apply?
New professionals who have graduated with a bachelor’s or master’s degree within the last three years in a major that reflects the requirement of the position listed. DPH is looking for candidates that have:
- A strong academic record
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work 40 hours/week
- A desire to work collaboratively as part of a team
- A genuine interest in advancing public health in North Carolina
DPH welcomes candidates from all backgrounds and encourages those interested in applying to check out our available positions listed below.
Why Work With the Division of Public Health (DPH)?
The shared vision of DPH is to promote and contribute to the highest possible level of health and well-being for the people of North Carolina. DPH’s programs and services touch the lives of every North Carolinian and visitor to the state 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Learn more about the work of the Division.
Internally, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) fosters a culture of inclusion that celebrates and cultivates diversity along multiple dimensions, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, culture and experience. Learn more about diversity and inclusion at DHHS.
Employment Details
Fellows selected will onboard with a projected start date of July 1, 2024.
Fellows will be employed in an 11-month full-time temporary position through the state’s Temporary Solutions program. A high-deductible health insurance plan will be available within the first month of onboarding. No other benefits are offered.
How to Apply
The application cycle has closed. Please check back periodically for updated opportunities.
Below are descriptions of open positions with the corresponding DPH sections. Applicants should carefully review the available positions and identify the areas of interest for them.
Open Positions
State Lab of Public Health
This is technical work performing a variety of bench procedures in a medical technology science, or performing a variety of procedures in several work areas that aid in the diagnosis of disease and treatment of patients and animals. Depending on the work setting, employees may be required to perform test procedures in a variety of technological areas or concentrate in a more complex area with in-depth procedures. See the full position description. Hourly pay $21.00 p/hr.
There are two possible project areas available (only one will be hired):
- This Chemist I position will assist with a project that will bring on PFAS testing in drinking water using solid phase extraction and Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). This validation procedure will conform with EPA certification requirements from the implementation of a new method, including the Initial Demonstration of Capability (IDoC). This position is expected to independently perform extractions and analysis of samples. Considering the complexity of this instrumentation and testing protocol, the individual should have one year of related experience. See the full position description. Hourly pay $21.00 p/hr.
- This Chemist I position will assist in a project to implement microwave digestion of food products following FDA methods for the detection of lead and other heavy metals. This individual will perform complex ICP-MS analysis and will assist in the design and optimization of an effective digestion procedure that conforms with accepted methods. Considering the complexity of this testing and the expected independent sample digestion and analysis, the individual should have one year of related experience. See the full position description. Hourly pay $21.00 p/hr.
There are two possible project areas available (only one will be hired):
- This Chemist II position will work in exposure investigation. The North Carolina Division of Public Health (NC DPH) Building Resilient Environmental Health Capacity (BREHC) program plans to pilot a heavy metals biomonitoring study in North Carolinians who use private well water as their primary source of drinking water. The goals of the pilot project are to:
- Measure exposure to heavy metals through analysis of urinary samples and corresponding water samples from pregnant women who received care at UNC hospitals and who primarily get their drinking water from private wells. Both the urinary samples and water samples were previously collected by the Fry Lab as part of the EPOCH cohort.
- Compare urinary heavy metal exposure levels of private well EPOCH participants to heavy metal exposure distribution of nationwide NHANES participants, matched by year of sample collection. See the full position description. Hourly pay $24.00 p/hr.
- This Chemist II position will work within the North Carolina Newborn Screening (NBS) program. NBS screens all North Carolina newborns for conditions listed on the state’s newborn screening panel using a dried blood spot (DBS) specimen collected via heel prick. The NBS program is planning a project to prepare the laboratory for second-tier testing for the condition, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH). This project will involve working directly with the NBS MS/MS Team, including the Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS) Laboratory Supervisor and NBS MS/MS Public Health Scientist to learn about a 5-panel steroid screen that helps reduce the number of false positives and adds specificity. Additional opportunities in this project include learning about the principles of MS/MS technology, developing an MS/MS method on the instrumentation, creating a method validation plan, supporting workflow development and laboratory readiness, and collaborating with NCSLPH and external partners in NBS Follow-up to establish a reporting structure. See the full position description. Hourly pay $24.00 p/hr.
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
This position serves as an entry-level member of the data team for a variety of social research and data analytic projects working with fatality data in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Work supports research, to develop, support, or evaluate public programs and policies in the collection, maintenance, and use of data including documentation of research methods and results; and preparing publications and reports and related products for use in communication, instruction, and public education. The team works with a wide variety of partners to determine system, organizational, or project needs for social research and manage those projects to fulfill these needs. See the full position description. Hourly pay $21.00 p/hr.
This is a highly technical position conducting the performance of routine and non-routine assays required by post-mortem, forensic toxicology laboratory. This position supports the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the State Medical Examiner System through the discovery of primary and secondary causes of unattended, unwitnessed, accidental, suicidal, or homicidal deaths. The Forensic Chemist II performs self-assigned work from the pending list of analyses for the isolation of drugs from biological specimens and pertinent evidence. The Forensic Chemist II is responsible for the routine maintenance of precision instrumentation and laboratory inventory. See the full position description. Hourly pay $24.00 p/hr.
State Center for Health Statistics
This position is responsible for statistical data analysis and management of the Cancer Registry data. This position is also responsible for assisting with annual data submissions, which includes resolution of edits, duplicate records. The Statistician will support data requests from researchers, state agencies and citizens by disseminating relevant information and explaining the methodology and limitations of the Cancer Registry data as needed.
- Support grant applications and deliverables.
- Conduct data linkages with external data sources for analysis and case ascertainment, such as the Social Security Death Index, National Death Index and the Breast and Cervical cancer data. This position is responsible for statistical data analysis and management of the Cancer Registry data.
This position is also responsible for assisting with annual data submissions, which include the resolution of edits and duplicate records. See the full position description. Hourly pay $25.00 p/hr.
Women, Infant and Community Wellness
This position will work to develop reports and infographics for the local health department – maternal health services data. The position will also develop a data survey to be utilized by individuals living with sickle cell disease and will analyze where people are receiving family planning services in the state. This position will also serve on the Data and Evaluation Workgroup for the Perinatal Health Equity Collective. See the full position description. Hourly pay $25.00 p/hr.
Need help?
If you have questions, please contact Kayreen Gucciardo at Kayreen.Gucciardo@dhhs.nc.gov.