PHMC is proud to be a leader in public health. PHMC requires that all employees have received the first Covid-19 vaccination dose by the first day of employment. We will offer the Covid-19 vaccination at no cost, via our Health Centers.
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) Division of Disease Control appreciates diversity among its staff and does not discriminate based on race, age, religion, ability, marital status, sexual orientation, sex, or gender identity.
General Job Description:
The funding for this position is available through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which aims to strengthen the ability of state and local health departments to respond to outbreaks of infectious diseases. Although this position will be housed in the Philadelphia Department of Health's STD Control Program, staff employed in this position may be deployed to other Health Department Programs to assist in addressing outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Disease Intervention Specialists (DIS) are core personnel in many local and state health departments who conduct investigation of communicable diseases and a number of tasks related to preventing the spread of transmission of sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV. These tasks include but are not limited to: client-centered interviews; collection of enhanced surveillance and community assessment data; partner services, including contact tracing; field investigation and other field-based activities, including specimen collection, performing phlebotomy, directly observed therapy; community outreach; collaboration with medical providers and navigation of health care systems to ensure patient evaluation, treatment, linkage to care and other supportive services; and mobilization for outbreak investigation and emergency response.
The duties of a DIS are primarily performed in the field, often in high-risk urban areas. DIS are required to perform field investigative activities in areas where STDs and other infectious diseases are prevalent, which are often areas with extreme poverty and high crime rates. In addition, a DIS must have a personal vehicle, and be willing to transport patients, coworkers, supervisors, and clinical specimens. Reimbursement may be available for staff to supplement current auto insurance coverage to allow transport of those previously mentioned.
This position is full-time, Monday through Friday. The individual must be willing to work variable hours, including early mornings, nights, and weekends.
Organizational Structure/Supervision: This position will report to designated supervisory and management staff, which may include federal, state, city, and/or contract staff within the STD Control Program. Overall direction for the STD Control Program is provided by the STD Control Program Manager, in efforts to reduce STD morbidity and prevent the sequelae of untreated infections in Philadelphia. The STD Control Program receives direction from the Division of Disease Control, PDPH.
* Counsel patients with STDs, HIV and/or other infectious diseases by conducting field investigative activities to locate and refer for examination people who are suspected of having these diseases.
* Manage assigned individuals diagnosed with STDs in accordance with established STD Program protocols including interviewing individuals, ongoing analysis of source/spread/cluster relationships, rapid response to Supervisory directives, identification of high risk locations for subsequent screening activities, and timely case closure. Assures exhaustive case management and documentation.
* Conduct timely field investigative activities to locate individuals with suspected or confirmed STD infection and assure appropriate examination/treatment. Document all activities in accordance with STD Program protocols.
* Obtain clinical specimens from patients, including blood (phlebotomy), urine, pharyngeal specimens, in field and clinic settings, in accord with established protocols.
Specific Duties:
* Provide screening and education at high-risk venues such as bars, bathhouses, crack houses and other locations.
* Provide STD presentations at health fairs, schools, community-based organizations, and local, state and national conferences regarding STDs.
* Participate in a variety of STD Program activities including screening/education/referral services at Family Court, Philadelphia Prisons, Youth Study Center and STD Clinics, for example.
* Staff Mobile Units and assist in recruitment of high-risk individuals (e.g., prostitutes and drug users), conducting specimen collection and processing of paperwork and specimens.
* Support the Philadelphia High School STD Screening program by providing presentations, urine specimen processing, student follow-up and interviews, and other activities.
* Transport specimens (blood, urine, etc.) to the Public Health Laboratory, as needed.
* Transport patients to and from public health centers and other medical facilities.
* Provide targeted outreach at sites throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding counties to individuals at high risk of STDs and other communicable diseases.
* Successfully complete the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) STD Employee trainings, and achieve at least 80% on each of the module tests and the comprehensive exam.
* Be available, attend, and successfully complete the one-week, out of town CDC-sponsored training.
* Successfully complete HIV Counseling training provided by the Philadelphia AIDS Activities Coordinating Office (AACO).
* Successfully complete Phlebotomy training and training in other (urine, sputum, pharyngeal, fecal, etc.) specimen collection/handling/transport techniques for clinic and field settings, including routine implementation of universal precautions to avoid accidental infection and specimen contamination.
* Successfully complete training and demonstrate competence in the use of the STD Control Program's STD Computer Information Database (SCID), a web-based computerized system used to document/monitor/manage nearly all aspects of STD Program operations.
* Participate in Emergency Preparedness response training and demonstrate a willingness to perform assigned role/s.
* Respond to public health emergencies.
* Available to other STD Control staff and occasionally STD Clinic staff for translation services should the DIS be bilingual.
* Perform related duties as required.
Education Requirement:
* Bachelor's degree preferred but not required.
* One year of work experience in a public health field preferred but not required.
* Valid driver's license, automobile insurance and insurance rider (to allow for the transportation of patients) are required. This documentation must be submitted to the employer and updated annually.
* Ability to perform all specified duties and tasks.
* Excellent oral and written communication skills.
* Demonstrated respect for the confidentiality and privacy of health data.
* Ability to interact sensitively, effectively, and professionally with persons from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and educational back grounds.
* Equally comfortable working individually and within a team environment.
* Willingness and flexibility in accepting direction.
* Bilingual skills are preferred.
* Previous phlebotomy experience is desired but not required as training will be provided.
* Be able to work a non-traditional work schedule.
Salary:
* Starting salary is $50,000 with incremental increases scheduled for fully successful performance.
* This position comes with a comprehensive benefits package consisting of medical and dental coverage, paid sick, vacation, personal time, and a retirement plan.
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How to hire a disease intervention specialist
Disease intervention specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring disease intervention specialists in the United States:
- In the United States, the median cost per hire a disease intervention specialist is $1,633.
- It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
- Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
- On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new disease intervention specialist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.
How to hire a disease intervention specialist, step by step
To hire a disease intervention specialist, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a disease intervention specialist:
Here's a step-by-step disease intervention specialist hiring guide:
- Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
- Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
- Step 3: Make a budget
- Step 4: Write a disease intervention specialist job description
- Step 5: Post your job
- Step 6: Interview candidates
- Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new disease intervention specialist
- Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
Post a disease intervention specialist job for free, promote it for a fee
Identify your hiring needs
Before you start hiring a disease intervention specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.
Determine employee vs contractor statusIs the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?A disease intervention specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, disease intervention specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.
This list presents disease intervention specialist salaries for various positions.
Type of Disease Intervention Specialist Description Hourly rate Disease Intervention Specialist Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services. $13-27 Program Coordinator Program coordinators are mid-level employees who are assigned to work on a program of a specific department. They handle the communications between their department and any other department that they may need to collaborate with... Show more $14-30 Coordinator Coordinators are responsible for liaising between the department they are assigned to and any other external party. They oversee projects or agreements... Show more $12-29 Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:- Patients
- Public Health
- DIS
- Disease Intervention
- Disease Control
- Test Results
- Disease Prevention
- Communicable Diseases
- TB
- Infectious Disease
- Partner Services
- Risk Reduction
- Health Education
- Technical Assistance
Responsibilities:- Manage day-to-day evolving aspects of the HHS Zika virus response.
- Utilize NextGen and find information via NextGen EHR.
- Chart patient information on a daily basis into eClinicalWorks EHR.
- Assist in training and orienting others to the TB center and occasionally mentor new staff.
- Perform client-centered counseling and testing services utilizing CDC and ADHS standard testing and counseling protocols.
- Audit immunization health department records, day care facilities, and elementary, middle, and high schools.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your disease intervention specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A disease intervention specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.
For example, the average salary for a disease intervention specialist in West Virginia may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level disease intervention specialist usually earns less than a senior-level disease intervention specialist. Additionally, a disease intervention specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.
Average disease intervention specialist salary
$41,350yearly
$19.88 hourly rateEntry-level disease intervention specialist salary$29,000 yearly salaryUpdated December 19, 2025Average disease intervention specialist salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate 1 Washington $60,158 $29 2 Wisconsin $46,236 $22 3 New York $45,113 $22 4 Florida $44,238 $21 5 Colorado $43,237 $21 6 Iowa $40,963 $20 7 South Carolina $40,630 $20 8 Wyoming $39,968 $19 9 Texas $39,653 $19 10 Pennsylvania $39,037 $19 11 Ohio $38,319 $18 12 South Dakota $37,421 $18 13 Vermont $36,639 $18 14 Indiana $33,760 $16 15 North Carolina $33,619 $16 16 Michigan $32,764 $16 17 Arkansas $32,244 $16 18 Oklahoma $31,873 $15 Average disease intervention specialist salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings 1 El Paso County $56,202 $27.02 2 2 King County $54,270 $26.09 2 3 Meridian Health Services $51,386 $24.70 2 4 CDC Foundation $48,571 $23.35 4 5 Fort Bend County $46,849 $22.52 4 6 Iowa Department of Transportation $46,401 $22.31 7 Denton County $44,672 $21.48 1 8 State Of South Dakota $44,633 $21.46 5 9 City of Columbus $42,591 $20.48 10 PHMC $40,823 $19.63 6 11 Pediatric Academic Assoc $40,029 $19.24 12 NC.gov $39,175 $18.83 41 13 Wyoming $38,801 $18.65 1 14 University of Michigan $38,449 $18.49 9 15 Oklahoma City County Health Department WIC Clinic Fair Park $38,230 $18.38 16 Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County $37,154 $17.86 17 Indiana State Police $36,957 $17.77 6 18 S.C. Department of Commerce $35,358 $17.00 Writing a disease intervention specialist job description
A disease intervention specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a disease intervention specialist job description:
Disease intervention specialist job description example
Post your job
To find the right disease intervention specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with disease intervention specialists they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit disease intervention specialists who meet your education requirements.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
- Post your disease intervention specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit disease intervention specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Recruiting disease intervention specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.
Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new disease intervention specialist
Once you've found the disease intervention specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.
It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a disease intervention specialist?
There are different types of costs for hiring disease intervention specialists. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new disease intervention specialist employee.
You can expect to pay around $41,350 per year for a disease intervention specialist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for disease intervention specialists in the US typically range between $13 and $27 an hour.
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Updated December 19, 2025