Careers

Explore Careers at the Department of Health

Accounting & Finance

Possible Responsibilities
Ensure that budgets are accurately managed. People with business training and accounting or finance backgrounds are needed.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
A CPA or accounting degree is often a plus, but not required.

Common Job Titles:
Accounting Manager    Auditor    Budget Analysis Director    Budget Analyst    Accounting Technician    Procurement Officer

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices

Administration

Possible Responsibilities
Keep offices running, greet customers, answer emails, accurately file documents, and manage records. Excellent organizational and customer service skills are needed, though no specific training is required. 

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Managerial skills and advanced degrees required for oversight of these functions.

Common Job Titles
Administrative Services Assistant    Office Assistant    Office Supervisor    Assessment and Planning Coordinator    County Director    
Regional Director    Program Director    Public Health Administrator

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices    Local Health Department

Data & Information Technology

Possible Responsibilities
Work with agency staff and vendors to identify agency needs for informatics, reporting, and data analysis; plan and oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of database systems. Ensure these products meet legal and security requirements. Strong computer skills (especially in database management, IT infrastructure, SQL) are a must.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
A CPA or accounting degree is often a plus, but not required.

Common Job Titles
Statistical Analyst    Statistical Programmer    Cancer Registrar    Statistician    Bioinformatics Scientist    Clinical Applications Coordinator    Vital Records Manager

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices

Dentistry

Possible Responsibilities
Provides dental services in a public health setting, often to uninsured or underinsured populations of children and adults. Learn more about Oral Health Services at the Department of Health.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
RDA, RDH, DDS or DMD license to practice in Tennessee required.

Common Job Titles
Dentist    Dental Assistant    Dental Hygienist    Dental Director

Location(s) Available
Local Health Departments    Regional Health Offices

Emergency Preparedness

Possible Responsibilities
Provide day-to-day administrative and programmatic functions to prepare for and respond to natural and man-made public health emergencies. Ensure compliance to federal programs and collaborate with partners to increase effectiveness. Directors set strategy and lead emergency response coordination activities. Requirements vary; a Bachelor’s degree and relevant programmatic and/or emergency response experience

Common Job Titles
Emergeny Response Coordinator    Emergency Medical Services Director    Hospital Coordinator

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices

Environmental Investigations

Possible Responsibilities
Assist in the enforcement of public health laws, such as those applying to restaurants, public pools, and other facilities. Bachelor's degree usually required.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Bachelor's degree usually required.

Common Job Titles
Environmental Health Specialist    Environmental Health Field Office Manager

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices    Local Health Department

Epidemiology and Disease Intervention

Possible Responsibilities

Epidemiologist:
Serve as a scientist and storyteller to make public health data useful for internal and external stakeholders. Conduct investigations, identifying disease trends and outbreaks. Gather data that describes the community’s health and conduct statistical analysis of the data. Provide interpretation and illustration of data for the health department and to the community. Propose practices or policies that preserve or promote public health.

Disease Intervention Specialist:
Investigate reported, suspected, and potential cases of infectious diseases, and intervene where necessary. May serve as community engagement specialists or patient navigators. Recommend testing/screening and refer positive patients to care. Assist in statewide screening programs, and/or meet patients in their homes and communities. Great interpersonal skills, empathy, and persistence needed. No specific education is required; some locations prefer certification.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Master’s degree in public health with a specialization in epidemiology usually required.

Common Job Titles
Epidemiologist    Case Manager    Communicable and Environmental Disease Director    Disease Intervention Specialist

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices    Local Health Department

Grant Management

Possible Responsibilities
Design and implement grant projects and other activities required to support, sustain, and grow programs. Handle reporting, tracking, compliance with grant requirements, budget review, expense monitoring, project management, technical assistance, and document tracking. Experience is generally preferred; educational backgrounds vary from Bachelor's to Master's degrees.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Bachelor's degree usually required.

Common Job Titles
Grant Coordinator    Grant Manager

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices

Laboratory Services

Possible Responsibilities
Performs analyses of human tissue, body fluids, and environmental sources (such as food and water). Tests range from basic to highly complex, and require knowledge of microbiology, chemistry, immunology, and/or other disciplines. All tests are performed under a quality management system, compliant with regulatory requirements. May rotate through the various areas of the laboratory, including: clinical and environmental microbiology, molecular diagnostics, newborn screening, immunology, toxicology and environmental chemistry.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Bachelor’s Degree in a life science (e.g., microbiology, biology, chemistry, biochemistry, clinical or medical laboratory science) usually required; additional licenses such as Clinical Laboratory Scientist Generalist (CLS-G) or a Clinical Laboratory Scientist Specialist (CLS-S) may be needed. Some entry-level work as lab technician also available.

Common Job Titles
Lab Scientist    Lab Technician    Lab Consultant    Lab Director    Lab Manager

Location(s) Available:
State Laboratory, Nashville

Legal & Human Resources

Possible Responsibilities
Assist in the enforcement of public health laws and regulations. Ensures compliance with labor standards in the case of human resources.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Bachelor's to Juris Doctor degree required.

Common Job Titles
Legal Assistant    Associate Counsel    Mediolegal Death Investigator    Health Related Boards Investigator
Human Resources Analyst    Human Resources Manager    Recruiter

Location(s) Available:
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices

Nursing

Possible Responsibilities
Assists in provision of primary care and preventive services in a public health setting, often to uninsured or underinsured populations of children, adolescents, and older adults.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Licensure and registration of LPN or RN certification required alongside Bachelor's degree or Master's degree for advanced positions.

Common Job Titles
Registered Nurse    Licensed Practical Nurse    Nurse Practitioner    Nurse Supervisor    Nursing Director

Location(s) Available
Local Health Departments    Regional Health Offices

Nutrition & Dietetics

Possible Responsibilities
Helps implement local elements of federal food assistance programs; builds partnerships with community organizations, designs trainings and events around good nutrition. May provide programs on obesity prevention, or special programs for women, infants, and children. May require certification, such as Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

Possible Degrees/Certifications
May require certification, such as Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

Common Job Titles
Nutritionist    Nutrition Director

Location(s) Available
Local Health Departments    Regional Health Offices

Primary Prevention & Health Education

Possible Responsibilities
Provide and manage education programs that improve community health. Identify community needs and assets prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating public health programs and activities. Participate on community coalitions, committees, and task forces, and promote public health programs and services.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Degree in public health and/or Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) may be preferred.

Common Job Titles
Public Health Educator    Healthy Development Coordinator

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Regional Health Offices    Local Health Department

Primary & Preventive Care

Possible Responsibilities
Provides primary care and preventive services in a public health setting, often to uninsured or underinsured populations of children, adolescents, and older adults.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Medical Degree is required and must be Board certified or eligible. TN License must be in good standing.

Common Job Titles
Physician    Medical Director

Location(s) Available
Local Health Departments    Regional Health Offices

Program Management

Possible Responsibilities
Broadly works on program design and implementation. Manages programs or provides technical assistance to various programs.  Responsibilities can include oversight of programs across a wide variety of specialties including: Infectious / Communicable Disease Control, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Environmental Public Health, Maternal, Child, and Family Health, Access to and Linkages w/ Clinical Care, Laboratory Sciences, Program and Grant Management, and Administration.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Public health or related degree and/or experience usually required; often a Master's degree.

Common Job Titles
Program Director    Program Coordinator    Program Manager

Location(s) Available
Remote    Central Office, Nashville    Local Health Departments    Regional Health Offices

Social Work

Possible Responsibilities
Provides coordination of care and other services beyond public health to ensure health outcomes.

Possible Degrees/Certifications
Bachelor's to Master's degree usually required.

Common Job Titles
Social Worker    Social Counselor    Social Counselor Supervisor

Location(s) Available
Local Health Departments    Regional Health Offices

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