Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist

Introduction

The Department of Health Services (DHS), Division of Public Health (DPH) is recruiting for a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and State Epidemiologist. This position works under supervision of the DPH Assistant Administrator in the Administrator’s Office (AO) and under programmatic direction from the Director of the Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health (BEOH).

DPH works with our local and tribal public health partners, and community groups statewide, on a wide variety of programs and services that protect the health of Wisconsin residents.

This position offers the option to work remotely up to 5 days per week and will be headquartered at the DPH central office in Madison. A greater in-office presence may be required periodically for meetings, events, training, onboarding, or other operational needs. Occasional travel and overnight stays may be required. 

As an employee of the State of Wisconsin, you'll also have access to an amazing benefits package, including:

• 3.5 weeks of vacation, 9 paid holidays and ample sick time; limitations may apply for leave time usage in the first six months. 
• Top rated health plan options starting at $45/month for single plans and $111/month for family plans, after 2 months of state service. 
• Exceptional pension plan with a 7.2% employer match in 2026 with lifetime retirement payment. Plus, a tax advantaged supplemental retirement savings plan which allows you to save money directly from your paycheck for retirement. Use this Total Rewards Calculator to see the total value of our competitive benefits package!  
• Several flex spending accounts: medical, dependent care, commuter, parking and High-Deductible Health Savings.
• Well Wisconsin Wellness Program.
• A free and confidential employee assistance program that offers employees and their immediate family dependents a variety of tools, resources, and professional consultation services to support their health, goals, and overall well-being.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program employer.

Position Summary

As the CMO and State Epidemiologist, you will work to provide medical and public health leadership to protect and improve the health of Wisconsin residents by shaping statewide health policy, surveillance, and emergency response. Responsibilities include: 

• Collaborating with the State Health Officer, other CMOs and subject matter experts.
• Advising DHS leadership and leading DPH in addressing population health, medical and clinical priorities. 
• Providing leadership and support to BEOH programs including groundwater standards recommendation development, biomonitoring, sport fish consumption advisories, radiation protection and control, asthma, childhood lead poisoning prevention, adult lead exposure surveillance, environmental and occupational epidemiology, emerging hazard response, and outbreak investigations. 
• Serving as the State Epidemiologist for Environmental and Occupational Health and acting as a primary liaison with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. 
• Serving as an ex officio member of the Public Health Council as defined in Wis. Stat. §15.197(13). 
• Providing expert guidance during BEOH strategic planning, vision, and policy efforts that contribute to improved health outcomes. 
• Acting as the primary liaison with federal, state, and local agencies and organizations including the state Medicaid Program. 
• Serving as DPH’s subject matter expert representative and/or advisor with media inquiries to inform the public of health issues related to environmental and occupational health hazards and prevention and intervention measures. 

Salary Information

The starting pay for this position is between $113.00 and $116.00 per hour (approximately between $235,000 and $241,200 per year) depending on qualifications, plus excellent benefits. Qualified individuals may earn additional supplemental pay up to $21.00 per hour for Board Certification or $7.00 per hour for Board Certification eligibility. A 12-month probationary period is required. 

Pay for current or former employees is set based on the rules that apply to compensation for the applicable transaction. This position is classified as a Physician Management and is in pay schedule and range 50/51.

Job Details

The applicant selected for this position will be required to allow DHS to conduct a background check to determine whether the circumstances of any conviction may be related to the job being filled.

For positions that do allow remote working flexibility, although residency in the State of WI is not required for permanent positions, it is not anticipated that working outside of WI or bordering cities will be allowed as positions may at times need to report to office locations in WI on short notice. 

Employee-provided secure high-speed internet and a private workspace is required for remote work options. Mileage reimbursement to the employee’s headquarter location is not provided. Remote work flexibility will be discussed in more detail during the interview process.

DHS does not sponsor work visas for this position, thus, in compliance with federal law, selected candidates will be required to verify eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required I-9 form upon hire.  DHS is not an E-Verify employer nor a STEM-OPT eligible employer.

Qualifications

Minimally qualified applicants will have both of the following:

• Must be licensed or eligible to be licensed to practice medicine in the State of Wisconsin. Eligible includes being licensed to practice medicine in another state and applying for a license in Wisconsin. License must be obtained by with 90 days of appointment.
• Must be board certified in a primary care discipline (family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics), environmental or occupational medicine or preventive medicine OR have specialized post-doctoral experience in environmental and/or occupational health.

Well-qualified applicants will have one or more of the following:

• Experience establishing, maintaining and evaluating public health surveillance systems.
• Experience mentoring epidemiologists, toxicologists or other public health professionals.
• Experience leading epidemiologic investigations involving novel exposures.

Your resume is limited to three (3) pages. For a guide on developing your resume and what should be included, click here.

How To Apply

Applying is easy! Click “Apply for Job” to start your application process.  Sign into your account or create an account before applying for the job. Follow the steps outlined in the application process to submit your application. 

Helpful Information: 

• Once your application is submitted, no changes are allowed. Click “Save” to allow changes to your application as needed before submitting by the deadline. 
• You may want to save a copy of the job posting for referencing after the deadline.
• Please monitor your email for communications related to this position. 
• Current or former permanent, classified, state employees must complete the online application process to be considered. 
• If viewing through an external site, please apply directly at Wisc.Jobs.
• For technical assistance and general information, please see Frequently Asked Questions. For questions about the position, to request a copy of the full position description, or for other employment inquiries, please contact DHSDPHHR@dhs.wisconsin.gov. 

DHS is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. Veterans are encouraged to apply. For complete information on Veterans’ hiring programs with the WI Department of Veteran’s Affairs, click here.

Deadline to Apply

The deadline to apply is 04/20/26 at 11:59 pm. Applicants are strongly encouraged to allow ample time to finalize their applications keeping in mind that technical assistance is only available Monday through Friday 7:45 am – 4:30 pm. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.