Vendor Program Integrity Researcher

The Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) has been part of the nation’s nutrition safety net for 50 years.

Extensive research has found WIC to be a cost-effective investment that leads to healthier infants, more nutritious diets, health care for children, and subsequently higher academic achievement for students. WIC helps families receive healthy food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and other community services.

Like other divisions within the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), WIC builds its program by addressing social determinants of health. WIC impacts the life course by promoting health practices that can ultimately improve life outcomes often experienced by vulnerable communities.

WIC serves babies and children up to age five, pregnant women, and new mothers. Dads, grandparents, foster parents of young children, and working families are welcome at WIC too!

Monthly, nearly one million WIC participants can find support at one of 84 local agencies which offer services at more than 500 sites throughout California. WIC participants can redeem their food benefits at approximately 3,800 grocers that are authorized to serve WIC families.

In 2019 - 2020, the WIC Division implemented an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card called the California WIC Card and a new management information system known as WIC WISE, that allows WIC participants to be served more efficiently. The CDPH WIC Division works continuously to improve its operations and system to better support families and its partners.

Candidates in one of these classifications, where a Master’s Degree is required to meet the minimum qualifications, shall receive an educational pay differential equivalent to 2% of their monthly base pay. Those where a Doctoral Degree is a required to meet the minimum qualifications, shall receive an educational pay differential equivalent to 3% of their monthly base pay. Individuals with both a Master’s and Doctoral Degree will be given the best benefit in relation to salary shall only be eligible for only one amount.

The candidate works under the general supervision of the Chief, Data and Integrity Branch, Research Scientist Supervisor II (RSS II). The Research Scientist II (RS II) (Social/Behavioral) conducts data analysis and scientific research studies of moderate scientific scope and complexity to investigate, detect and mitigate fraudulent activity against the WIC program, to develop and monitor vendor high- risk indicators, and apply behavioral modeling and data analytics to protect the fiscal health of WIC. The RS II theorizes and tests various hypotheses to identify suspect vendor and redemption activity within the WIC program; ensures authorized vendors are appropriately reimbursed while containing program costs; and evaluates fiscal, program, and health outcomes. The RS II develops data tables, figures, written summaries, reports, presentations, and articles for internal and external stakeholders, and may provide expert testimony at administrative hearings.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

1. Ability to work both independently and in a team environment

2. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential issues

3. Ability to communicate effectively with staff at various levels, external agencies, and the general public

4. At least two years conducting descriptive and inferential statistics using a software program such as SAS or R

5. Developing and updating Tableau data visualization reports

Experience In:

1. Analyzing and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of program policies

2. Collecting, analyzing, interpreting and visualizing various forms of data and querying large databases

3. Developing and monitoring performance and outcome measures

4. Communicating data to non-data colleagues

Knowledge Of:

1. Government assistance programs, especially state and federal policies/regulations as it relates to the WIC program

2. Data-driven decision-making techniques

3. Structured Query Language (SQL) and relational databases

4. Using data tools to detect outliers and anomalies

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included.

At the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the core of our mission to advance the health and well-being of California’s diverse people and communities. We are genuinely and strongly committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness where we can grow and learn together with a diverse team of employees. In recruiting for team members, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring to us and the work we do.