Environmental Health Specialist 1 or 2

Solid and Hazardous Waste Program - Environmental Health Specialist 1 or 2-RS

Two full time positions available!

Our Role: Do you want to do meaningful work that has a real impact in our community? Please come join our team-oriented, family-friendly organization of over 125 talented public health professionals. We work hard every day to keep Kitsap County safe and healthy.
 
We work to protect your health and your family--and the environment--by ensuring that waste is collected, stored, processed, and disposed of properly, according to local and state regulations. From everyday garbage, unusable furniture, construction debris or appliances beyond repair including other items, such as old paint, solvents and cleaning products, which is considered hazardous waste, can impact your health and safety. Businesses, too, generate hazardous waste that can impact our community's health.
 
Definition: Within agency policies, under the direction of the Solid and Hazardous Waste (SHW) Program Manager, the incumbents are responsible for performing environmental health services mandated under federal, state, and local regulations governing solid and hazardous waste handling.  The specific functions of these positions are to protect public health and the environment from the hazards of improper waste storage, collection, treatment, recycling, and disposal. Failure to perform tasks essential to the positions could result in the impairment of human health or degradation of the environment from surface water, ground water, soil, or air pollution caused by improper solid and hazardous waste handling.

The ideal candidates are dedicated public health professionals, who have a passion for public health, enjoy working with others, and bring humility and initiative to their public sector service.

Hours: 40 hours per week – 100% FTE, requires occasional evening and weekend hours.

Status: Permanent full-time position.  
 
Benefits: The district offers a comprehensive health benefit plan which includes medical, dental, and life coverages, including several voluntary plan selections through The Standard, Aflac, and Met Life. The district provides medical and dental coverage contributing percentages of the average medical and dental insurance premium costs for full time employees as follows: Employee @ 100%, Employee & Spouse @ 90%, Employee & Child(ren) @ 90%, and Full Family @ 85%. Benefits include generous paid time off, and twelve paid holidays per year.  Employees participate in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), a defined benefit retirement plan managed by the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and Social Security. Several deferred compensation retirement savings plans are also offered. 
 

Essential Functions

• Responds to complaints pertaining to solid and hazardous waste requirements including business complaints; enforces solid waste handling regulations; prepares reports summarizing results of initial investigation.
• Provides information to the public regarding solid and hazardous waste disposal recycling, reduction and information regarding other chemicals present in the living/working environment.
• Conducts routine scheduled Environmental Health and Safety Inspections at all K-12 public and private schools in Kitsap County.
• Assists with the development of solid waste handling regulations, policies and procedures.
• Keeps current on solid and hazardous waste handling issues, technologies, and regulations, as needed for permitting and enforcement activities.
• Conducts education programs on solid and hazardous waste program and issues.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance of permitted, closed, and/or abandoned landfills in Kitsap County. This may include but not necessarily be limited to overseeing closure-post/closure landfill requirements, conducting closed landfill inspections, reviewing and overseeing groundwater monitoring results, and coordinating compliance monitoring activities with Washington State Department of Ecology and landfill owners.
• Reviews land use proposals within 1,000 feet of a landfill to determine whether methane mitigation is required.
• Reviews and approves applications for new landfills.
• Regulates the compliance of other solid waste handling facilities.
• Assists with evaluation of solid and hazardous waste projects as assigned, prepares summary and activity reports and performs related work.
• Conducts education programs on solid and hazardous waste program and issues.
• Develops Small Quantity Generator (SQG) education materials, workshop, and other business outreach projects on pollution prevention, waste minimization, and waste management topics.
• Coordinates with federal, State, and local agencies to provide comprehensive information on hazardous waste issues and projects.
• Coordinates and presents Solid and Hazardous Waste Program information and educational materials at fairs, trade shows, meetings, and other public events.
• Conducts initial investigations and site inspections of confirmed and suspected contaminated sites, performs sampling activities at these sites; enforces solid waste handling regulations; prepares reports summarizing results of initial investigation.
• Responds to chemical spills and coordinates response with CENCOM, the Department of Ecology, and other spill response agencies.
• Participates in and/or provides technical assistance for federal and state hazardous waste and site investigations or remedial action activities.
• Provides information to the public regarding solid and hazardous waste disposal recycling, reduction and information regarding other chemicals present in the living/working environment.
• Conducts Pollution Prevention Assistance (PPA) inspections at Kitsap County businesses in accordance with established guidelines and manages data and reports as required.
• Provides on-site technical assistance to generators of hazardous and industrial wastes through the PPA Program.
• Designs and implements outreach programs for PPA which may include newspaper, television, booth events, brochures and web-based information.
• With the Program Manager and staff, works to develop and encourage a team-oriented work environment.
• Attends meetings with federal, State, and local agencies.
• Accurately completes electronic timecard on a weekly basis as required.
• Models a Lean Six Sigma organizational culture that promotes the practice of respect for people, openness, trust, safety, transparency, collaborative problem solving, managing with data, the pursuit of incremental continuous quality improvement and assurance.
• Demonstrates cultural humility and embeds health equity into all aspects of assigned work and associated interactions.
• Responds to public health emergencies as required by the District.
• Establishes and maintains cooperative, effective working relationships with coworkers, other District employees, and the general public using principles of good customer service.
• Accurately completes and submits electronic timecard on a weekly basis as required.
• Reports for work with regular, reliable and punctual attendance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

  Physical Demands & Working Conditions -Work is performed both indoors in an office environment and in the field.

• Requires the ability to communicate with others orally, face to face and by telephone. Requires manual and finger dexterity and hand-eye-arm coordination to write and to operate computers and a variety of general office equipment. Requires mobility to accomplish other desktop work, retrieve files, and to move to various District locations. Requires visual acuity to read computer screens, printed materials, and detailed information. Essential duties may involve occasional kneeling, squatting, crouching, stooping, crawling, standing, bending, climbing (to stack, store or retrieve supplies or various office equipment).
• While performing field work, the incumbent is regularly required to work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions and walk on rough, uneven or rocky surfaces. Required to use hand to eye coordination, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls. The incumbent is frequently required to stand and/or walk for extended periods of time; walk on uneven surfaces; sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and smell in the performance of field and office duties. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Duties require the incumbent to carry supplies and/or equipment up and down stairs as well as into and out of a vehicle on a daily basis.
• May occasionally be required to work a varying schedule which may include evenings and weekends.
• Duties require carrying a cell phone or other electronic device as well as being available to work as needed to meet District needs, which may include evenings, weekends and holidays.
• Off-site visits require the incumbent to carry supplies and/or equipment up and down stairs as well as into and out of a vehicle on a daily basis.
• The nature of the work also requires occasionally working in environments which may include exposure to toxic or hazardous gasses, chemicals, or bio-substances and wearing protective clothing or apparatus.
• Exposure to individuals from the public who are upset, angry, agitated and sometimes hostile, requiring the use of conflict management and coping skills.
• Frequently required to perform work in confidence and under pressure for deadlines, and to maintain professional composure and tact, patience and courtesy at all times.
• The environment is dynamic and constantly changing, resulting in continually re-evaluating and shifting priorities.

Education & Experience

Environmental Health Specialist 1

• Bachelor's degree in environmental health or environmental science, or a related field.

Environmental Health Specialist 2-RS

• Bachelor's degree in environmental health or environmental science, or a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 45 quarter hours (30 Semester hours) in physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, geology, microbiology, epidemiology biostatistics, and college level algebra or higher mathematics;

and

• Two or more years of experience as an environmental health specialist in a public health agency or in the armed forces.

Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge of:

• The field of assignment sufficient to perform thoroughly and accurately the full scope of responsibility as illustrated by example in this description.
• Principles, procedures, functions and practices in the environmental health field. Program planning, preparation of public health advisory information and education programs and development of codes, ordinances, policies and procedures; recordkeeping; and complex mathematics.
• Methods and techniques of conducting research, analysis and report preparation.
• Correct English usage including grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Communication business practices including electronic, telephone or direct public contact.
• Computer operation and a variety of software including word processing, spreadsheet, database and other applications related to the area of assignment.

Ability to:

• Listen attentively and communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing, in clear, concise language appropriate for the purpose and parties addressed, concerning complex or sensitive matters, including making presentations to diverse audiences.
• Conduct field inspections, analyze findings and prepare logical findings and recommendations.
• Use tact, discretion, respect and courtesy to gain the cooperation of others and establish and maintain effective working relationships with rapport with co-workers, volunteers, other programs, officials, representatives of other agencies and businesses, and diverse members of the public.
• Read, understand, interpret and apply appropriately the terminology, instructions, policies, procedures, legal requirements and regulations pertinent to the area of assignment.
• Assure that absolute confidentiality is maintained as required and sensitive information is handled appropriately.
• Fulfill the commitment of the District to provide outstanding customer service.
• Organize, prioritize and coordinate work assignments. Work effectively in a multi-task environment. Take appropriate initiative. Apply good judgment, creativity and logical thinking to obtain potential solutions to unique problems and to make reasoned decisions within the scope of knowledge and authority or refer to the appropriate person.
• Be attentive to detail, consistently follow written and oral instructions and guidelines, maintain a high degree of accuracy and complete records, make complex mathematical calculations, check data, and prepare and review material in reports and correspondence.
• Proficiently and accurately operate office and other equipment standard to the area of assignment.
• Utilize computers, databases and related software and automated equipment to produce worksheets and reports, typing with sufficient speed and accuracy to accomplish assignments in a timely manner.
• Communicate orally and in writing to a variety of audiences in a clear, comprehensive, effective and professional manner.
• Gather and analyze data and develop clear, concise and comprehensive reports, correspondence and other written materials.
• Exercise discretion and sound independent judgment in decision making.
• Coordinate, organize, and prioritize work, follow directions, instructions and protocol in the course of duties assigned.
• Work both independently and cooperatively within a collaborative team-oriented environment.
• Maintain current knowledge for assigned areas and adapt to new technologies, keeping technical skills up to date.

Licenses, Certificates & Other Requirements

• Environmental Health Specialist 2-RS requires possession of a valid Registered Sanitarian (RS) License from the Washington State Board of Registered Sanitarians or the National Environmental Health Association.
• Performance of job duties requires driving on a regular basis, a valid Washington State driver's license, the use of the incumbent's personal motor vehicle, and proof of appropriate auto insurance.

All required certificates, registrations, or licenses must be maintained in an active status without suspension or revocation throughout employment.

To view the job opportunity and submit the required electronic application, please go to the Careers section of our website at kitsappublichealth.org or visit GovernmentJobs.com.