Environmental Health Specialist 1 or 2-RS
Food & Living Environment Program
Our Role: Want to do meaningful work that has a real impact in our community? Please come join our team-oriented, family-friendly organization of over 130 talented public health professionals. We work hard every day to keep Kitsap County safe and healthy. Keeping you and your family safe from foodborne illness is our job. It could be your job too!
The Programs: The Food and Living Environment Program consists of two programs. The Food Program is mandated under federal, state, and local regulations governing food safety. The specific functions of this position are to promote and protect the health, safety, and well-being of the public and to prevent the spread of disease through proper storage, handling, preparation, and service in food establishments or in food for public consumption.
The Living Environment Program is a partially-mandated program that covers public pools, spas, schools, camps, as well as other areas where the health and well-being of those involved may be affected by environmental concerns. Failure to perform tasks essential to the position could result in the impairment of human health or degradation of the environment.
The Position: Under the direction of the Food and Living Environment Program Manager, the incumbent performs associated environmental health duties as assigned. The incumbent will be assigned to work a varying and flexible 40-hour a week work schedule, which includes evenings, weekends, and holidays in rotation as required.
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.
Other: After successful onboarding and training of at least three months, a very limited hybrid telework agreement may be established as mutually beneficial.
Essential Functions:
Conducts routine and follow-up inspections at food service establishments in assigned area at set performance standards per month.
Conducts temporary food service establishment inspections when required.
Conducts interviews and investigations of foodborne illness complaints.
Responds to general food service establishment complaints and makes inspections as necessary.
Keeps current on food service and disease prevention issues, technology and regulations.
Maintains database and file records.
Conducts plan reviews and pre-operational inspections for new and remodeled food service establishments.
Schedules and conducts office conferences and administrative hearings with food services establishment operators to provide and explain terms for continued operation.
Conducts Smoking in Public Places (SIPP) and Vaping in Public Places (VIPP) inspections during routine food services establishment inspections.
Develops educational materials.
Conducts water recreation facility inspections in assigned areas and conducts follow-up inspections as needed.
Conducts interviews and investigations of disease, injury, near drowning, and drowning.
Assists with investigations of disease, injury, and general complaints.
Responds to general water recreational facility complaints and makes inspections as necessary.
Assists with standard calibration and maintenance service for program and field equipment and keeps maintenance logs.
Provides technical assistance to and corresponds with, the general public, other governmental agencies, and Health District staff on program related activities.
With the Program Manager and colleagues, works to develop, encourage, and sustain a team-oriented work environment.
Attends meetings with federal, State, and local agencies.
Accurately completes and submits electronic timecards on a weekly basis as required.
Maintains accurate and organized records, databases, systems and files.
Prioritizes and plans own work activities. Uses work time and resources effectively.
Prepares a variety of letters, memos, forms, reports, and other documents; operates computers utilizing a variety of software programs, including database and word processing applications, to produce documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
Responds to public health emergencies as required by the District.
Participates in quality improvement efforts.
Serves as resource person for staff in their area of expertise.
Demonstrates cultural competency and embeds health equity into all aspects of assigned work and work interactions.
Works both independently and within a collaborative team-oriented environment; contributes openly, respectfully disagrees, understands the ideas of others, listens well, and works for consensus.
Models a Lean Six Sigma organizational culture that promotes the practice of respect for people, openness, trust, safety, transparency, collaborative problem solving, managing with date, the pursuit of incremental continuous quality improvement and assurance.
Establishes and maintains cooperative, effective working relationships with coworkers, other District employees, and the general public using principles of good customer service.
Reports for scheduled 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, inspecting food establishments.
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.
Occasionally required to work a varying schedule in rotation 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 a related field.
Environmental Health Specialist 2-RS
Bachelor's degree in environmental health or environmental science, or a bachelor's degree in a related field with a minimum of 45 quarter hours (30 semester hours) in physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, 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.
Degrees must be from appropriately accredited institutions.
Proficiency in Spanish is preferred.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of:
Principles, objectives and practices of environmental health, onsite sewage system function; water quality indicators and their meaning for public health; and water quality sampling techniques.
Skill in:
Verbal and written communications; interpretation of maps and plans; timelines, reliability, accountability, and punctuality.
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.
May be required to possess a professional certification applicable to area of assignment.
All required certificates, registrations, or licenses must be maintained in an active status without suspension or revocation throughout employment.
For additional information and to complete the required electronic application, please visit the Careers section of our website at kitsappublichealth.org or visit GovernmentJobs.com.
