Senior Environmental Health Specialist

Are you a certified Environmental Health Specialist?

If so, and you’re passionate about environmental health, community engagement, and team leadership, we encourage you to apply!

Starting salary up to $62.44/hour ($130,319/year) and a competitive total compensation package!

Please Note: This position requires current possession of a valid certificate of registration as an Environmental Health Specialist as required by the State of California’s Health and Safety Code. The State of California, Department of Public Health, oversees the certification process for this position. Please visit the State of California Registered Environmental Health Specialist website for more information.

The Department of Health Services is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Environmental Health Specialist to join their Environmental Health and Safety Section. In this lead-level role you will serve as a program expert, providing guidance to staff on best practices and regulatory requirements while working closely with the Environmental Health Leadership Team to implement and execute program changes and ensure compliance with evolving regulations.

As a Senior Environmental Health Specialist, you will be responsible for:

• Developing programs and procedures to improve operational efficiency, consistency, and accuracy
• Monitoring regulatory changes and suggesting process improvements
• Providing customer service to the community
• Providing real-time support and technical guidance to staff in the field
• Facilitating staff training and mentoring journey-level personnel
• Conducting inspections using an official County vehicle

Initial assignments will include oversight of key program areas including:

• Consumer Protection Compliance, where you will educate vendors on public health and safety requirements, manage permitting and enforcement activities, and address unpermitted vendors, sometimes requiring after-hours outreach.
• Septage Vehicles, which will include responsibilities such as registering, permitting, and regulating operators and equipment involved in the transport and disposal of septage waste, including septic tanks, chemical toilets, cesspools, and seepage pits.
• Customer Service Liaison, supporting communication and coordination with internal and external staff and community members.

The ideal candidate will have a strong sense of of professionalism and will thrive in a fast-paced dynamic work environment. They will possess many of the following characteristics:

• Adaptability, flexibility, and patience
• Excellent analytical, research, and problem-solving skills
• Professional experience demonstrating advanced technical knowledge and the ability to interpret and apply regulations
• Proven leadership and training skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking
• The ability to effectively collaborate with a diverse range of staff, stakeholders, and members of the public.

The Department of Health Services (DHS)
DHS is one of the County’s largest and most complex departments. DHS consists of the Administration, Behavioral Health, Public Health, and Homelessness Services Divisions and is driven by its mission to promote, protect, and ensure access to services that support the health, recovery, and well-being of all in Sonoma County. These ideas are the basis for how DHS operates and delivers services:

• Excellence – Strive to create a culture of learning, innovation, and data-driven practices to guide internal operations, improve performance, and build staff expertise
• Collaboration – Engage and work collaboratively with partners, communities, and staff to maximize its impact across the County
• Equity – Work to reduce disparities and ensure fairness, compassion, and social justice

For more information regarding the department, its programs, services, and partnerships, visit the DHS website.

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you’re working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:

• Salary Advancement – A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off – Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals and 12 paid holidays
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions – 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Staff Development/Wellness – Annual benefit allowances of up to $850, and ongoing education/training opportunities
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement – County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement – A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave – May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits: Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief – County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

*Salary is negotiable within the established range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Engineers and Scientists of California (ESC) MOU and our Employee Benefits Directory.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Senior Environmental Health Specialist position in the Department of Health Services. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Experience and Education: Any combination of education, training, and experience that would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities stated herein. Normally, this would include graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in environmental health science, biology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, or related subjects, as required by state law, and two years of working level professional experience in the field of environmental health and safety regulation and enforcement (e.g. working as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist, a Registered Sanitarian, an Environmental Sanitarian, a Public Health Sanitarian, a Certified Environmental Health Professional, or as an equivalently recognized professional). One year of experience working in the environmental health and safety field in California is required. Additional certificated course work in a specialty area is desirable.

License: Possession of a valid certificate of registration as an Environmental Health Specialist as required by the State of California’s Health and Safety Code.

Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required, depending upon assignment, to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement requires possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Thorough knowledge of: sanitation science, requirements and procedures and the methods and procedures used in inspecting, investigating and correcting unsanitary or hazardous conditions; federal, state and local laws and regulations governing environmental health and safety; principles and practices of public health; hazardous materials management and emergency response protocols; current methods, means and technologies used for training in the environmental health field.

Considerable knowledge of: principles of general chemistry, physics, microbiology and biology; environmental research and statistical methods; methods of gathering and analyzing data; basic building construction materials and principles relating to environmental health requirements.

Ability to: plan, organize and carry out research, analyze and evaluate data, and make recommendations based on findings; detect unsanitary conditions and public health hazards and secure their correction through education, voluntary compliance or legal enforcement; prepare and maintain complex, comprehensive reports and records; communicate verbal and written ideas clearly and logically; establish and maintain effective relationships with other governmental officials, the public, and administrative and professional personnel; design and conduct effective workshops in a way that meets the participants’ needs.

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions will or may be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, “See Resume” or “See Application” may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant’s application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver’s license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

itional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job announcement must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: DP

HR Technician: PPB