Are you looking for a place to apply your knowledgeable background in Environmental Health? Use your professional knowledge, leadership, and technical experience to make a difference in the health of the residents of Pierce County. We invite you to apply for our Environmental Health Specialist III position in Onsite Sewage/Water Resources part of the Environmental Health Division. This is a Regular, Full-Time (1.0 FTE) position. This position is budgeted for a starting salary ranging from $43.10 - $46.14 hourly. Salary is open to negotiation based on experience and qualifications.
This position is the fifth level in the Environmental Health Specialist (EHS) series and works under the direction of an EHS Supervisor or Program Manager. An employee assigned to this classification works independently as a subject matter expert (SME) and technical lead, mentoring and training technical staff. Assignments are general in nature with minimal specificity regarding how to proceed with assignments. Unusual problems or situations may be discussed with a manager depending on the impact.
Position Series-
Permit Technician I
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Permit Technician II
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Environmental Health Specialist I/II
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Environmental Health Specialist III
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EHS Supervisor
Career Path Options
Options to continue your career at the Health Department depend on your interest, education, and training. Possibilities beyond the position series include:
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Program Manager I
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Program Manager II
Essential Functions-
Customer Service: Provide customer service to the public and industry professionals on environmental health topics, applications, permits, applicable fees, and related codes in person, over the phone, and through written communication.
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Conduct and Oversee Complex Inspections and Regulatory Compliance Assessments: Conduct and oversee complex inspections and assessments of permitted facilities, field sites, and regulatory applications (e.g., food establishments, schools, solid waste facilities, land development, plan review) to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. Perform comprehensive investigations of various facilities and environmental incidents (e.g., foodborne or waterborne illnesses), including hazardous spills or disease outbreaks.
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Documentation and Reporting: Prepare detailed reports and communication, maintain accurate records of inspections, incidents, and data; potentially provide expert testimony in court related to documentation. Accurately input information and documentation into database systems and maintain detailed records.
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Education and Consultation: Provide educational outreach, consultation, and training to communities, businesses, and individuals on environmental health issues, best practices, regulatory requirements, and safe procedures.
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Program Coordination, Training, and Staff Mentorship: Coordinate the activities of an assigned environmental health program, which includes planning, organizing, and coordinating work with the department and with external partners such as federal, state, and local agencies. Provide operational guidance, technical oversight, comprehensive training, mentorship, and review the work of a team of environmental health specialists, pool inspectors, and permit technicians, to include office work, field work, and other aspects of the regulatory process. Document performance to share with the direct supervisor, provide feedback, and often provide input on performance evaluations.
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Contribute Subject Matter Expertise in Policy Development and Program Planning: Assist in the development, recommendation, and interpretation of new or revised regulations, ordinances, and program procedures. Assist in the development of program goals, objectives, and performance measurements, and provide programmatic data to evaluate effectiveness.
Examples of Key Duties
The items in this section are the key duties and responsibilities for this job and do not represent an exhaustive list. Our organization is dynamic, and duties may change based on business needs. Any new duties will remain within the scope of the job.
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Conducts complex field inspections to monitor and evaluate facilities and operations for compliance with health and safety regulations.
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Conducts complex field and office reviews for a variety of plan applications and code review including septic systems, water systems, food service establishments, schools, camps, water recreation facilities, and others.
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Provides complex technical oversight to other Environmental Health Specialists and Technicians as they perform field investigations and plan reviews.
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Serves as technical expert in legal proceedings, depositions, hearings, and public meetings as needed.
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Trains department staff on policies and procedures for program needs.
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Acts as operational lead including mentorship, reviewing work product, and giving input on performance evaluations.
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Acts as lead inspector for high profile sites.
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Composes reports, public health advisory information, and public relations materials for education and dissemination to the public.
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Responds to challenging inquiries and explains complex regulatory requirements to consultants, engineers, land use professionals, and other agencies.
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Gives input on contracts, grants, and program expenditures.
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Answers staff and client questions and concerns to ensure compliance with regulations.
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Works with state and local agencies to develop codes, including cross-state policies.
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Operates various office and field equipment to collect site samples and data.
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Creates process workflows and documentation.
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Interprets and applies relevant laws and regulations to departmental policies and procedures.
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Provides educational outreach to the public and other groups including workshops, newsletters, and public events.
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Composes and presents statistical, narrative, and graphical reports on their area of focus.
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Coordinates with other environmental health programs, agencies, and private industries as needed.
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The work you do might require you to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid Claiming Program.
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Performs other duties as assigned.
Safety & Emergency Preparedness-
Adheres to all workplace and trade safety laws, regulations, standards, and practices.
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Understands and properly follows established procedures in preventing and responding to unsafe or emergency situations. Identifies and reports potentially unsafe practices or conditions.
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Operates equipment, tools, machinery, and vehicles safely and understands processes for reporting an accident or injury.
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Understands and applies knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform assigned emergency response role during an emergency.
When public health responds to an emergency, you may be assigned duties and responsibilities that are outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time and reporting to a location other than the department with different working conditions and physical requirements. You are expected to participate in emergency preparedness activities including our emergency notification system, WA SECURES. Drills and real-world events may take place at any time.
For a complete description of the classification specification click here.
The items below are the requirements for the job and are relevant to this position. The organization values work experience, lived experience, and education and realizes that people take different paths to acquire knowledge.
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Bachelor’s degree, preferably in environmental science, public health, or other related science field.
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4 years of experience in an environmental health specialist role.
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Registered Sanitarian (RS)/Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) Certification or two additional years of experience in an EHS role.
We will consider any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Professional Certifications, Licensure, and Other Requirements
We require the following for this classification.
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Valid driver’s license and acceptable driver’s abstract required prior to employment.
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Registered Sanitarian (RS)/Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) Certification or two additional years of experience in an EHS role.
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Completion of required program specific certifications/training.
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Onsite Sewage and Drinking Water Resources Washington State License: On-Site Inspector Certificate of Competency Within 2 years of hire.
Desirable experience in the following areas:
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Leading a team.
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Washington State Onsite Sewage and Drinking Water Regulations.
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Tacoma-Pierce County Chapter 1 – General Provisions, 2 – On-Site Sewage and 3 – Drinking Water.
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Onsite Sewage related Inspections.
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Staff Training and/or Mentoring.
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Code Application and Interpretation for compliance.
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Accela database.
