Environmental Health Specialist II – Recreational Water Safety Program

Job Description

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON THIS PLATFORM WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. YOU MUST APPLY ON CLARK COUNTY’S WEBSITE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE POSITION.

For Complete Job Announcement, Application Requirements, and to apply on-line (applications on external sites are not monitored), please visit our website at:

https://www.clark.wa.gov/human-resources/explore-careers-clark-county

 

 

Job Summary
Environmental Health Specialists are responsible for protecting the health of citizens by assuring compliance with environmental public health rules and regulations, educating stakeholders, preventing exposure to environmental hazards and promoting healthy natural and built environments within Clark County.

This position will be assigned basic job duties in the Recreational Water Safety program. This position will conduct routine public health inspections, plan reviews on new construction and remodel designs for recreational water facilities, coordinate with related inter-governmental offices, initiate enforcement activities as required; issue facility permits, review and make recommendations concerning variance requests; provide public education; investigate public health threats; ensure consistent application of regulations and, work under the supervision of the program manager to resolve technical problems and complaints.

The Recreational Water Safety program duties also include conducting recreational swim beach monitoring, water sampling and/or evaluating laboratory results, providing technical assistance, and communicating health advisories to the public.

Organizational responsibilities include understanding and promoting the public health mission of the department; providing courteous, respectful, efficient customer service to all Public Health clients; honoring diversity of all department employees and constituents; participating in emergency preparedness activities and other public health roles as assigned.

 

Qualifications
Education and Experience:

 

Bachelor of Science degree in environmental health or a closely related area.  Two years successful experience in obtaining compliance with environmental health standards.  Registration as a Sanitarian preferred.  Any satisfactory equivalent combination of experience and training which ensures the ability to perform the work may be substituted.

 

Knowledge of:

 

Standard methods and techniques of inspectional work in environmental sanitation and public health.

Water quality; environmental sampling; microbiology.

Applicable rules and regulations for the specialized areas assigned.

Public relations techniques.

Effective communication techniques, verbally or in writing.

The impact social determinants have on health including socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, mental or physical ability, religion, gender, gender expression, gender identity on behavior, attitudes and values related to health; the role of cultural, social and behavioral factors in determining the delivery of public health services.
Key components of cultural competency; awareness of differences, attitude to examine beliefs and values, knowledge of differences and skills to work across cultures effectively and appropriately.

 

Ability to:

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, supervisors, co-workers and business establishments.

Work independently with limited supervision.

Work outdoors for extended periods under a wide variety of weather conditions.

Interpret and apply applicable rule and regulations in the specialty area assigned.

Effectively recommend, coordinate, plan, and delegate program components.
Perform work duties that require lifting of at least 50lbs, stooping, bending, walking over sloped and/or uneven ground and other varied environments and conditions including entering outdoor water bodies to a depth of 3 feet.
Conducts research requiring specialized knowledge of the program and an ability to plan and coordinate using independent judgment and limited supervision.

Carry out policy directives of the governing authority in an effective and timely manner.
Write clear and concise reports, procedures, memoranda, and letters.
Project consequences of proposed actions, and formulate recommendations.
Work with varied stakeholders, including County agencies and County vendors and public stakeholder groups.

Obtain a valid driver’s license.

 

Selection Process:

Resumes and other documents must be attached together in the ‘Resume Upload’ section of the application.  Multiple files are allowed, but all applicant attachments must be uploaded simultaneously, as there is no way to edit or append uploaded materials after submitting the application.

 

Application Review (Pass/ Fail) – An online application is required.  Attaching a resume does not substitute for a completed application; incomplete applications will not pass the application review.  Candidates deemed most qualified will be invited to participate in the remainder of the selection process.

 

Practical Exam (Pass/Fail) – This recruitment may require a practical exam which will be job related and may include, but not limited to, the qualifications outlined in the job announcement.  Candidates deemed most qualified will be invited to participate in the remainder of the selection process.

 

Oral Interview – The interview will be job related and may include, not limited to, the qualifications outlined in the job announcement.  Top candidate(s) will continue in the process

 

 

Employment references will be conducted for the final candidates and may include verification of education.

 

 

 

Examples of Duties
Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

 

Permitted Pools, Spas and Float tanks:
Conduct inspections of permitted recreation water facilities to ensure safe operation.
Consults with the general public to provide advice or explain conditions regarding all permitted rec. water facilities.
Consults with professionals regarding site characteristics and proper pool system and club bouse design and installation.
Reviews plans and specifications of new RWF construction and remodels for compliance with WAC 246-260.
Inspects annual and seasonal pools, spas and float tanks during construction and upon completion to determine if construction meets standards.
Investigates complaints received from the public concerning RWF.
Swim Beach:
Respond to public notifications of harmful algal blooms or other recreational water quality concerns.
Conduct routine on-site water sample collection for E.coli during swim beach season.
Conducts on-site inspections to verify/confirm the presence of algae or other hazard.
Collects water samples and submits to laboratory for analysis.
Evaluate designated swim beaches for compliance with health & safety standards.
Miscellaneous:
Follows up on nuisance complaints.
Conducts field inspections, writes reports and obtains compliance with regulations.
Provide education to the public during community outreach events.
Support the work of a college student intern.
Provides information and direction to the general public in the event of a natural disaster, bioterrorism event, or other public health emergency.
 

 

 

 

 

Salary Grade
Local 335.8A – Local 335.9A

 

Salary Range
$29.69 – $46.26- per hour

 

Close Date
Open Until FilledRecruiter
Irene Catherine ChrestEmail:

Irene.Chrest@clark.wa.gov

 

Equal Opportunity Employer
Clark County is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, access, and delivery of all county services. Clark County’s Equal Employment Opportunity Plan is available at http://www.clark.wa.gov/human-resources/documents.

 

 

Employee Benefits and additional compensation
Clark County provides regular full-time and part-time employees with a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, vision and dental insurance, paid leave, flexible spending accounts, life insurance and long-term disability, retirement, and deferred compensation.  Some types of employees in some positions and bargaining units might have different benefits and additional compensation.  More specific benefit information for the different bargaining units can be found at https://clark.wa.gov/human-resources/employee-benefits. Also please refer to the specific bargaining unit contract for additional compensation at https://clark.wa.gov/human-resources/documents.

 

 

Retirement Information
All Clark County employees must participate in a WASHINGTON STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM PLAN (PERS, PSERS or LEOFF).Employee contributions begin the first day of work. Current contribution rates vary by plan but could range from 5% to 15% of gross pay, depending on the plan choice.
For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems’ web site here: http://www.drs.wa.gov/

 

 

 

 

If you are in need of ADA/Section 504 assistance for accommodations, please contact Human Resources at (564) 397-2456; Relay (800) 833-6388.