Recycling Collections Inspector

Non-exempt (compensatory and/or overtime eligible); full-time, 40 hours per week; Monday – Friday; 6:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.; full benefits

This position is responsible for inspection and regulatory work for County recycling collection operations. Work includes investigations, responding to and rectifying residents' complaints concerning recycling collection; maintaining related records and reports, inspections in accordance with State and County recycling laws, ensuring compliance of collection contractors with contract specifications; and enforcing ordinances, regulations, and rules relating to recycling collection.  Supervision is received from the Recycling Program Manager of the Division of Solid Waste & Recycling.

NOTE: The upper pay range reflects possible wage rates for internal County transfers and promotions, which are calculated per County policy.  For external hires, offers are made at the base wage rate, with limited exception.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members.  If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for change, apply to Frederick County Government today.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE:
Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how highly we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full-time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan.
• Coming in 2025: Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care

For more information, visit our benefits page on the Frederick County Government job opportunities webpage.

• Investigate, respond to, and resolve residential complaints concerning collection operations
• Oversee operations of collection contractor and insure adherence to contract specifications
• Drive to recycling collection areas using County vehicles in order to ensure residential and contractor compliance of the recycling program
• Inspect collection area to determine any corrective action(s) to be taken for such violations as cart placement, missed collections, litter, program eligibility, lost/stolen carts, etc.
• Inform the supervisor of possible contractual violations
• Assist with the enforcement of County laws, regulations and rules pertaining to recycling collections
• Assist with the operation of collection vehicles as needed for supplemental collections
• Prepare and maintain investigation reports, records, and other documentation such as correspondence and resolutions of complaints
• Collect and dispose of refuse and recyclables, when necessary, in an effort to resolve complaints or contractor performance deficiencies
• Perform related tasks as necessary such as, but not limited to, researching property information ordinances, occasional recycling cart deliveries (as directed), occasional recycling cart repairs (as directed), etc.
• Assist with audits of the number of dwellings and government facilities served by County collection contractors and maintain related records. Audits may also include collection container condition, volume estimations and recycling carts and/or dumpster count
• Interact and communicate with residents and collection contractors for education and problem resolution
• Develop, recommend, and implement strategies that support and improve the County's recycling and waste diversion goals; develop and recommend solutions to significant policy issues; work closely with residents through positive interactions in a customer-friendly manner leading to resident satisfaction
• Perform other related duties, as required

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Any single position may not be assigned all duties listed above, nor do the examples cover all duties that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  

• High school graduation or equivalency
• Minimum 2 years of work experience in the solid waste field or municipal/government investigative or inspection work
• Intermediate skills in Microsoft 365
• Possession of a valid automobile operator's license

 KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to maintain County Authorized Driver privileges
• Knowledge of recycling and municipal solid waste material identification, handling, storing and transportation
• Working knowledge of County, State, and Federal laws and regulations regarding recycling, municipal solid waste, and yard waste
• Knowledge of Frederick County Road system
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to create and maintain basic Excel spreadsheets 
• Ability to make inspections and conduct investigations in a fair and impartial manner to ascertain facts through investigations
• Ability to effectively relate to and communicate with co-workers, government agencies and officials, and the general public, whether in person, by telephone or in writing
• Strong written and spoken English communication skills with the ability to prepare and proofread various written work and explain departmental policies and other regulations

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN FOR:

• Customer service work experience
• Experience compiling and maintaining statistical data

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS:

• While working in this position, the employee is frequently sitting, walking/traversing, lifting up to and over 50 pounds, pushing and pulling up to 40 pounds, reaching. and driving
• While working in this position, the employee is constantly working outdoors; and frequently working indoors, walking on uneven ground; working in hot temperatures above 100 degrees and cold temperatures below 32 degrees, working in dirty, dusty and noisy environment, working near machinery and chemicals or fumes, and has potential exposure to infectious diseases
• Working conditions may include exposure to allergens, dust and fumes found in refuse and recyclable materials and yard waste

• Ability to provide own transportation to evening/weekend meetings or special events, or in the event of an on-call emergency
• Available on-call for emergencies and special situations, and available for varied workdays as assigned

 EXAMINATION PROCESS (may include):

1. An evaluation of training and experience
2. One or more interviews
3. A pre-employment physical examination

Salary : $22 - $36