Advanced Environmental Health Program Specialist (#5498 & #6320)

The Advanced Environmental Health Program Specialist functions in a lead role, handling the advanced focus areas of residential and commercial development water quality and the inspection of institutional facilities, food service, lodging, and swimming pools. Employees function both within and outside of the health department as a consultant to other environmental health specialists and to local officials, business concerns, contractors, and developers.  Work is performed under the direction and supervision of an Environmental Health Supervisor, Environmental Health Manager II, or Environmental Health Division Director.

The purpose of the Advanced Environmental Health Program Specialist role is to protect the public health through the implementation of programs designed to investigate, monitor, and correct imminent and potential health hazards and limit the incidence and spread of disease in the community. The scope of this role covers the governing wastewater and groundwater and/or the inspection of institutional facilities, lodging, swimming pools, water parks and food service establishments.  Employees analyze the more complex problems and issues in their program area and develop and recommend alternate courses of action to other health specialists, various groups, and businesses.  Instructions are usually general in nature and are related to program objectives, progress, and unusual problems.  Employees function as a lead and may train, supervise, or direct the work of the Environmental Health Specialists.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Residential/Commercial Development Water Quality:

• Approve or deny subdivision lots by soil evaluations per 15A NCAC 18A. 1900 
• Quality assurance/review of subdivision soil evaluations completed by other environmental health staff.
• Approval or denial of commercial developments per 15A NCAC 18A.
• Review and permit innovative waste water system approved by NC DHHS
• Data management of staff GPS data/units on a daily basis.
• Permitting of both residential and commercial facilities septic systems
• Work collaboratively with NCDHHS, private soil scientists, and private engineers to evaluate, review, approve and permit commercial septic systems in excess of 3000GPD systems.
• Conduct local and state appeals based on written requests by applicant/owner.
• Complete written and verbal correspondence with establishment owners, contractors, architects, and other municipalities
• Communicate with public by email, phone, mail, meetings.
• Schedule and manage projects at various stages of completion.
• Train and educate new hires and assist with continuing education requirements
• Examine, evaluate and approve/permit engineer design plans for large sacle residential off-site development. Review includes verifying adherence to standards of practice and compliance with state law

Food Service, Institutional Facilities, Lodging, Swimming pools:

• Inspect institutional facilities, lodging, swimming pools, water park and food service establishments as regulated and mandated by state general statutes.
• Review architectural plans for all establishments within assigned area for remodels or new construction to ensure establishment is within the requirements of the regulations and functions as intended.
• Complete written and verbal correspondence with establishment owners, contractors, architects, and other municipalities.
• Investigate outbreaks and consumer complaints as mandated by state general statutes in all establishments.
• Enforces State and Federal Mandated Regulatory Programs designed to monitor and investigate active and potential health hazards in institutional regulated facilities.
• Investigates and resolves difficult consumer complaint investigations, and any outbreaks that occur in institutional facilities.
• Examines, evaluates and approves architectural plans and other scale drawings and specifications to ensure that each new or remodeled facility complies with all applicable health codes.
• Authorizes and directs issuance of Permits as applicable.
• Reviews and evaluates the technical specifications and operational application and acceptability of new products and equipment.
• Schedule and manage projects at various stages of completion
• Train and educate new hires

• Considerable knowledge of environmental health laws, rules, and procedures, as well as complete understanding of the concepts of public health law.
• Considerable knowledge of microbiology, biology, chemistry, food science, epidemiology, soil science, entomology, and basic engineering technology as applied to environmental health practices.  
• Extensive knowledge of emerging pathogens and communicable diseases and Environmental Health’s role in outbreaks.
• Extensive knowledge of North Carolina’s Laws and Rules for Sewage Treatment, and Disposal Systems. Article 11, Chapter 130A of NCGS 15A NCAC 18A. 1900 et seq.
• Extensive knowledge of NC 15A NCAC 18A .2600 Regulations for Food Service Establishments
• General knowledge of the responsibilities of other agencies relating to environmental health and community resources.
• Considerable knowledge of the design of on-site waste water treatment systems, protection of water supplies, food sanitation, food borne diseases, communicable diseases, vector control, and institutional sanitation.
• Knowledge of architectural plans and how to read and measure scaled drawings.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical and engineering principles including ANSI/NSF and ASHREA standards.
• Knowledge of soil characteristics and the relationship of the soil/water continuum including but not limited to, soil physics, soil mineralogy, soil chemistry, and water movement.
• Knowledge of system design including alternative and pretreatment components.
• Knowledge of building and fire codes.
• Knowledge of use and data management of handheld GPS data recorder.
• Knowledge of accepted engineering practices associated with wastewater disposal.
• Knowledge of accepted soil science practices including soil mapping, hydraulic conductivity testing, soil testing etc.
• Extensive knowledge in area of specialty.
• Ability to analyze and comprehend a wide variety of technical and administrative regulations, records, and reports.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and deal tactfully with a wide range of public contacts while enforcing public health laws and regulations.
• Ability to motivate and educate business and property owners and the consuming public in matters related to protecting and promoting public health.
• Ability to present formal environmental health training programs.
• Ability to develop and express ideas and opinions concisely, comprehensively, and clearly in oral and written form.
• Ability to independently plan and schedule work activities and perform assignments.
• Ability to apply environmental health knowledge and techniques in the investigation of environmental health problems.
• Ability to coordinate work in a specialized program area.  Ability to plan and implement education programs.
• Ability to work with others in solving the more complex environmental problems.
• Computer skills for plan review and CDP database for all Environmental Health inspections; GIS Mapping and permitting.

Bachelor’s degree and five years of experience in Environmental Health; OR, Bachelor’s degree in Soil Science and three years of experience; OR, Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health, Science, or Food Science and three years of experience.

Necessary Special Qualification - Registered as a Sanitarian by the NC State Board of Sanitarian Examiners.

Physical Demands and Work Conditions 

Sits, walks, stands, climbs, kneels during a work day.  Must be able to physically perform the basic life support functions of walking, fingering, grasping, talking, and hearing.

Periodically, may be required to lift up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Must have the visual acuity to record observations, to read and analyze, to prepare data and figures; and to access and input environmental health findings into computer terminal.

Employee is subject to both inside and outside environmental conditions.  Employee is subject to noise, dust, rain, snow, mud, sewage and odors from biological substance spills.  Exposure to dangers encountered around heavy equipment and rough, and uneven terrain.

Driving is Essential 

Driving is an essential requirement of this position whether driving a County owned or personal vehicle to conduct county business.   Motor Vehicle Reports may be verified for valid driver’s license and that the driving record is compatible with the county’s driving criteria. 

If a personal vehicle is operated for county business proper insurance is maintained as per Guilford County’s vehicle use policy. 

Special Note: This generic class description gives an overview of the job class, its essential job functions, and recommended job requirements.  However, for each individual position assigned to this class, there is available a completed job description with a physical abilities checklist which can give further details about that one specific position.  Those documents should be reviewed before initiating a selection process.   They can provide additional detailed information on which to base various personnel actions and can assist management in making legal defensible personnel decisions.

Salary : $59,118 - $70,942