Summary
The Food and Facilities Section, Environmental Health Services Division, is currently seeking to fill three (3) Career Service positions for Health & Environmental Investigator (HEI) Level I and Level II; placement into HEI Level I or Level II depends upon the qualifications of successful candidates prior to the hire date (described further in the Qualifications section below).
These positions will provide education, inspection, and compliance services to a broad variety of food establishments and water recreation facilities to minimize risks of injury and disease. The positions will enable businesses to protect public health and comply with the Codes of the King County Board of Health. Additionally, the HEI I/II will implement program activities and priorities outlined by the King County Equity and Social Justice Ordinance and the King County Strategic Plan.
Successful candidates will have a passion for environmental public health and creating heathier lives for all people in King County, possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills and be effective collaborating with community partners, agency partners, and colleagues. Successful candidates will work with a collaborative team of colleagues across the Food & Facilities Section, including supervisors, plan reviewers, field investigators, and educator specialists.
We anticipate that we will notify candidates of next steps by January 29th, 2025. Through the work of 165+ dedicated employees, The Environmental Health Services Division’s mission is to identify and sustain environmental conditions that promote healthy people and healthy communities. Our vision is healthy, safe, and vibrant communities that are free of health disparities based on race, gender, or economic status. The Division’s core values include equity and social justice, integrity, community service, collaboration, a supportive work culture, and learning from each other and the communities we serve. We strive for fair and culturally competent service delivery, innovative, effective, and efficient application of resources, building a culture of performance and expanding opportunities to seek input, listen and respond to industry and residents.
The Food & Facilities Section contributes to healthy, diverse communities by permitting, educating and inspecting over 1,800 water recreation facilities, 12,500 permanent food businesses, 40 farmers markets, 3,000 temporary food businesses, and issues over 50,000 food worker cards annually.
This posting will create a list of qualified candidates that may be considered for selection of additional career service, term limited temporary (TLT), short-term temporary (STT), or special duty assignment (SDA) vacancies over the next 6 months.
Salary Information (Depends on Qualifications)
$38.37 -- $48.64 hourly: Health and Environmental Investigator I
$45.30 -- $57.43 hourly: Health and Environmental Investigator II
Commitment To Equity and Social Justice
Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.
The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.
We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.
To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx
Work Schedule Upon hire, the work schedule for these positions will be Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 40 hours per week. Alternate work schedules will be considered after successful completion of probationary period. These positions are FLSA (overtime) eligible.
Work Location The work associated with these positions will be performed predominately through a hybrid work schedule of onsite and remote work, with the majority of the work performed in the field at various locations throughout King County. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at Public Health worksites throughout the County (Downtown Seattle, Chinook Building, 401 5th Ave., Suite 1100, Seattle; Eastgate Public Health Center, 14350 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue; North Creek office, Bothell; or Kent Public Health Center, 25742 104th Ave SE) and may also utilize home deployment. There will be situations where the employee is required to report to a County worksite. The Environmental Health Division reserves the right to place staff at worksite locations or transfer staff to new worksite locations that best support the efficient delivery of services.
Some of the work associated with this position will be performed through teleworking, and will report to office location and to meetings as needed. Travel to other work locations may be necessary. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. To support employees during this time King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team.
Job Duties
HEI I and II positions recruited from this announcement will support the following scopes of work:
- Provide culturally competent education, technical assistance, and regulatory compliance services to entities such as food industries, schools, water recreation facilities, the media, and the general public.
- Convey and interpret public health and environmental codes, regulations, policies, and technical regulatory information to a variety of diverse audiences.
- Conduct inspections to ensure compliance with current public health and environmental codes, regulations and policies;
- Determine if regulatory violations have occurred, document violations, establish schedules for corrective actions, and make recommendations for additional compliance actions to senior investigators.
- Perform foodborne illness investigations and coordinate activities with senior level investigators;
- Respond to public complaints and inquiries about foodborne illness and other environmental health concerns; Maintain and use program based computerized systems, write reports, and maintain accurate field records.
- Work with other agencies and jurisdictions to receive, screen, or share information regarding environmental health investigations as needed to coordinate multi-jurisdictional enforcement actions.
- Present environmental health program information at meetings and public forums.
- Participate in assigned Environmental Health Division meetings and trainings.
- Implement program activities and priorities outlined by the King County Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Ordinance and the King County ESJ Strategic Plan.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Knowledge of environmental health, science and engineering principles.
- Knowledge of environmental programs, laws, regulations and policy processes.
- Knowledge of regulatory and technical research methods.
- Knowledge of conflict resolution techniques.
- Skill in providing quality customer services with broadly diverse populations.
- Skill in verbal and written communications; using office software and databases; and using and interpreting maps and plans.
- Ability to work effectively both as an individual and as a member of a team; make sound, reasonable, and objective determinations based on facts; handle and meet deadlines; deal with difficult people; and complete complicated and interagency projects in a timely and effective manner.
- Ability to conduct complex environmental health investigations using established regulations, codes, and practices to research, monitor, and apply federal, state and local laws, policies, and environmental protection.
- Ability to exercise good judgment in evaluating and securing correction of unsatisfactory conditions, situations and practices; investigate and report on compliance with environmental standards, laws, rules and regulations; and establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
- Ability to interpret environmental health laws, ordinances and regulations for application to environmental health problems and to a variety of audiences.
Required Qualifications:- A Bachelor’s degree meeting the minimum requirements for obtaining a valid certificate as Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) or as a Registered Sanitarian (RS) from the Washington State Board of Registered Sanitarians (WSBRS).
- Ability to communicate and provide information verbally and in writing to the public.
- Valid Washington State Driver License and ability to operate a motor vehicle.
All required licenses and certifications must be maintained in active statis without suspension or revocation throughout employment.
Our ideal candidate will have the following desired qualifications:
- Bilingual in one of most common non-English language groups in King County (includes Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Somali, Chinese, Korean, Ukrainian, Amharic, Hindi and Punjabi).
- Knowledge of, and experience applying, the King County Food Code and the Washington State Water Recreation Facilities Code.
- Demonstrated knowledge, skills and abilities for the position.
- Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health or equivalent.
- Experience with at least one of the following:
- Conducting plan review or inspections to ensure compliance with state or local water recreation codes
- Conducting plan review or inspections of food establishments to ensure compliance with state or local food codes
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
This position requires the ability to perform work duties both indoors and outdoors in office environments, including places such as food establishments, schools, water recreation facilities and other field locations in a variety physical and weather conditions that may include:
- Walking on wet and greasy floors, uneven terrain, up and down stairs and working around heavy machinery, strong odors, dusts, animals, and various types of chemical products and wastes.
- Carrying, using, and maintaining in the field portable computers, environmental sampling equipment, and educational and enforcement documents.
- Due to nature of regulatory oversight, there may at times be interaction with individuals from the public who are upset, angry, agitated, and sometimes hostile; these interactions require the use of conflict management and de- escalation skills.
- This position may require strength enough to lift, carry, push, or pull equipment and other objects such as refrigerator and freezer doors weighing up to 40 pounds.
- Performance of job duties requires driving on a regular basis and a valid Washington State Driver's license.
- This position may require the incumbent to occasionally access or travel by ferry or boat.
LICENSING/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
- Valid Washington State driver's license.
- An HEI Level II hire requires, at the time of hire, possession of a valid certificate as Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) or as a Registered Sanitarian (RS) from the Washington State Board of Registered Sanitarians (WSBRS).
- An HEI Level I hire requires obtaining a valid REHS certificate from NEHA or an RS from WSBRS within six months of the hire date as a condition of continuing employment. The probationary period may be extended on a case-by-case basis.
Both NEHA and WSBRS provide applications for REHS/RS credentialing by examination or via reciprocity. REHS/RS credentialing information is available from NEHA at:
Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian Credential (neha.org)
REHS/RS credentialing information is available from WSBRS at: www.wsbrs.org
Supplemental Information
Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
Who May Apply
These Career Service positions are open to all qualified applicants.
Application Process
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:
- NeoGov Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
- Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
Necessary Special Requirements
- The selection process may include evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. You must completely fill out the application with your relevant education and work experience.
- The selected candidate must be able to pass a thorough background investigation and Pre-Employment Physical, but findings may not necessarily disqualify an applicant for employment.
- For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring. For tips on interviewing, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/~/media/audience/employees/learning-and- development/InterviewTips.ashx?la=en.
- Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
- Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
- Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
- Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
- When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CBA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department.
- If you need a disability accommodation in the application or testing process, please call the contact number listed on the job announcement.
Union Membership These positions are represented by PROTEC17.
Contact For questions about the application process, contact Catherine Fitzpatrick, Sr. HR Analyst, at Catherine.fitzpatrick@kingcounty.gov.
