JOB SPECIFICS
Washington County Public Health & Environment is seeking a motivated professional to join the Environmental Operations Team in a fast-paced, dynamic, Accredited Public Health Department. This position may be hired at either the Environmental Specialist or Senior Environmental Specialist level, depending on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.
This role plays a vital part in protecting the environment by helping community members adopt sustainable waste reduction and recycling practices. The successful candidate will work at the Washington County South Environmental Center located in Woodbury and support daily facility operations while providing excellent customer service and technical expertise.
Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
- Supporting day-to-day operations of the South Environmental Center
- Coordinating with Washington County contractors
- Assisting with management of Washington County’s internal hazardous waste program
- Assisting with drafting, implementing, and administrating contracts
- Supporting development and implementation of the Washington County Wood Waste Utilization Program
- Responding to and assisting with investigations of public health nuisances
- Assisting customers in the Free Product Room
- Delivering training and presentations to internal and external groups
- Researching, planning, and organizing waste reduction programs and events
- Responding to technical inquiries regarding reuse, recycling, and disposal options, including transportation and disposal of household hazardous waste
The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong customer service skills and the ability to navigate complex or challenging conversations professionally and effectively. Strong organizational skills, time management, and clear written and verbal communication abilities are essential for success in this role.
Washington County Public Health & Environment values diverse experiences, perspectives, and identities. We are committed to building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive workplace and believe diversity strengthens and enriches our programs, staff, and the communities we serve.
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE:
- Paid work experience with hazardous waste management and regulations
- Demonstrated experience maintaining strong attention to detail while prioritizing competing tasks and deadlines
- Experience managing and transitioning between multiple projects or assignments simultaneously
- Experience in customer service or public-facing role
- Work or academic experience in recycling, solid waste, and wood waste industries
- Expertise working with Microsoft products such as: Access, Excel, Power Automate, SharePoint, and Teams
- Experience with operational equipment such as forklifts, pallet jacks, compactors, and trailer hauling
SELECTION TECHNIQUE: Your training and experience will be rated based on the required application material submitted and the top scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration.
ANTICIPATED HIRING RANGE: $32.93-$38.92 Hourly
(May be hired at the Senior Environmental Specialist level depending on qualifications)HOURS/DAYS: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Occasional nights and weekends may be required. Work location and hours are subject to change based on business need.
E- Verify Participation Poster
Right to work Poster
JOB SUMMARY
The Environmental Specialist is an entry-level professional position involving work of a varied nature to promote and protect public health and the environment. The position includes a basic range of duties relating to environmental health, including ensuring compliance with applicable laws and providing assistance and education within the community. The position may also assist senior staff and management with developing and evaluating programs. Areas of assignment can include subsurface sewage treatment systems, solid waste management, hazardous waste management, food, beverage and lodging establishments, pools, recreational camping areas, manufactured home parks, public health nuisance, complaints, public water supplies, recycling or other environmental health programs. Work involves collaborating with cities, townships, businesses, citizens and government and private agencies.
EMPLOYMENT CRITERIA
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (General): Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Health, Sanitary Sciences, the physical, or biological sciences, or a related environmental health or natural resources field, including at least 30 semester or 45 quarter hour credits in the physical, chemical or biological sciences.
A background check is required. Must have means of reliable transportation for business purposes. Individuals operating a motor vehicle for county business must possess a valid driver's license.
A driver's license is required.
CORE COMPETENCIES, JOB SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE
Core Competencies outline essential business and professional traits necessary to perform this job.
- Support and prioritize a welcoming and respectful workplace that fosters diversity and encourages contributions from all individuals.
- Provide inclusive and equitable service to all members of the community with dignity and respect.
- Demonstrate support for the County’s diversity, equity and inclusion program.
- Promotes a culture of continuous quality improvement in the workplace.
- Demonstrates knowledge of, or ability to learn, quality/continuous improvement.
- Knowledge of environmental problems that affect public health.
- General knowledge of federal state and local laws, rules and regulations.
- Knowledge of investigation methods including basic epidemiological methods.
- General knowledge of basic public and environmental health sciences.
- Ability to prepare written reports.
- Ability to build effective relationships with fellow employees.
- Ability to attend inter-agency meetings.
- Ability to understand complex technical information.
- Ability to use program specific equipment or instruments such as GPS, temperature probe, pool titration test kit, test strips, thermometer, and thermocouple.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Performs regulatory compliance activities.
- Conducts routine and follow up inspections of regulated entities to ensure compliance with environmental health laws and regulations.
- Prepares inspection reports and corrective action orders, documents compliance, and maintains facility or establishment records.
- Assists with investigating public health nuisances and environmental health complaints in the community and with regulated entities.
- Communicates state and local rules and regulations, policies, and procedures to community representatives, regulated entities and citizens.
- Assists with review of proposed facility plans, management plans, menus, technical and scientific data, test results, chemical analyses, license applications, and other submittals.
- Determines compliance with requirements and standards in assigned programs.
- Provides technical assistance to regulated entities.
- Performs community environmental health activities.
- Assists in responding to disease outbreak investigations in coordination with department staff and other health agencies.
- Prepares for and responds to public health emergencies and disasters.
- Responds to community requests for information and technical assistance.
- Assists citizens in understanding environmental health issues or problems.
- Provides program support.
- Assists in implementing performance measurements and quality improvement process within environmental programs.
- Assists in planning developing and evaluating assigned programs and new initiatives.
- Assists with training sessions for public and private entities on requirements, regulations and methods of compliance.
- Assists with developing various forms of education and outreach for environmental and public health programs.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Essential functions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, and 18.
WORK ENVIRONMENTWork involves office (40-60%) and field work (40-60%). Field work may be done outside or in various business or community settings. Work may include hot, cold, noisy, wet, dirty or filthy conditions. Work may include proximity or potential exposure to dust, disagreeable odors, infectious agents or vectors, physical or chemical hazards, or animals. Employees may encounter reluctant, angry, aggressive or threatening people. Job duties often require daily driving to complete inspections and attend meetings.
The job requires lifting, pushing or pulling up to 25 pounds on an occasional basis. Frequent position changes including stooping, kneeling, crouching and reaching are routine when performing inspection functions. Use of sense of sight and smell are necessary in this work.
Additional physical/mental requirements that occur may not be listed above but are inherent in performing the position's essential functions.
This job description is intended to describe the kinds of tasks and level of work difficulty being performed by people assigned to this classification. The list of responsibilities is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. The County retains the discretion to add or change the contents of this job description at any time.
