Job Description

Job Title: Environmental Health Specialist  
Department: Public Health                                 
Reports To: Public Health Deputy Director  
Classification: Full-Time, Non-Exempt 
Compensation Range:

• In-training: $21-$25/hour DOE 
• Experienced Environmental Health Specialist: $25-$30/hour DOE 

Benefits: Employee Benefits | Lake County, CO

Position Summary 
Lake County Public Health Agency (LCPHA), an EOE employer, seeks a full-time Environmental Health Specialist to join our Consumer Protection (retail food, tobacco, schools and childcare) inspection program. This is either an entry-level inspector position within the Lake County Environmental Health Program where training is provided, or a position for someone with previous experience and training. This employee serves as an inspector, consultant, administrator, program manager, and educator to retail food establishments, tobacco retail establishments, schools and childcares. This employee performs a variety of duties to help prevent the spread of disease, mitigate health risks, and ensure compliance with all rules and regulations in the areas of health and safety for environmental health programming in Lake County. This position will also assist with all additional environmental health programs in the department including but not limited to; radon, water/air quality, and environmental planning and emergency response. This position requires the ability to speak and write fluent English; a bilingual English/Spanish person is preferred. This position will report to the Deputy Director of Public Health. 

This position pays a competitive salary, depending upon experience. This is a full-time, in person position that is eligible for benefits. This position is funded by Lake County, Colorado State, and Federal funds. If the funding is reduced or discontinued, this position may be reduced or discontinued. 

We encourage applicants of all levels of experience, skill, and ability to apply to this position. The requirements are a guide, and not wholly inclusive of potential talents the incumbent may be able to bring to Lake County Government. 

General Duties and Responsibilities 
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Essential Functions 

• Conducts school, childcare, retail food, temporary events with food, and retail tobacco compliance inspections in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and ordinances. 
• Conducts school, childcare, and retail food establishment plan reviews and pre-operational inspections as required. 
• Conducts administrative duties related to retail food licensing and utilizes provided software to manage permits. 
• Manages administrative duties related to the Tobacco Retail Licensing program. 
• Works closely with CDPHE to ensure all regulations are met in Lake County. 
• Issues retail food licenses and permit reviews for special events. 
• Works with the schools, childcare, retail food industry, and the public to reduce environmental health related health and safety risks. 
• Performs investigations of public complaints related to health and safety. 
• Conducts epidemiological investigations related to school, childcare, and retail food illness outbreaks and complaints and trains in pandemic or illness related emergency preparedness. 
• Actively serves on and participates with various committees and professional groups dealing with environmental health regulations, community safety and emergency preparedness. 
• Travel and attend environmental health trainings, meetings, workshops and conferences which may include overnight travel as needed. 
• Updates Environmental Health web pages and posts to Public Health social media to provide public information, reduce environmental health-related safety risks, and raise awareness of special health issues. 
• Cross trained to work Public Health front desk and assist with administrative duties and Vital Records when necessary. 
• Fosters teamwork and open communication among staff; participates in office meetings, team-building activities and trainings. 

Other Duties 
Please note that this job description does not intend to cover or contain a full comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

Supervisory Responsibilities 

• Not Applicable 

Requirements 
Compensation will be determined by the applicant's full skillset with consideration of the below: 

In Training 

• Bachelor's degree in public health, environmental health, environmental science, natural sciences, or closely related field. Equivalent experience may be substituted for education. 
• Public contact experience in a service-related field with the ability to remain flexible and sensitive to a clientele diverse in age, ethnicity, and maturity. 
• Ability to work as part of a team. Effectively communicate and work with co-workers, clients, other agencies, and the public. 
• Ability to assess situations and make prudent and appropriate decisions; ability to apply conflict resolution and problems solving skills to minimize negative personal impact. 
• Ability to effectively manage time and maintain organization with keen attention to detail; ability to complete quality work amidst multiple, competing priorities. 
• Superior verbal and written communication skills and effective listening skills. 
• You will have one year to complete the necessary training, experience and certification to obtain the full-title of Environmental Health Specialist – Consumer Protection. 
• Travel to conferences or events within and outside of the state of Colorado may be required. 
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred. 

Experienced Environmental Health Specialist 

• Bachelor's degree in public health, environmental health, environmental science, natural sciences, or closely related field. 
• CDPHE Standardized Retail Food Inspector or FDA Standardized Retail Food Inspector 
• Must possess at least 30 semester hours in natural, environmental, or biological science courses. 
• Preferred NEHA REHS/RS credential or ability to obtain credential. 
• Any combination of education and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities.  
• Excellent communication skills. 
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work with competing priorities. 
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred. 

Hazard Notice 
Employees may encounter environmental health hazards including chemical fumes, biological agents, and other environmental contaminants.  

Physical Activity & Work Environment 

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. 
• Prolonged periods of standing or walking. 
• Frequent bending, kneeling, reaching, or climbing. 
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds. 
• Occasional pushing, pulling, or moving objects. 
• Use of hands for repetitive motions such as typing, writing, or operating equipment. 
• Operation of standard office equipment (computers, phones, copiers, etc.). 
• Visual acuity to read and produce accurate documents and materials. 
• Hearing ability sufficient to respond to spoken communication. 
• Ability to climb stairs. 
• Ability to operate motor vehicles. 
• Standard office environment with controlled temperature and lighting. 
• Work occasionally performed in a loud environment 
• Exposure to fumes, chemicals, or hazardous materials. 
• Interaction with the public, sometimes in high-pressure or emotionally charged situations. 
• Occasional travel to offsite locations or satellite facilities. 
• Work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, or high-volume environment. 
• May be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, or be on-call. 
• Exposure to bodily fluids, communicable diseases, or biohazards (for healthcare/public safety roles). 

EOE Statement

Lake County is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. Assistance or accommodation during the application process due to a disability is available upon request.

Notice of Work Authorization Requirement

Appl icants must be authorized to lawfully work for any employer in the United States. Lake County is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.

Notice of Emergency/Disaster Responsibilities

All Lake County Employees may be required to work as a Disaster Service Worker when a local declaration of emergency or disaster is declared by the Board of County Commissioners. To be prepared for this role, all employees and emergency service function (ESF) leads will attend emergency management trainings and exercises as requested by the Director of Emergency Management. With advanced notification from OEM, employees will make reasonable efforts to attend training events in coordination with other employees and supervisors.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description does not intend to cover or contain a full comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Expected Duration of the Application Process

Due to the nature of the application and selection process for Lake County full-time positions, applicants can reasonably expect the application process to take a significant amount of time to complete before a decision is made to hire or not to hire. Typically, it takes approximately two (2) to four (4) weeks from the date of application to complete the entire selection process. The length of time it takes to complete the process can vary depending on a variety of factors. Please note that this is an estimated duration of the selection process.

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