Environmental Specialist – North Environmental Center – Forest Lake

JOB SPECIFICS

Washington County Public Health & Environment is seeking a customer focused professional to join the Environmental Operations Team within a fast-paced and dynamic Accredited Public Health Department. The position supports environmental protection by helping community members adopt sustainable waste reduction and recycling practices.

The successful candidate will work at the North Washington County Environmental Center in Forest Lake and serve as a key public contact for residents seeking information on reuse, recycling and disposal options.

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting customers in the Free Product Room
• Responding to technical inquiries regarding reuse, recycling, and disposal options, including transportation and disposal of household hazardous waste
• Delivering excellent customer service and professionally navigating challenging customer interactions
• Providing public and internal education, outreach, and training
• Conducting tours of the Environmental Center
• Coordinating with Washington County contractors
• Researching, planning, and organizing waste reduction programs and events
• Assisting with administrative tasks such as data entry and reporting
• Responding to and assisting with investigations of public health nuisances

This position primarily involves office-based work in a professional setting. Strong organizational, time management, and written and verbal communication skills are essential for success in this role.

Washington County Public Health & Environment values your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. We are committed to building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive work environment and believe diversity benefits and enriches our programs, our staff, and the communities we serve.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE:

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.

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.