EHS Regional Officer/Technical Assistant

Job Description

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

The New York City Bureau of Water Supply seeks to hire an Associate Public Health Sanitarian II for a position within the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Directorate, located in Queens, New York. The Bureau of Water Supply’s (BWS) Environmental, Health and Safety Facilities Compliance Unit is responsible for providing environmental health and safety resources in order to achieve compliance objectives for all BWS employees and facilities.

Under direction, of the EHS Supervisor of Downstate Facilities Compliance, the Associate Public Health Sanitarian II will serve as EHS Regional Officer/Technical Assistant and will be responsible for performing in order to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations governing health and safety and environmental standards in the workplace. Specific duties include:

- Ensuring that facilities and staff maintain general environmental conditions, and safety and health standards. Directly providing support and subject matter technical assistance on Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) matters in order to maintain compliance with Federal, State and Local regulations, laws and codes, and Agency and Bureau policies and guidelines. Providing day to day planning, coordination and implementation of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) objectives, overseeing the administration of safety and compliance work within the facility and other assigned locations within the reporting unit, planning immediate and long-range Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) programs, evaluating the effectiveness and success of safety compliance programs, conducting and attending regular Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and strategic planning meetings, remaining thoroughly familiar with applicable regulations and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) policies and programs.

- Working in conjunction with the facility Responsible Individual (RI) and others, acting as the primary conduit to ensure verification duties so that Downstate facilities maintain Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) compliance with any applicable regulations and Agency and Bureau policies and guidelines through the performance of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) inspections, investigations and reporting. Scheduling and completing regular facility/worksite level inspections as prescribed in the Agency Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Compliance and Continuous Improvement Policy, tracking relevant identified deficiencies to completion, and acting as the facility lead regarding the coordination of audits, inspection, and compliance visits by Agency, Bureau and external regulatory agencies for any assigned facilities.


- Acting as the principal in assisting with providing direct support for special projects, regulatory review, and subject matter expertise regarding any applicable regulations, and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Agency and Bureau policies and programs. Developing emergency action plans, incident investigation and reporting, reviewing Safety Data Sheets and chemical inventories, preparation of technical and interpretive reports, assessment of employee exposure and risk assessments, providing effective hazard communications, providing for the characterization, management and shipment of hazardous wastes at facilities, reviewing safe work plans and assisting with regional facility regulatory permit applications and records retention.

- Acting as the principal liaison to provide research, information, documentation and technical resources in order to ensure that all staff reporting to the assigned facilities have information on, and access to, tools and skills required to conduct their job duties in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Developing training profiles, mentoring new Site Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Officers, providing Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) toolbox sessions, programmatic training updates, providing for the maintenance of various Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) records, the development and update of personal protective equipment assessments, job hazard analysis, confined space entry program documentation, noise monitoring, and other technical Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) support and training as may be needed to maintain facilities compliance.

- Acting as the princi