Environmental Health Specialist Consultant

Title: Environmental Health Specialist Consultant

State Role Title: 

Hiring Range: $60,000 to $80,000

Pay Band: 5

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: Dept of Health

Agency Website: vdh.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

This is a restricted position, which is solely funded by Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (EPA), which is a continuous revolving grant. The availability of funding is scheduled for review annually. Continued employment is contingent on the continued availability of funds.

Implementation of Central Office program that focuses on deployment of resources, training and assistance to the regulated community to assist waterworks in obtaining and/or maintaining technical, managerial, and financial capacity necessary to comply with federal, state, and local laws and VDH policies and procedures. Provides technical support, capacity development project planning, and consultation on actions associated with the Office of Drinking Water mission. These duties will focus on the implementation of the Virginia Capacity Development Strategy, implementation of outreach programs that support the EPA Capacity Development approach (including materials, training, and outreach), technical assistance to waterworks owners/operators, and development of materials for the purpose of promoting the ODW mission to various audiences. Collaborates with Waterworks owners, VDH staff, and Technical Assistance providers to improve the sustainability of waterworks in Virginia. Management of the DRSRF Planning and Design Fund and Small Project Engineering Services projects. Duties may include presentations to public and technical audiences, reviews of technical, managerial and financial documentation, and support to other VDH offices.

1. Program Management
• Ensures supervised programs comply with EPA and VDH requirements.
• Maintains a list of priority systems at risk for lack of technical, managerial, or financial capacity.
• Provides technical assistance aimed at increasing technical, managerial, or financial capacities of priority and other small waterworks through direct contacts and/or on-site one-on-one visits, small event training, development of written or electronic resources, or through presentations at conferences.
• Uses surveillance data to make well-reasoned recommendations to the Capacity Development Manager that exhibit the ability to convey and substantiate conclusions.
• Provides technical assistance to waterworks completing a Waterworks Business Operations Plan, and tracks progress of waterworks participation in Waterworks Business Operations Plan program to support field staff.
• Provides technical assistance to waterworks completing an asset management plan, and tracks progress of waterworks completing asset management plans.
• Assists the Capacity Development Manager with the preparation of the annual Capacity Development Report per EPA guidelines.
• Collaborates with other VDH divisions, Technical assistance providers i.e. VRWA, SERCAP, EFCN, VT, AWWA, EPA, and outside partners such as Planning District Commissions, DEQ, and DPOR.
2. Resource Management
• Ensures monetary resources are used for their intended purposes in support of the agency’s fiscal responsibilities and that no resources are used for purposes disallowed by law, regulation, or policy.
• Identifies strategies and other methods to maximize revenue and resources to improve the ODW fiscal status.
• Confirms projects completed as part of DWSRF Planning and Design funds and Small Project Engineering Program Services (SPES) funds are used for their intended purposes.
3. Strategic Activity
• Collaborates with the Capacity Development Director and other Sustainability Coordinators during each performance cycle to identify a strategic programmatic need/activity under the current Capacity Development Strategy.
• Provides specific goals that address increasing the technical, managerial, and financial capacity of waterworks in Virginia.
4. Leadership
• Serves as an example of engaged leadership to VDH, staff, and community. He or she is actively engaged in supporting the agency’s mission by collaborating to create a division vision for his/her assigned program area; coordinating and balancing the program needs between all stakeholders; and serving when appropriate, as a team member to both VDH and community teams.
5. Staff Engagement
• Staff meetings.
• Waterworks assistance.
• Seeking feedback as needed to foster a collaborative team oriented environment.