Environment Health Specialist Senior

Title: Environment Health Specialist Senior

State Role Title: Environmental Specialist I

Hiring Range: $53,500-$74,850

Pay Band: NV 4

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location: Alexandria HQ

Agency Website: https://www.jobs.virginia.gov/jobs/search

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Alexandria Health Department (AHD) is seeking two diligent professionals with strong customer service skills to join our Environmental Health Division as an Environmental Health Specialist Senior (EHS Senior). This position performs Environmental Health duties in areas such as food safety, aquatic health, communicable disease investigation, and investigation of general environmental complaints.

 

Our EHS Seniors are provided with a unique opportunity for training and career development within the Environmental Health field. We have elected to participate in the FDA Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards program, which encourages and enables us to continuously improve and set high goals for our food safety program. We are also very involved in the National Capital Area Environmental Health Association (NCAEHA) and the Virginia Environmental Health Association (VEHA), with team members currently serving on both of those associations. The EH division also provides dedicated training time for professional development that can be used for EHS Seniors to obtain and maintain their Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) and Certified Professional in Food Safety CP-FS) credentials through the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA).

 

Performs environmental health duties independently at the journey level in areas such as food sanitation, on-site soils evaluation, private well inspection, rabies abatement, communicable disease investigation, migrant labor camp inspection, classification of shellfish growing areas and investigation of general environmental complaints. Training includes completion of the VDH Food program. Must have and maintain credentials in VDH Standardized in Food.

 

The Virginia Department of Health offers 12 paid holidays, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, retirement plans (including 401a Cash Match and 457 Deferred Compensation Plan) as well as sick, family/personal, and annual leave.

Performs environmental health duties independently at the journey level in areas such as food sanitation, on-site soils evaluation, private well inspection, rabies abatement, communicable disease investigation, classification of shellfish growing areas and investigation of general environmental complaints. Training includes completion of the VDH Food program. Must have and maintain credentials in VDH Standardized in Food.

Works to reduce risks of injury and to prevent the initiation and spread of communicable and non-communicable disease by means of investigation, education, and enforcement of established codes, policies, procedures and sanitation practices. Work assignments may be narrow or broad and may include such areas as: restaurant and food facilities, hotel, insect and rodent abatement, and rabies containment in support of work unit/district goals and objectives.

Minimum Qualifications

• VDH standardized in food
• A valid State Driver's License is required to operate a state vehicle or if operating a personal vehicle while conducting business on behalf of the agency
• Ability to interpret complex federal, state and local environmental health policies, regulations, and laws
• Skills in communication, both oral and written; ability to deal with the public and resolve conflict in a regulatory setting
• Ability to prepare thorough documentation and reports of regulatory activities
• Skills as an educator/trainer teaching environmental health principles, strong skills in communication, both oral and written
• Ability to interpret and enforce laws and regulations governing environmental health programs; ability to analyze information and make recommendations

Additional Considerations

• Knowledge of Environmental Health Science concepts or work experience directly related to Environmental Health Sciences, including but not limited to food safety, rabies control, aquatic health, hotel sanitation, and geothermal wells
• Knowledge of the 2017 or 2022 FDA Food Codes
• Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) and/or Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS)
• Knowledge and experience