environmental health specialist - Arlington, United States - Arlington County, VA

Description

Salary: $75, $116,812.80 Annually

Location : Arlington, VA

Job Type: Full-Time Permanent

Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number: A-DHS-DB

Department: Department of Human Services

Division: DHS PH Community Health Protection

Opening Date: 05/17/2024

Closing Date: 5/30/2024 11:59 PM Eastern

Position Information

Arlington County's is seeking an Environmental Health Specialist to perform regulatory inspections in licensed food establishments, water recreational facilities (pools and spas) and hotels to protect and promote public health in the community by preventing the spread of disease transmitted by food, water, animals, insects, and environmental hazards. This Specialist works within the Public Health Division of the Department of Human Services (DHS) and collaborates with other agencies to assess and address public health risks and assure compliance.

To learn more about Environmental Health,

Specific duties include:

• Inspecting licensed food establishments, water recreation facilities (pools and spas), and hotels for adherence to local, state, and federal regulations, and documenting findings utilizing MS Office and local/state databases;
• Utilizing the formal steps and documentation of enforcement as defined by Code to assure due process;
• Responding to citizen concerns regarding licensed establishments;
• Conducting formal Plan Reviews of food service, pools/spas, and hotels to assure compliance with Code;
• Providing guidance and interpretation to the public and/or specific agencies or managers concerning public health standards or risks and related environmental health topics;
• Participating in Public Health Response trainings and exercises to maintain readiness to respond to emergencies and outbreaks;
• Participating in community outreach events and inspecting temporary food vendors at special events; and
• Participating in suspected food borne illness outbreak investigations.

Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs.
Selection Criteria

Minimum:

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health, Public Health or a directly related Natural Science area such as Biology or Chemistry; and
• Some experience in environmental health inspection work.

Substitution: Additional professional environmental health inspection experience may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Desirables: Preference may be given to candidates with a Master's degree in environmental health and/or one or more of the following:

• VDH Standardized Food Environmental Health Specialist;
• Experience in food service protection work;
• Current Registration as an Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) by the National Environmental Health Association;
• Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS); and/or
• Certified Pool Operator (CPO).

Special Requirements

Employee must obtain and maintain food standardization as defined by the Virginia Department of Health within twelve (12) months of hire.

The applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid motor vehicle operator's license and must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide, a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. An offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.

A pre-hire background check will be conducted on all candidates who are selected for employment. It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history which will require the applicant to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain the background information.

Pursuant to Section 27-9 of the Arlington County Code, this position requires the completion of a "Statement of Economic Interest" (Financial Disclosure) form upon acceptance of employment and annually thereafter.
Additional Information

The pay ranges listed above are effective June 30, 2024.

Work Hours: Core hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday with some telework opportunities with supervisor approval. Depending on need, work schedule may be extended beyond normal work hours. Seasonal weekend work is required. This employee may be asked to respond to calls on nights and weekends with compensation.

The official title for this position is Environmental Health Specialist I.

Your responses to the supplemental questionnaire are considered part of the selection process and are required for this position. Please do not give "see resume" as a response to the questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

#LI-Hybrid

Applicants who have questions or need assistance with the application may telephone or visit the Human Resources Department. Our staff will be happy to work with you to enter your application into the system. Public access computers are available at all County Libraries, and in the Human Resources Department.

The examination process for this position may include: (1) training and experience evaluation; (2) written and oral examination; (3) personal interview; (4) performance test/work sample; and/or (5) physical examination.

Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process. Please call the ADA Coordinator at voice) or email .

Eligibility for Arlington County Government employee benefits depends on your position type (permanent or temporary) and your status (full-time or part-time).

More detailed information on benefits and conditions of employment is available on the Arlington County Human Resources Department website:

Permanent, Full-Time Appointments
All jobs are permanent, full-time appointments unless otherwise stated in the announcement. The following benefits are available:

Paid Leave: Vacation leave is earned at the rate of five hours biweekly. Leave accrual increases gradually until eight hours of leave are earned biweekly for twelve or more years of service. Sick leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. Paid parental and family leave benefits are also offered. Leave is pro-rated for part-time employees.

Holidays: There are eleven paid fixed holidays each year, as well as two floating holidays. Initial allotment of floating holidays may vary based on when you are hired.

Health and Dental Insurance: Four group health insurance plans are offered - a health maintenance organization, two plans with in-network only coverage, and a high-deductible plan with in and out-of-network coveerage, along with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Group dental insurance is also offered, with two options for coverage. The County pays a significant portion of the premium for these plans for employees and their dependents. The County also contributes to the HSA.

Life Insurance: Basic life insurance is provided at no cost to employees. The benefit is one times annual salary. Additional life insurance may be purchased for yourself, spouse, and/or children.

Retirement: The County retirement program is made up of three parts: a defined benefit (pension) plan, a defined contribution plan (401(a)), and a deferred compensation plan The defined benefit plan provides a monthly retirement benefit based on your final average salary and years of service with the County. You contribute a portion of your salary on a pre-tax basis to this plan. General employees contribute 4% of pay; uniformed public safety employees contribute 7.5% of pay. The County also contributes to this plan. Employees become vested in the plan at five years of service.

For general employees, the County also contributes 4.2% of pay to a defined contribution plan (401(a)). The 457 deferred compensation plan allows you to save for retirement on either a pre-tax (457b) or post-tax (457 Roth) basis up to the IRS annual limit. New employees are automatically enrolled with a pre-tax contribution equal to 2% of your pay. A variety of investment options are available for the 401(a) and 457 plans.

Other Benefits: The County also offers health care, dependent care, and parking flexible spending accounts; adoption assistance, tuition reimbursement; transit and walk/bike to work subsidies; a college savings plan; wellness programs; training opportunities; and a variety of other benefits.

Permanent, Part-Time Appointments:
Part-time employees who work ten or more hours per week receive paid leave and benefits in proportion to the number of hours worked per week.

Limited Term Appointments:
Benefits are the same as permanent appointments except that the employees do not achieve permanent status.

Temporary Regular Appointments:
Temporary regular employees who work 30 hours or more per week are eligible for health, dental, and basic life insurance as described above. They are also eligible for vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.

Temporary Seasonal and Occasional Appointments:
Temporary employees who work on a seasonal basis or variable hours receive sick leave, but do not normally receive other paid leave or benefits. Exceptions are noted in individual announcements.

01

I understand that this position requires the completion of a "Statement of Economic Interest" (Financial Disclosure) form upon acceptance of employment and annually thereafter.

• Yes
• No

02

Please provide the following:

• Highest level of degree earned:
• Area(s) of study:

03

Please describe any professional experience in environmental health inspection work including regulatory food inspections.

04

Are you substituting additional professional environmental health inspection experience for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis.

• Yes
• No

05

Indicate if you possess any of the following valid credentials. Check all that apply.

• VDH Standardized Food Environmental Health Specialist Certificate
• Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) by the National Environmental Health Association
• Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS)
• Certified Pool Operator (CPO).
• None of the above

Required Question