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 with data analysis.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish, Amharic or another language widely spoken by the population in Alexandria

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a state and federal criminal history background check and the Department of Social Service’s Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry check, U.S. HHSIG Exclusion List check, employment reference check and E-Verify. Other financial, credit, driving, background checks or completion of Statement of Economic Interests may be required for certain positions.

VDH accepts only on-line applications. Faxed, mailed, or e-mailed applications will not be considered. Applications are accepted until 11:55 p.m. on the job closing date. Applications and/or resumes should include relevant work history which indicates your qualifications for this position.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth and VDH that all aspects of human resource management be conducted without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists); sex; color; national origin; religion; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; age; veteran status; political affiliation; disability; genetic information; and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. VDH employees have a shared Code of Ethics, which can be found in the bottom banner of our website: www.vdh.virginia.gov.

If you have been affected by DHRM Policy 1.30 layoff and possess a valid Interagency Placement Screening Form (Yellow Card) or a Preferential Hiring Form (Blue Card), you must submit the card before the closing date for this position. The Card may be submitted with the state application as an attachment.

As a V3 (Virginia Values Veterans) employer VDH Welcomes Veterans to apply!

VDH requires all Health-Care Personnel (HCP) to provide documentation of immunization or evidence of immunity to the following: hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella; a one-time dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine regardless of the interval since the last dose of tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine was administered (Td or Tdap boosters shall be received every 10 years); and the current year's seasonal influenza vaccination

Supplemental Questions: You may be required to respond to position-specific questions at the end of this application. This information will help us evaluate your credentials and qualifications for the job. Failure to respond to any questions may disqualify you from further consideration

Contact Information

Name: Noel Cawthorne

Phone: 703-746-4996

Email: Noel.Cawthorne@vdh.virginia.gov

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.