Careers

Description:

Solid & Hazardous Waste
Environmental Health Specialist 1 or 2-RS

Our Role: Do you want to do meaningful work that has a real impact in our community? Please come join our team-oriented, family-friendly organization of over 125 talented public health professionals. We work hard every day to keep Kitsap County safe and healthy. Our job is to protect your health, your family, and the environment by ensuring that waste is collected, stored, processed, and disposed of properly, according to local and state regulations. Everyday waste - including garbage, unusable furniture, construction debris, and broken appliances - must be properly handled. Hazardous items like old paint, solvents, and cleaning products require careful storage and disposal to protect public health. Businesses also generate hazardous waste which, if not managed properly, can impact our community’s health.

The Position: Within agency policies, under the direction of the Solid and Hazardous Waste (SHW) Program Manager, the incumbents are responsible for performing environmental health services mandated under federal, state, and local regulations governing solid and hazardous waste handling. The specific functions of these positions are to protect public health and the environment from the hazards of improper waste storage, collection, treatment, recycling, and disposal. Failure to perform tasks essential to the positions could result in the impairment of human health or degradation of the environment from surface water, ground water, soil, or air pollution caused by improper solid and hazardous waste handling.

Hours: 40 hours per week – 100% FTE, requires occasional evening and weekend hours.

Status: Permanent full-time position.  

Benefits: The District offers a comprehensive health benefit plan which includes medical, dental, vision, and life coverages, including several voluntary plan selections through The Standard, MetLife, and Aflac. The District provides medical and dental coverage contributing percentages of the average medical and dental insurance premium cost for full time employees as follows: Employee @ 100%, Employee & Spouse @ 90%, Employee & Child(ren) @ 90%, and Full Family @ 85%. Benefits include generous paid time off, and twelve paid holidays per year.   Employees participate in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), a defined benefit retirement plan managed by the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and Social Security. Several deferred compensation retirement savings plans are also offered.

Note: After a successful in-office trial service period, generally at least three months, a limited hybrid remote work arrangement may be established as mutually beneficial.

Skills/Eligibility:

Education & Experience

Environmental Health Specialist 1:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental health or environmental science, or a related field. 

Environmental Health Specialist 2-RS:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental health or environmental science, or a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 45 quarter hours (30 semester hours) in physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, geology, microbiology, epidemiology biostatistics, and college level algebra or higher mathematics; and
• Two or more years of experience as an environmental health specialist in a public health agency or in the armed forces.

Please note: Placement on the salary schedule as either an EHS 1 or EHS 2-RS depends on experience and Registered Sanitarian (RS) certification. 

Knowledge of: 

• The field of assignment sufficient to perform thoroughly and accurately the full scope of responsibility as illustrated by example in this description.
• Principles, procedures, functions and practices in the environmental health field. Program planning, preparation of public health advisory information and education programs and development of codes, ordinances, policies and procedures; recordkeeping; and complex mathematics.
• Methods and techniques of conducting research, analysis and report preparation.
• Correct English usage including grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Communication business practices including electronic, telephone or direct public contact.
• Computer operation and a variety of software including word processing, spreadsheet, database and other applications related to the area of assignment.

Ability to: 

• Listen attentively and communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing, in clear, concise language appropriate for the purpose and parties addressed, concerning complex or sensitive matters, including making presentations to diverse audiences.
• Conduct field inspections, analyze findings and prepare logical findings and recommendations.
• Use tact, discretion, respect and courtesy to gain the cooperation of others and establish and maintain effective working relationships with rapport with co-workers, volunteers, other programs, officials, representatives of other agencies and businesses, and diverse members of the public.
• Read, understand, interpret and apply appropriately the terminology, instructions, policies, procedures, legal requirements and regulations pertinent to the area of assignment.
• Assure that absolute confidentiality is maintained as required and sensitive information is handled appropriately.
• Fulfill the commitment of the District to provide outstanding customer service.
• Organize, prioritize and coordinate work assignments. Work effectively in a multi-task environment. Take appropriate initiative. Apply good judgment, creativity and logical thinking to obtain potential solutions to unique problems and to make reasoned decisions within the scope of knowledge and authority or refer to the appropriate person.
• Be attentive to detail, consistently follow written and oral instructions and guidelines, maintain a high degree of accuracy and complete records, make complex mathematical calculations, check data, and prepare and review material in reports and correspondence.
• Proficiently and accurately operate office and other equipment standard to the area of assignment.
• Utilize computers, databases and related software and automated equipment to produce wo

  How to Apply:

  To view this position’s essential functions, physical demands, and working conditions, please refer to the Careers section of our website at kitsappublichealth.org or the job posting on GovernmentJobs.com. 

  To apply, open the job posting and click on the green "APPLY" button.