Environmental Health Specialist I

The County of San Diego is seeking an Environmental Health Specialist I for a promotional opportunity. This role involves protecting public health and the environment through inspections, consultations, and enforcement. Applicants must have a relevant bachelor's degree and experience in environmental health. Certain positions require specific certifications. This job is located in San Diego, CA, and is not remote.
Job Summary

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST I-PROMOTIONAL

This is a promotional opportunity open to current County of San Diego-Department of Environmental health and Quality employees. Temporary employees, with the exception of Certified Temporary employees, are not eligible for promotional recruitments. For more information, please click on this link to review the FAQ on Promotional Recruitments.
• Employees in this job class that possess a current valid registration as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) are eligible for an additional 5% to their base pay.*

The Position

Employees in this job class are responsible for protecting the environment, public health, and safety of San Diego County residents through permit, inspection, consultation, planning, investigation, and enforcement activities. For additional information on this job classification, please click Here.

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency with at least 30 semester units of basic biological, chemical, physical, or environmental science courses including at least one laboratory course in one of the following fields: chemistry, physics, microbiology, biology, and a mathematics course of college algebra or higher; AND,
• One (1) year of experience investigating and enforcing environmental, public health or sanitary laws and regulations for a recognized public health agency or private company, OR,
• Six (6) months as an Environmental Health Specialist Trainee with the County of San Diego.

Note: A master's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in a science field such as: biology, chemistry, environmental health, environmental engineering, ecology, or geology may be substituted for up to one year of the required experience.

Additional Information on Registrations and Certificates

Note: Some program areas/positions require registration by the State of California as an Environmental Health Specialist (California Health and Safety Code):
• All positions at the Environmental Health Specialist I level in the Department of Environmental Health and Quality's Food and Housing Division require that at the time of application, applicants present a current evaluation letter from the State of California, Department of Public Health which states that the applicant is eligible to begin training in an approved environmental health program.
• All positions on the Department of Environmental Health and Quality's Hazardous Incident Response Team (HIRT) require possession of a valid certificate as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist in the State of California.
• All Rural Generalist positions in the Department of Environmental Health and Quality's Division of Land and Water Quality require possession of a valid certificate as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist in the State of California.
• All Environmental Health Specialists (EHS) in the Department of Environmental Health and Quality's Hazardous Materials Division (HMD) must possess the following certificates within 180 days after hire. All EHS employees who transfer to HMD must either possess the certifications or obtain such certifications within 180 days of transfer: a). Current ICC "California UST Inspector" certification. This certification must be renewed every 24 months. b). Current APSA "Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act" certification.
• All Environmental Health Specialist (EHS) positions in the Department of Environmental Health and Quality's Land and Water Quality Division that are assigned responsibilities as Rural Generalists require possession of current ICC "California UST Inspector" certification.
• All Environmental Health Specialist (EHS) positions in the Department of Environmental Health and Quality's Land and Water Quality Division that are assigned responsibilities to perform cross connection inspections and testing for the Recycled Water Program are required to have a current Cross Connection Control Specialist certification issued by the American Water Works Association
• All positions at the Environmental Health Specialist I level in the Department of Environmental Health and Quality's Food and Housing Division must obtain valid certification as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist by the State of California, Department of Public Health within three (3) years of their respective dates of hire, as required by the State of California, Health and Safety Code, Section 106625. If certification is not obtained within this three (3) year period, employment will be terminated.

If applicable, please be sure to attach a copy of your REHS certificate at the time of on-line application submittal.

The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, hides a candidate’s personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process helps contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.

Evaluation

Qualified applicants will be placed on a three (3) month employment list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.

The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of: a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include: integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of which are infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our Strategic Plan (sandiegocounty.gov) (Download PDF reader) as well as our commitment to serve everyone, to build a Framework for the Future that will create a County that works for all.

Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.

The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset and our customers are our number one priority.

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