Environmental Health Specialist I/II -Housing (Environmental Sanitarian I/II)

Anne Arundel County, MD is hiring a full-time Environmental Health Specialist I/II to conduct inspections and investigations related to environmental health, enforce health codes, and ensure compliance with laws. The role involves extensive public contact, field inspections of various facilities, and collaboration with property owners to resolve health violations. The position requires independent judgment and is supervised by a higher-level Sanitarian.
Position Description

Anne Arundel County Government is currently hiring for a full-time permanent Environmental Health Specialist I or II, depending on the candidate's qualifications with the Anne Arundel County Health Department.

The Environmental Health Specialist conducts inspections and investigations to promote environmental health, protect the environment, and enforce State and local environmental health codes, laws, and regulations.
Field inspections and/or investigations are conducted on housing complaints, prospective foster/adoptive homes, open fire license applications, and Property Maintenance Code enforcement on private and commercial properties, with follow-up action as necessary.

This is professional full-performance level work involving inspection, investigation, and code enforcement to obtain compliance with various environmental health laws, codes, ordinances, and standards.

NATURE AND VARIETY OF WORK The incumbent is assigned to specific functional and programmatical areas within the Community and Environmental Health Division. Work involves extensive public contact and is performed under the general supervision of a higher-level Sanitarian with independent judgments made only on routine assignments in accordance with standard operating procedures.

Examples of Duties and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

(Note: The duties and responsibilities enumerated in this class specification are to determine a common set of minimum qualifications and salary levels for all positions in this class. They are not intended to include all of the essential functions of all positions in the class.)
• Performs full-performance on-site inspections, investigations, and surveys for assigned program(s) to obtain or insure compliance with existing County, State, and Federal public environmental health laws, codes, regulations, and standards: Licensed food service facilities, mobile food units, or special food events and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP); Schools, mobile home parks, multi-residential dwellings, rooming houses, camps, spas, swimming pools, and other public facilities; Private sewerage or waste disposal systems; Commercial, industrial, community, and residential establishments and their surrounding environments (e.g., air, land, water).
• Investigates the nature of the complaint with the complainant to determine possible public or environmental health violations.
• Takes routine or less complex field samples of items such as food, beverages, air, soil, water, paint, etc., and sends them to the laboratory for testing and analysis to ensure compliance with applicable health laws, codes, regulations, and standards.
• Read analyzes and interprets laboratory test results and reports to determine compliance or presence of environmental health hazard. Issues are written notices of code violations to the responsible party(s) to communicate what practices or operations are not in compliance.
• Confers with owners and operators to explain, clarify, and resolve actual/potential problems and to initiate or recommend appropriate actions necessary to gain compliance.
• Prepares and submits written correspondence or documentation in the resolution of cases or promotion or accomplishment of the agency's goals, missions, or objectives.
• Maintains accurate, complete, and retrievable records, data, statistics, and documentation for inclusion in reports or to provide information for potential use at hearings or court proceedings.
• Testifies at hearings or court proceedings to provide relevant evidence or testimony in the adjudication of code violation cases.
• Maintains, uses, and operates vehicles, equipment, and supplies following established departmental rules, regulations, and guidelines.
• Responds to environmental health emergencies during or after regular work hours, as directed by a higher-level Sanitarian or Manager. Participates in training of Environmental Sanitarians I.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
• Knowledge of the principles, objectives, techniques, and practices related to public and environmental health programs.
• Knowledge of and/or the ability to apply natural science principles in such fields as biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering.
• Knowledge of County, State, and Federal laws, codes, and ordinances governing public and environmental health.
• Ability to recognize environmental health problems and to learn and properly apply appropriate laws, codes, ordinances, or standards.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with State, Local, Federal, and community representatives, property and business owners, co-workers, and the general public.
• Ability to interpret and enforce codes and regulations firmly, tactfully, and impartially.
• Ability to accurately read and interpret maps, plans, and schematic drawings.
• Ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing.
• Ability to prepare and maintain a variety of records and reports;

Ability to plan, organize, and conduct inspections, investigations, and surveys.
• Ability to provide testimony at hearings and in court; and
• Ability to operate and maintain equipment, vehicles, and instruments for sampling, testing, and measuring.

Minimum Qualifications

Environmental Sanitarian I:
$48,454 - $87,043 Annually
EDUCATION: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in biological, environmental, or physical sciences.
EXPERIENCE: A certification as a registered environmental sanitarian or proof of eligibility to obtain a license from the Maryland State Board of Environmental Sanitarian Registration and a valid non-commercial Class C motor vehicle operator's license.

Environmental Sanitarian II:
$56,190 - $100,943 Annually
EDUCATION: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in biological, environmental, or physical sciences.
EXPERIENCE: A certification as a registered environmental sanitarian with the Maryland State Board of Environmental Sanitarian Registration; one (1) or more years of professional experience in environmental health inspection work; and a valid non-commercial Class C motor vehicle operator's license.

Note: This position will be filled at the Environmental Sanitarian I or II level, depending on the credentials and level of experience of the successful candidates. Note: Environmental Sanitarian I/II is a proficiency advancement series.

Note: Accredited University or College is the recognition from an accrediting agency that an institution maintains a certain level of educational standards. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a database of accrediting agencies it recognizes for schools within the United States.
For a University or College outside the United States, the applicant must provide documentation of accreditation and educational equivalency, which can be accomplished through a credential evaluation service. Applicants with a foreign degree must provide this documentation upon the close of the announcement.

Supplemental Qualifications

Preference will be given to applicants with the following:
• Must have a bachelor's degree with a major in science or environmental health.
• Must have a certificate of eligibility or a license from the Board of Environmental Health Specialists.