DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH

The Director of Environmental Public Health at Cook County Health & Hospitals System oversees environmental health programs, manages staff, and ensures compliance with health standards. Responsibilities include developing program objectives, managing budgets, conducting inspections, and serving as a technical consultant. The position requires collaboration with various health departments and agencies, and involves travel for on-site inspections. This is a full-time position located in Chicago, IL.
DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH

Job Number: 00136648

Job Posting: Apr 3, 2025, 11:34:51 AM Closing Date: Apr 17, 2025, 11:59:00 PM

Full-time Shift Start Time: 8:30 A.M. Shift End Time: 4:30 P.M.

Collective Bargaining Unit: NONESEIU 73

Posting Salary: $166,891 to $207,177

Organization: Health and Hospital Systems

DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH

DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC HEALTH

SHIFT: 8:30AM-4:30PM

Job Summary

The Director of Environmental Public Health oversees the administration of all environmental health programs for the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) under direction of the Senior Medical Officer and in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States Food and Drug Administration. Manages and orients Environmental Health unit staff, supports training, and assigns staff to various environmental health programs and services, including but not limited to food protection, pools, non-community water supply. Serves as technical consultant to the Senior Medical Officer and staff pertaining to all environmental health programs.

Typical Duties
• Develops environmental health program objectives in conjunction with overall department objectives and formulates and implements major environmental health policies.
• Manages the Environmental Health unit in accord with priorities, goals, schedules and budgets, and consistent with state and federal grants and other contracts. Accounts for variances and implements necessary corrective action.
• Establishes performance standards for environmental health staff.
• Assures and measures compliance with the Public Health Standards in Illinois and the United States.
• Adheres to all required county, state and federal statutes when and where applicable.
• Assigns staff to various environmental health programs and services, including but not limited to, tattoo/body art; retail food service; intergovernmental agreements; foodborne illness complaints; mobile home parks; nuisance complaints; private and non-community water supplies; private sewage disposal; septic tank haulers; swimming pools, tanning facilities; well and septic system mortgage evaluations; youth tobacco control; lead poisoning risk evaluation; vector control, while supporting staff in delegating duties and responsibilities according to specific program needs.
• Travels to and participates in on-site inspections at establishments, as required.
• Takes on-call responding to emergency situations, special investigations, and assists other units, as requested.
• Serves as a technical consultant to the Senior Medical Officer and staff, including external stakeholders such as municipalities that we have inter-governmental agreements to conduct inspections, as needed.
• Communications with municipal, county, state and federal agencies to establish relationships and cooperation.
• Reviews inspection reports for non-compliance with ordinances, statutes, and regulations and recommends appropriate actions.
• Prepares or directs the preparation of technical documents required for enforcement actions.

Represents CCDPH on relevant State committees, as needed.
• Attends hearings and court sessions as a required and serves as a technical expert in environmental health matters.
• Attends and participates in department and committee meetings.
• Performs other duties as assigned, including developing new programs as indicated.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with seven (7) years of environmental health experience OR Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with four (4) years of environmental public health experience
• Three (3) years of experience supervising, managing, and/or director level experience
• Registered as an Environmental Health Practitioner (LEHP) OR Licensed as a Civic or Sanitary Engineer in the State of Illinois prior to starting employment
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and insured vehicle where applicable
• Must be available for on-call duty when necessary

Preferred Qualifications
• Experience working in a governmental public health department

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
• Knowledge of sanitary engineering principles and techniques
• Knowledge of epidemiology and the relationship of environmental conditions to the spread of disease and protection of public health
• Excellent verbal, written communication, and interpersonal skills necessary to communicate with all levels of staff and a patient population composed of diverse cultures and age groups
• Demonstrate analytical and organizational, problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, and conflict management/resolution skills
• Excellent program development, management, and leadership skills
• Demonstrate attention to detail, accuracy, and precision
• Ability to research and draft new or revised legislation in relation to environmental health protection.
• Ability to deal effectively with the media
• Ability to establish and maintain satisfactory working relationships with environmental health and other health unit staff, municipal officials, other agencies and governing bodies, and the general public

Physical and Environmental Demands
This position is functioning within a healthcare environment. The incumbent is responsible for
adherence to all hospital and department specific safety requirements. This includes but is not limited
to the following policies and procedures: complying with Personal Protective Equipment
requirements, hand washing and sanitizing practices, complying with department specific engineering
and work practice controls and any other work area safety precautions as specified by hospital wide
policy and departmental procedures.

VETERAN PREFERENCE

When applying for employment with Cook County Health & Hospitals System preference is given to honorably discharged Veterans who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States for not less than 6 months of continuous service, who was not dishonorably discharged.

To take advantage of this preference a Veteran must:
• MEET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION.
• IDENTIFY AS A VETERAN ON THE EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION BY ANSWERING YES TO THE QUESTION “Are you a Military Veteran?”
• ATTACH A COPY OF THE VETERANS DD214, DD215 or NGB 22(NOTICE OF SEPARATION) AT TIME OF APPLICATION FILING.PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE DD 214S, 215S, OR NGB 22S, PLEASE SUBMIT THE ONE WITH THE LATEST DATE. COAST GUARD MUST SUBMIT A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE MILITARY SEPARATION FROM EITHER THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (BEFORE 911) OR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (AFTER 911).

VETERANS MUST PROVIDE ORIGINAL APPLICABLE DISCHARGE PAPERS AT TIME OF INTERVIEW.

Benefits Package
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Basic Term Life Insurance
• Pension Plan
• Deferred Compensation Program
• Paid Holidays, Vacation, and Sick Time
• You may also qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

For further information on our excellent benefits package, please click on the following link: http://www.cookcountyrisk.com/

MUST MEET ALL REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AT TIME OF APPLICATION FILING

COOK COUNTY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS SYSTEMS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Degrees and transcripts from non-U.S. accredited institutions must be translated and certified to the U.S. equivalent academic credentials by a recognized U.S. education interpreter service.