Environmental Health Specialist

Norton Sound Health is seeking an Environmental Health Specialist in Nome, AK, to manage environmental health programs and provide consultative services to the Bering Strait communities. Responsibilities include planning and monitoring health programs, conducting surveys, providing education, and training community health aides. The position emphasizes integrity, cultural sensitivity, and teamwork, requiring knowledge of environmental health principles and office technology.
Environmental Health Specialist

Purpose of Position:

Assist in management of environmental health programs and provide environmental health consultative services to communities in the Bering Strait region to prevent, identify and control illness and injury caused by risks to drinking water, wastewater, solid waste, hazardous materials, environmental contaminants, food, air, vectors (pests & insects), and residential and institutional environments.

Uphold the organization's vision, mission, and corporate values. Demonstrate understanding of and compliance with organization's policies, procedures, code of conduct and work rules.

Essential Functions:
• Assist in planning, developing, implementing, and monitoring environmental health programs, including grant writing and grant management.
• Provide technical advice and guidance to other NSHC departments, regional organizations, community health aides, water and sanitation system operation & maintenance organizations, head start programs, tribal environmental programs, and other community organizations and individuals related to environmental health.
• Conduct environmental health surveys of village health clinics and water, wastewater and solid waste systems.
• Provide environmental health education to the public, and present on and make recommendations to community leaders and residents on environmental health related issues.
• Provide training for community health aides, water & wastewater system operators and utility managers, and tribal environmental coordinators.

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• Provide animal bite/rabies exposure investigations, provide animal rabies vaccinations, and train animal rabies lay vaccinators in each community.
• Assist with environmental health research, investigations, or other special projects and program activities, and promote the adoption of environmental health related codes and ordinances designed to protect community health.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Personal Traits:

All Norton Sound Health Corporation employees are expected to consistently demonstrate the organization's values: integrity, cultural sensitivity and respect for traditional values, continual learning and improving, compassion, teamwork and pride. Employees are expected to demonstrate integrity, professionalism, accountability, cooperation with and consideration of others.

Required Knowledge:

All Norton Sound Health Corporation employees are expected to have general knowledge of typical office technologies such as computers, printers, copiers, fax machines, and typical office software.

Job Specific knowledge is listed below:
• Knowledge of general principles of environmental health practice. This includes drinking water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection & treatment, ambient and indoor air quality control, solid and hazardous waste collection & disposal, food safety, injury prevention, vector control, and the control of residential and institutional environments.
• Knowledge of 10 Essential Enviornmental Public Health Services
• Knowledge of basic research and statistics principles.

Required Skills and Abilities:

All Norton Sound Health Corporation employees are expected to have a broad range of skills and abilities centered around a strong patient focus, efficient performance, and teamwork. All employees should have patient/customer service skills, interpersonal skills and good communication skills. All employees should have the ability to manage their time and organize their work to ensure efficient performance. In addition, all employees should have the ability to follow policy, procedure and instructions, actively communicate with their supervisors to ensure understanding and manage their work accordingly. Finally, all employees should have the ability to understand and manage patient/customer confidentiality.

Job specific skills and abilities are listed below:
• Ability to work independently and be a self-starter.
• Interpersonal and networking skills and ability to work with both small and large groups.

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• Ability to speak and present in front of large audiences and communicate complex ideas and principles in an easily understandable manner.
• Organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to implement several projects simultaneously.
• Technical and professional writing skills and ability to write and review reports and grant proposals.
• Ability to work effectively with Alaska Native populations and local, regional, and statewide agencies and organizations in rural Alaska.
• Proficiency in computer use including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Publisher, & PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat software applications.

Minimum Requirements

Education

Degree

Program

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree preferred

Environmental Health, Public Health or related field

Experience

General (Non-supervisory)

Supervisory

Amount:

3-5 years preferred

working in an environmental health or related field

None

Type:

Must have both general and supervisory experience if indicated.

Credentials

Licensure, Certification, Etc.

National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS/RS) certification within 2 years of employment; Valid driver's license.

Physical Requirements:
• Use hands and arms to operate office or clinical equipment
• Sit less than half the workday
• Stand and/or walk more than half the workday
• Bend, stretch, twist, crouch and/or reach
• View electronic monitors for prolonged periods of time
• Use hands and arms for repetitive motion tasks consistently for more than one hour at a time
• Lift or carry unaided up to 50 pounds
• Push or pull using more than moderate force
• See and hear with normal acuity

Working Conditions:
• Work is conducted in a standard office environment and a standard clinical environment to include exposure to latex, biohazrd or other harmful substances
• Some travel is required (between 25 and 50% of the time)

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• Travel is required via large aircraft
• Travel is required via small (less than 16 passenger) aircraft
• Travel is required using snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, or boat
• Work may be conducted outside in inclement weather contitions