Environmental Health Director

Summary Description:

The Environmental Health Director (EHD) is directly responsible for overseeing the operation of the Environmental Health Department. The EHD plays a key role on the Chelan-Douglas Health District management team. This team works together to lead the Chelan-Douglas Health District and connect the different lines of effort to prevent disease, promote health, and protect the health and safety of people in our community. The EHD reports to the Chelan-Douglas Health Administrator and works to implement their leader’s intent. As a senior leader the EHD will regularly brief the Board of Health and work with them to develop or evolve environmental public health policy across the health district. The EHD works closely with the Health Officer in the enforcement of environmental public health regulations.

The EHD manages the Health District’s Environmental Health Programs, which may include assessment of community needs, development of long-term strategies and goals for the Health District, and the planning and implementation of environmental public health programs. The position monitors staff and program performance and provides effective supervision to the members of the team they lead. The EHD develops and monitors program budgets and resources. Assures effective implementation of grant and contract deliverables and of the reporting required by funding sources. This position may include grant writing and other fund raising activities.

Successfully leading the environmental public health efforts of Chelan-Douglas Health District requires working effectively with the leadership of other health organizations and other public health partners. This position requires discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

• Leads the Chelan-Douglas Health District team in implementing the direction of the health district and ensures compliance with local, state and federal environment, health and safety regulations.

• Through epidemiologic, disease surveillance, and qualitative processes, regularly collects, maintains and analyzes data and information about the health needs of Chelan and Douglas Counties.
• Tracks environmental health metrics and uses them to make data driven decisions to prioritize environmental health activities and balance staff workload for the department.
• Analyzes evidence to determine appropriate solutions and prioritize actions
• Evaluation of procedures, interventions, and programs in a community
• Applies the available Environmental Health resources to meet daily priorities while aligning with short and long term goals.
• Provide timely, state and locally relevant and accurate information statewide and to communities on environmental public health issues and health impacts from common environmental or toxic exposures.
• Assists the Health Administrator in providing accountability and information on public health issues and programs to the Board of Health, stakeholders, and to the public.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire staff as well as constructively accept and incorporate feedback from the team they lead.
• Oversees budget and manages the environmental health program revenue and expenditures in a way that maintains financial transparency across the health district.
• Oversees the general informatics system for the environmental health department in partnership with operations and the director to make sure that it is maintained and updated regularly.
• Ensures accountability and compliance with all legal environmental public health regulations as well as requirements with all environmental health grants and contracts awarded to the Chelan-Douglas Health District.
• Effectively share risk or other information with colleagues, practitioners, clients, policy-makers, interest groups, media, and the public through public speaking, print, electronic, and in-person communication in an appropriate manner.
• Determine priority public health problems and actions in a local community and interacting effectively with local, state, and federal agencies.
• Deliver community-focused solutions to protect and enhance public health and support the well-being of individuals, families, and local communities.
• Model best practices to serve stakeholders with a helpful, educational, and respectful demeanor at all time and coach staff to do the same.
• Inform decision makers of potential and actual environmental impacts to public health based on data and published reports.
• Collaborate effectively with the Washington State Department of Health, other state agencies, and other Local Health Jurisdictions and government agencies.
• Oversee, develop, and regularly update the internal policies and procedures of the Environmental Health Department.
• Develop and manage multi-year comprehensive projects through project development and applying for grant funding.
• Developing programs by engaging stakeholders on emerging Environmental Health issues.
• Serve effectively as a member of statewide organizations and workgroups.
• Work effectively with neighboring Environmental Health Directors to collaborate and standardize environmental health practices and policies as appropriate for North Central Washington.
• Collaborate with the Washington State Environmental Health Directors (WSEHD) and the Washington State of Local Public Health Officials (WSLPHO) to inform state wide policy and practice.
• Work effectively with Communicable Disease and Epidemiology (CD-Epi) staff to track environmental hazards (such as lead poisoning) and assist in disease or outbreak investigations.
• Ability to identify and address priority notifiable zoonotic conditions (e.g. those transmitted by birds, insects, rodents, etc.), air-borne conditions and other public health threats related to environmental hazards.
• Facilitate staff in conducting environmental public health investigations, inspections, sampling, laboratory analysis and oversight to protect food, recreational water, drinking water, liquid waste, and solid waste in accordance with local, state and federal laws and regulations.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• High standard of integrity, ethics, and work performance for self and others.
• Ability to communicate with local and state policy makers, while being able to communicate complicated scientific information to the general public.
• Ability to establish and coach a team towards a vision.
• Innovation, improvement, and professional growth in self and others.
• Goal-oriented direction and effective collaborative problem solving.
• Ability to comprehend highly technical material and explain to a non-technical audience.
• Demonstrated ability to form and mobilize partnerships, stakeholder involvement, and collaboration in a multicultural community.
• Inter-personal and conflict management skills.
• Diplomatic ability to influence and direct policy decisions in a professional manner.
• Ability to delegate staffing and time effectively.
• Understanding of public health theory, principles, and practice such as the Foundational Public Health Services, Core Functions of Public Health, and the Ten Essential Services.
• Knowledge of Environmental Health programs and technologies.
• Knowledge of applicable environmental health laws and regulations.
• Ability to independently manage work assignments to insure timely work-products.
• Ability to accurately communicate regulatory requirements to the general public and industry professionals.
• Ability to review, update, and enforce District policies and procedures to insure consistent regulatory outcomes.
• Ability to use standard PC applications and other technology as applicable.
• Ability to prioritize workload to ensure articulated deadlines are met.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisees, other divisions and agencies and the general public.
• Knowledge of general office business practices, procedures and equipment.
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing in a wide variety of circumstances and to people of differing levels of understanding.
• General knowledge of worksite safety issues and use of personal protective equipment.
• Excels at working in a team and is patient and objective in difficult situations and with different types of people.
• A working knowledge of the principles and practices of financial and managerial accounting. A working knowledge of computer software applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, medical records, etc.

Required Qualifications (Minimum):

• A bachelor degree in a field closely related to environmental public health or health policy from an accredited college or university
• A minimum of five years (5) experience in environmental public health, health policy or in a field closely related, at least three of which must be at a supervisory or administrative level.
• Demonstrated policy experience.
• Must have a valid Washington State Driver's License.

Desired Qualifications:

• A master’s degree in a field closely related to environmental public health or health policy from an accredited college or university.
• Licensure as a registered sanitarian or Registered Environmental Health Specialist.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of the public health principles and practices including policy development, data-driven population-based decisions, assessment, epidemiology, laws, management, and administrative practices.
• A demonstrated knowledge of information technology and data management.
• Record of environmental health grant administration.
• Experience with GIS mapping and analysis.
• One Health experience or vision for developing a One Health program.
• Ability to speak and write in Spanish.

**A combination of education, training, and experience which has provided theoretical and practical knowledge will be evaluated for equivalency.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Visually or otherwise, identify, observe and assess distance, color and depth, required to regularly communicate with others and exchange accurate information.
• Work involves repetitive manipulation of office equipment and the ability to operate a computer and other office productivity equipment; able to remain stationary at a computer or while driving for extended periods of time and move around their assigned workspace.

• Frequently move up to 25 pounds and occasionally move up to 50 pounds. Employee must be able to work within different temperature changes, indoors to outdoors in all weather conditions; moving between buildings and working around moving equipment/machines; occasionally ascend/descend a ladder or stairs as required.
• Work locations may include rough terrain, steep slopes, sewage and other locations that are difficult to access to conduct inspections and assessments.
• Occasionally maneuver through remote, wet/muddy and snow covered landscapes.
• Frequently required to conduct pool and spa inspections in humid environments, including machine/pump rooms.
• Evening and weekend work occasionally required.
• Occasional exposure to moving objects and parts. Occasional exposure to pool/spa chemicals, extreme heat and/or cold and slippery floors; the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Occasional exposure to potentially infected animals.
• PPE for this position includes gloves, mask as needed, hair restraint, slip resistant, closed-toed or steel-toed shoes.
• May require day travel during all seasons.

This Job Description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to give you a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of what this position requires. As the nature of business demands change, so may the essential functions of this position.