Environmental Health Program Assistant

State of Maine; Augusta (ME); On-site; USD 24,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance Coverage

Dental Insurance

Retirement Plan

Parental leave

Job summary

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) - Maine is seeking an Office Associate II in Augusta to provide critical administrative support for the Environmental Health Program, including the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. You will help ensure accurate data entry, timely mailings, and efficient office operations in a fast-paced team environment.

Ideal candidates will have strong communication skills, experience with regulatory programs, and proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Qualifications

• Experience in complex, varied office tasks using standard procedures.
• Ability to use independent decision-making in routine processes.
• Experience in handling mail, billing, records, and data entry.

Responsibilities

• Process incoming and outgoing mail.
• Monitor inventory of print materials and order as needed.
• Route phone calls and manage group emails.
• Enter and quality assure data in electronic systems.
• Review invoices and make payments as needed.
• Organize and file case-related documents.

Skills

Strong oral & written communication

Adaptability to shifting priorities

Experience in regulatory program

Microsoft Office proficiency

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Department ofHealth and Human Services (DHHS)

Office Associate II

Opening Date: August 6, 2026

Closing Date: August 19, 2026

Job Class Code: 6542

Grade: 13 (Admin Svcs)

Salary: $17.73 - $25.53 per hour*

*This is inclusive of a 2.50% recruitment and retention stipend

Position Number: 02000-3866

Location: Augusta

Currently, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.

Core Responsibilities:

The Maine CDC’s Environmental Health Program (EHP) is looking for an office associate to join as a key player in our team’s efforts to ensure that Mainers are protected from harmful environmental exposures, and to ensure that children are protected from lead poisoning. You will provide critical administrative support for the EHP, working mostly in its largest unit, the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP). This position offers an opportunity to make a meaningful difference through public service. If you are motivated by helping others, solving problems, and improving the health of communities, you will find purpose in this work.

As a member of a fast-paced, team-oriented office environment, a well-qualified candidate will be professional, well spoken, patient, possess strong organizational skills, and demonstrate a history of excellent customer service skills, both over the phone and in person. As a strong candidate for this position, you will demonstrate the ability to successfully manage multiple priorities for a wide variety of office tasks supporting the overall EHP mission.

Your duties will include but are not limited to:

• Processing incoming and outgoing mail.
• Completing periodic and on-request bulk mailing of brochures, flyers, and other printed information.
• Monitoring inventory of print materials and ordering materials as needed.
• Routing phone calls to the appropriate team members.
• Monitoring and organizing group email accounts to ensure messages get to the right person.
• Performing routine office functions, including scheduling meetings, maintaining office supplies, and ensuring office equipment is working.
• Entering and quality assuring data into electronic systems.
• Reviewing and tracking invoices and making payments as needed.
• Organizing and processing correspondence, data, and documents related to cases of childhood lead poisoning and related environmental inspections.
• Organizing and electronically filing case-related documents.
• Sending reminders to healthcare offices and parents for children that need a blood lead test.
• Performing quality assurance reviews of lead inspection reports.

Minimum Qualifications:

(Entry level knowledges, skills, and/or abilities may be acquired through, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO the following coursework/training and/or experience.)

Training, education, or experience in office and administrative support work that demonstrates 1) competency in applying a solid knowledge of modern office practices to perform complex, varied office support tasks, and 2) the ability to use independent decision-making on the appropriate processes to follow, information to process, and actions to take in accordance with standard procedures. All positions in this classification assume the qualifications of: Office Assistant I, Office Assistant II, and Office Associate I.

Preferred candidates will also have:

• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to adapt to shifting priorities to meet program needs.
• Experience working in a regulatory program.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office – Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Agency information:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

The mission for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), within which this position is located, is to develop and deliver services to preserve, protect, and promote the health and well-being of the citizens of Maine.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce’s health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit– Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave. When you or immediate members of your family are ill, utilize 12 days of sick leave per year.
• Health Insurance Coverage– The State of Maine pays85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($12,213.60 - $13,650.48 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit– Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
• Dental Insurance– The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
• Retirement Plan– The State contributes the equivalent of 14.06% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement– Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts– Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness– The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program– Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leaveis one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including non-birthing and adoptive parents—receivesix weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation– Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

*Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated foranything less than full-time.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.