Environmental Health Specialist I/II/III - Community Services

County of Ventura Government; Ventura (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

General raise

Educational incentive

Bilingual incentive

Sick leave

Vacation payout

Deferred compensation

Health insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Pension plan

Holidays

Job summary

County of Ventura Government is seeking an Environmental Health Specialist I–III to inspect facilities, enforce health codes, and support environmental health programs in Ventura County, CA. The role offers career progression and comprehensive benefits.

Open to qualified candidates who meet education and licensure requirements; position requires driver license and willingness to work in various settings across the county.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Science or related field and eligibility to take the state license examination (REHS)
• Experience with environmental health inspections and enforcement actions
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in a public-facing role

Responsibilities

• Perform inspections of facilities to ensure compliance with state and county regulations
• Prepare written reports and recommendations for corrective actions
• Coordinate environmental health projects and engage with the public and stakeholders
• May participate in enforcement actions and testify in investigations

Skills

Inspections

Public communication

Report writing

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health Science or related field

REHS eligibility or license

Job description

WHAT WE OFFER

The County of Ventura offers an attractive compensation and benefits package. In addition to the salary of approximately $60,368.09 to $111,745.42 annually an employee within this position will also be eligible for the following:

• General Salary Increase- 3.5% effective December 20, 2026, and December 19, 2027.
• Educational Incentive - An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate's degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree, OR 5% for completion of a graduate's degree.
• Bilingual Incentive - Proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I), $1.00 per hour (Level II), or $1.32 per hour (Level Ill).
• Sick Leave- Full-time regular employees accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave per pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods.
• Vacation Redemption - After 14,560 hours of continuous County service (approximately seven (7) years an employee may elect to receive cash in lieu of up to (80) hours of vacation accrual at current hourly rate of pay/salary rate.
• Deferred Compensation - Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.

• Health Insurance- Full-time regular employees are provided an annual flexible credit allowance of up to $26,626.96 to help offset the cost of medical insurance for themselves and their eligible dependents.
  • Employee only - $463.99 per biweekly pay period
  • Employee plus one dependent - $834.32 per biweekly pay period
  • Employee plus family - $1,024.11 per biweekly pay period.
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Pension Plan - Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as CalPERS.
• Holidays - 13 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

VENTURA COUNTY

The County's 1,873 square miles include 1,846 square miles of land with 42 miles of coastline which is home to the following cities and points of interest: Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura as well as national protected areas such as parts of the Angeles National Forest, Channel Islands National Park, and the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Ventura County is a “general law” county, governed by a five-member, elected-by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, and to advise, assist, and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board’s jurisdiction. It focuses on serving its residents by promoting engagement, strategy, execution and accountability to include diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to ensure that all employees are treated with respect and without discrimination, and to improve culturally appropriate outcomes for community members.

THE AGENCY

The primary goal of the Resource Management Agency (RMA) is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public through administration and enforcement of County ordinances, Board policy, and state and federal laws regarding land use, and commercial and environmental regulation. RMA includes five divisions: Environmental Health, Planning, Building & Safety, Code Compliance, and Operations/GIS.

RMA recognizes the value of having a diverse and inclusive workforce at all levels of our agency to best serve our clients and be representative of the community we serve and is committed to being an active participant in removing barriers to ensure equitable access and opportunities for success. The agency is dedicated to attracting, hiring, developing, retaining and valuing quality employees fully empowered to protect everyone’s health, safety, and the environment, and committed to providing excellent customer service through the efficient, accurate, and consistent application of laws, ordinances, regulations, and policies.

THE DIVISION

The key responsibility of the Environmental Health Division is to protect public health and the environment by ensuring conformance with State laws and County ordinances pertaining to the following programs: food protection, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, individual sewage disposal systems, land use, medical waste, ocean water quality monitoring, recreational health, solid waste, underground fuel tanks, and vector control.

THE POSITION

Under immediate supervision (I), general supervision (II), direction (III), to general direction (IV), performs progressively complex professional environmental health activities involving investigation, inspection, data collection and analysis, enforcement action, report preparation and public contact; assists in environmental health program administration; and performs related duties as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics

There are four levels (I - IV) in the Environmental Health Specialist series. Each level performs increasingly responsible public contact; interaction with public and private entities; conflict resolution; and a wider range of environmental health projects at a higher level of complexity (i.e., understanding concepts relating to environmental, biological, water, wastewater, etc.). Those at the Environmental Health Specialist IV level may act as project team leaders and program coordinators. Each succeeding step in the job series is expected to function at a higher level of individual initiative, creativity, self-direction, and independent judgment.

APPROXIMATE SALARIES

Environmental Health Specialist I: $29.02 - $40.61 (hourly)

Environmental Health Specialist II: $2,760.32 - $3,854.44 (biweekly)

Environmental Health Specialist III: $3,063.54 - $4,297.90 (biweekly)

Environmental Health Specialist I is represented by the Services Employees' International Union (SEIU) and is eligible for overtime compensation.

Environmental Health Specialist II/III are represented by the Services Employees' International Union (SEIU) and are not eligible for overtime compensation.

NOTE: If appointed at the lower level, incumbent may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with the business needs of the department.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

OPENING DATE: 11/2/2026

CLOSING DATE: 11/23/2026

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Performs inspections of various facilities and properties, including food facilities, public pools and community events to determine conformance with applicable State laws and County Ordinance Code sections.
• Prepares written reports related to food and pool facilities and makes recommendations for completion of environmental health projects.
• Researches, compiles, synthesizes, analyzes and interprets information and data necessary to meet environmental health objectives.
• Coordinates environmental health projects, defines problems and alternative solutions, and sets objectives.
• Provides general information to the public in response to questions about projects, environmental health programs, applicable ordinances, policies and procedures related to the community services, including food facilities, public pools and community events.
• Makes oral presentations to public groups and governmental bodies to provide food safety training and explain and clarify environmental health reports and recommendations.
• Coordinates and/or negotiates with other individuals, developers, groups, sections, divisions, departments and agencies on various technical or legal aspects of environmental programs, some of which may be controversial or politically sensitive.
• Conducts field investigations and complaint investigations of various sites in order to have first‑hand knowledge of the location under study.
• May participate in enforcement activities which include civil or criminal cases and may involve issuance of citations, report writing, collection of evidence and court appearances.
• Performs other duties as required.

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST I:

Some experience in environmental health which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge and abilities. The required knowledge and abilities can be obtained by the completion of a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Science OR a related field degree in Environmental Science and one of the following:

• Proof of eligibility letter (ONLY Options IV, or V), as determined by the California Department of Public Health, to take the state license examination for a Registered Environmental Health Specialist
• Proof of a bachelor’s degree in environmental health from a program approved by the California Department of Public Health with the ability to obtain a letter of eligibility to take the required state license examination prior to appointment (ONLY Options IV or V accepted). The following is a list of programs approved by the California Department of Public Health:

1. California State University, Fresno.
2. California State University, Fullerton
3. California State University, Northridge
4. California State University, San Bernardino
5. San Diego State University-Graduate School of Public Health.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST II:

Some experience in environmental health which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge and abilities. The required knowledge and abilities can be obtained by the completion of a bachelor’s degree in environmental health science or a related field and one (1) or more years of progressively responsible environmental health experience AND possession of the Registration as an Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) in California.

Substitution: A Master’s degree in environmental health science or a related field.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST III:

Considerable experience in environmental health which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge and abilities. The required knowledge and abilities can be obtained by the completion of a Bachelor degree in environmental health science or a related field and three (3) or more years of progressively responsible environmental health experience AND possession of the Registration as an Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) in California.

Substitution: A Master’s degree in environmental health science or a related field.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to obtain at time of appointment and maintain a valid California driver license.
• Candidates appointed as an Environmental Health Specialist I level in Community Services positions are REQUIRED to show proof of registration as an Environmental Health Specialist prior to completion of the probationary period.
• Depending on assignment, must be willing to work evenings, weekends, and holidays throughout Ventura County all year long may be required.

DESIRED

• Some experience in the Environmental Health field conducting inspections of retail food facilities, public swimming pools, or temporary food facilities, along with enforcement of state laws in these facilities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Work is performed in an office environment and in the field and may require occasional exposure to hazardous conditions and moderate physical demands while making inspections.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES

Some to comprehensive (depending on level in series) knowledge of:

• Chemistry, microbiology, foodborne illness pathogens and environmental health science.
• State, federal, local laws and regulations relating to environmental health programs, such as the Retail Food Code and the Pool Code.
• Interagency relationships.

Working to thorough (depending on level in series) knowledge of:

• Environmental research and statistical methods.
• Field tests and analytical procedures within environmental health program areas.

Working ability to:

• Perform inspections of various facilities and properties, including food facilities, public pools and community events by collecting, analyzing and interpreting data at public sites within program areas.
• Solve problems at increasingly complex levels and formulate recommendations. Speak and write technical reports clearly and concisely.
• Make oral presentations to public groups.

FINAL FILING DATE

Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 23, 2026.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Daisy Silva by e‑mail at [e-mail] or by telephone at [phone].