ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST TRAINEE

County of Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz (CA); Híbrido; USD 54.000 - 76.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Annual leave – 22 days first year

Recruitment incentive – $10,000

Holidays – 14 paid holidays per year

CalPERS retirement plans

Dental plan

Vision plan

Descripción de la vacante

Santa Cruz County is hiring Environmental Health Specialist Trainee in the Consumer Protection Program. The role supports sanitation, groundwater protection, safe food handling, and hazardous materials management across multiple units.

A hybrid remote option may be available depending on duties and operations. Open to qualified applicants with a biology/environmental science background; recruitment incentive of $10,000; closing date listed on the posting.

Formación

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.
• Ability to learn and apply environmental health and safety laws, ordinances and regulations.
• Must possess and maintain a valid California Class C Driver License.
• For REHS consideration, must provide written statement from CDPH indicating eligibility.

Responsabilidades

• Inspect and investigate environmental health conditions to enforce laws and regulations.
• Obtain compliance or corrective action and educate the public on health and safety.
• Educate the public and develop cooperative working relationships; prepare clear reports.

Conocimientos

Analytical thinking

Report writing

Public health knowledge

Communication

Educación

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science

Descripción del empleo

Human resources Department, 701 Ocean Street, Suite 510, Santa Cruz, CA 95060Apply online at: www.santacruzcountyjobs.com

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

INVITES YOU TO APPLY FOR:

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST TRAINEEConsumer Protection Program

County Equity Statement

Equity in action in Santa Cruz County is a transformative process that embraces individuals of everystatus, providing unwavering support, dignity, and compassion.

Through this commitment, the County ensures intentional opportunities and access, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive and belong.

THE JOB:

Population health in the US since the 1880s has vastly improved because of a focus on sanitationand vaccinations. Environmental Health Specialists are the frontline of public health’s success in addressing sanitation and chemical protection. Do you want to be a part of the important local healthdepartment’s efforts to protect surface and groundwater water from sewage and chemical impacts; food is served safely to the public; hazardous chemicals are managed properly at large chemicals facilities to auto body shops; pools are safe to swim in; prepare for and respond to local disasters? Under direction, toinspect and investigate environmental health conditions to enforce Federal, State, County and local environmental health and safety laws, ordinances, and regulations; to obtain compliance or correctiveaction; to educate the public concerning environmental health and safety; and to do other work asrequired. Environmental Health Specialist Trainee positions may be recruited in one of the following units:Consumer Protection, Hazardous Materials, Site Mitigation, Land Use, and Water Resources. The eligible listestablished from this recruitment will be used to fill the current and future vacancies throughout the lifeof the eligible list.

Inspectors are required to work in the office or out in the field. A hybrid remote work option may beavailable depending on the type of work and operational needs.

Open and PromotionalJob # 26-TJ5-01

Closing Date: Monday, November 30, 2026

Plus $10,000 Recruitment Incentive*

County of Santa Cruz

THE REQUIREMENTS:

Any combination of education and experience which would provide the requiredknowledge and abilities is qualifying, unless otherwise specified. A typical way to obtain this knowledgeand abilities would be Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree inenvironmental science or any combination of education and experience approved by the California StateDepartment of Public Health.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/CONDITIONS:

License Requirements: Possess and maintain a valid CaliforniaClass C Driver License. Possession of a written statement from the California State Department of Public Health indicating that educational requirements have been met for admission to examination forRegistered Environmental Health Specialist. For more information, please visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DRSEM/Pages/EMB/REHS/REHS.aspx A COPY OF THIS WRITTENSTATEMENT MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION.

SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS:

Exposure to variable temperatures; slippery surfaces; loud noises;sunburn; dust and pollen; bee stings; infections, such as tick-borne Lyme disease or mosquito-borne encephalitis; angry or hostile persons; hazardous materials; wetness, such as while walking in the rain or through a stream on a site inspection; raw or partially treated sewage; inadequate ventilation; live electrical wires, aggressive dogs, fleas, cockroaches, and rodents.

OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Positions may be assigned to carry a pager, cell phone or other communication equipment and respond to emergency situations and perform on-call or call-back duties. Work situations may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Knowledge:

Some knowledge of methods and techniques of scientific investigation, inspection and resolving unsanitary conditions.

Ability to:

Analyze situations accurately and take effective action; establish and maintain cooperative relationships with others; prepare clear and concise reports; learn to detect unsanitary conditions and public health hazards, secure corrective action through education or voluntary compliance or legal enforcement; learn to provide instruction in the methods and procedures of sanitary inspection and correction of unsanitary conditions; learn to understand conditions and develop alternatives for soils and percolation problems; learn environmental health and safety codes; learn the principles of environmental health and sanitation; learn to apply Federal and State laws, local ordinances and regulations governing environmental health and sanitation; obtain additional training pertaining to environmental health; learn to input, access and analyze data using a computer; and learn to make public presentations.

THE EXAMINATION:

Your application and supplemental questionnaire will be reviewed to determine if you have met the education, experience, training and/or licensing requirements as stated in the job announcement. If you meet these criteria and are one of the best qualified, you may be required to compete in any combination of written, oral and/or performance examinations or a competitive evaluation of training and experience as described on your application and supplemental questionnaire. You must pass all components of the examination to be placed on the eligible list. The examination may be eliminated if there are ten or fewer qualified applicants. If the eligible list is established without the administration of the announced examination, the life of the eligible list will be six months, and your overall score will be based upon an evaluation of your application and supplemental questionnaire. If during those six months it is necessary to administer another examination for this job class, you will be invited to take the examination to remain on the eligible list.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS:

• ANNUAL LEAVE - 22 days first year of service, increasing to 37 days after 15 years of service. Available for vacation and/or sick leave.
• $10,000 Recruitment Incentive – initial payment of 50% within 30 days of start date. Remaining 50% of payment upon completion of one calendar year of service (2080 service hours).
• HOLIDAYS - 14 paid holidays per year.
• BEREAVEMENT LEAVE - 3 days paid in California, 5 days paid out-of-state.
• MEDICAL PLAN - The County contracts with CalPERS for a variety of medical plans. For most plans, County contributions pay a majority of the premiums for employees and eligible dependents.
• DENTAL PLAN - County pays for employee and eligible dependent coverage.
• VISION PLAN - County pays for employee coverage. Employee may purchase eligible dependent coverage.
• RETIREMENT - Pension formula 2% at age 60 or 2% at age 62 as determined based on provisions of the CAPublic Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA). Pension benefit determined by final average compensation of three years. County participates in Social Security.
• LIFE INSURANCE - County paid $20,000 term policy. Employee may purchase additional life insurance.
• DISABILITY INSURANCE - Employees in the General Representation Unit participate in the State DisabilityInsurance (SDI) program. This program is funded 100% by employee payroll deductions.
• DEPENDENT-CARE PLAN - Employees who make contributions for child or dependent care may elect to have their contributions made utilizing “pre‑tax dollars.”
• H-CARE PLAN - Employees who pay a County medical premium may elect this pre‑tax program.
• HEALTH CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ALLOWANCE (HCFSA) - Employees may elect this pre‑tax program to DEFERRED COMPENSATION - A deferred compensation plan is available to employees.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST TRAINEE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

NAME:______________________________

The supplemental questions are designed specifically for this recruitment. Applications received without the required supplemental information will be screened out of the selection process. Employment experience referred to in your response must also be included in the Employment History section of the application.

NOTE: Please answer the question(s) below as completely and thoroughly as possible, as your answer(s) may be used to assess your qualifications for moving to the next step in the recruitment process.

1. Do you possess a letter from the California Department of Public Health certifying that you meet the minimum educational requirements for, and are eligible to commence work as an

YES______ If yes, you MUST submit a copy of the letter with your application.NO_______

2. Describe your education and experience that would enable you to work effectively as an

3. Describe your knowledge and/or experience in preparing reports and developing cooperative working relationships.