Environmental Health Supervisor I

Forsyth County; Winston-Salem (NC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Forsyth County Department of Public Health seeks an Environmental Health Supervisor I to lead the Plan Review and Permitting team. You will supervise two Sr.

Environmental Health Specialists and four Environmental Health Specialists/Interns, guiding plan review for food, lodging, institutions, and child care facilities and issuing permits. You will provide technical supervision, enforce environmental health laws, and educate operators and the public.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health or Public Health with required science coursework.
• Registration as REHS or eligibility and NC authorization for rule interpretation.
• Experience supervising a small environmental health staff and coordinating plan review.

Responsibilities

• Supervise activities of the Plan Review and Permitting team and schedule daily work.
• Provide technical supervision and guidance to Sr. EHS and EHS/Interns.
• Plan, organize, direct and review team performance and workload.
• Educate operators of FLI establishments and the public on rules and permits.
• Investigate complaints and conduct epidemiological or environmental investigations as needed.
• Maintain records, reports, and ensure compliance with environmental health standards.

Skills

Environmental health laws

Staff supervision

Plan review coordination

Public health education

Complaint investigations

Interagency collaboration

Regulatory interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health or Public Health (with science coursework)

Tools

REHS certification or eligibility

Job description

The Forsyth County Department of Public Health is seeking to hire an Environmental Health Supervisor I. This position oversees the FLI Plan Review and Permitting team. This position provides technical supervision and management of two Sr. Environmental Health Specialists (Sr. EHS) and four Environmental Health Specialists (EHS)/Interns. This position manages how plans for food, lodging, institutions, and child care establishments are reviewed and how applicable establishments are permitted.

The Section is composed of 6 major program areas:

• Foodservice Sanitation and Inspections
• Institutional Sanitation and Inspections (including child care)
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
• Plan Review and Permitting
• Tattoo Artist Sanitation
• Outbreak Investigation

In addition to plan review and permitting, this position

1. plans, organizes, directs, and reviews the work of a team of EHS/Interns
2. assists the field staff with the more difficult, non-routine programmatic issues
3. provides education to the operators of FLI establishments as well as the public
4. conducts complaint investigations
5. investigates possible food or vector borne illnesses
6. conducts routine evaluations and enforces rules/laws governing FLI establishments
7. works under the general direction of the FLI Environmental Health Supervisor II

A successful candidate should have the following knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Considerable knowledge of environmental health laws, rules and procedures
• Knowledge of office administration and management to include personnel policies and procedures and the budget process
• Comprehensive knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of an Environmental Health Specialist
• Ability to function as an Environmental Health Specialist
• Ability to plan for and supervise the work of a small environmental health staff
• Ability to motivate and educate business and property owners and the consuming public in matters related to protecting and promoting Public Health
• Ability to present formal environmental health training programs
• Ability to develop and express ideas and opinions concisely, comprehensively and clearly in oral and written form
• Ability to work with others in solving complex environmental problems
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with other employees

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health from a program accredited by the National Accreditation Council for Environmental Health Curricula of the National Environmental Health Association, or Bachelor's degree with 30 hours of physical or biological science course completion, or Bachelor's degree in Public Health;

And two years of experience at the Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) level or above in a health department with a broad knowledge of Environmental Health.

• Must be a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) by the NC State Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners
• Must have a separate authorization by a Regional Environmental Health Specialist for each set of rules that are interpreted and enforced
• Must have an Incident Command Systems certification through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Must have a valid driver's license as use of an automobile is necessary to get to and from the establishments that this position regulates to perform duties at those locations

A higher education level may be considered as a substitution for all or part of the experience requirement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Supervises the activities of an assigned staff. Schedules and assigns the daily activities for an assigned staff; evaluates staff performance and recommends salary adjustments
• Provides input into long-range planning which includes budget projections for supplies, equipment and personnel
• Functions both within and outside of the health department as a consultant to other specialists and local officials, business concerns, contractors, and developers on the more complex issues
• Explains, interprets, justifies, and obtains compliance with various laws, regulations and standards
• Recommends and provides ongoing training in the area of rules, regulations, evaluation procedures and proper debiting of violations in these establishments for the assigned staff
• Provides information to the public and provides training to clients regarding policies and regulations governing the issuance of permits
• Investigates complaints from the public and may initiate corrective and legal action
• Conducts inspections of various food and lodging facilities including the physical facility, materials, equipment, sanitizing and cleaning methods, and insect and rodent control and issues/reissues/revokes permits
• Conducts epidemiological investigations of disease outbreaks in the community
• Prepares and maintains related records and reports
• Performs related work as required