Environmental Public Health Physician

Mainerafting; Augusta (ME); On-site; USD 112,507 - 159,328; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Healthcare and dental insurance

Public service career

Job summary

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Maine seeks a Public Health Physician to lead the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and serve as a medical expert on environmental chemical exposures. This managerial role offers a collaborative, flexible environment with strong public health impact and comprehensive state benefits.

Responsibilities include supervising a small nursing team, guiding testing and management of lead exposure, and providing education to healthcare

Qualifications

• Graduate degree from an accredited Medical or Osteopathic School in the United States (or equivalent).
• License to practice medicine in Maine.
• Experience in public health settings or programs is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the health team for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP).
• Serve as a medical expert on environmental chemical exposures.
• Provide medical guidance to toxicologists and epidemiologists.
• Supervise staff and manage a multidisciplinary team.
• Deliver presentations and lead educational outreach on lead testing and exposure.

Skills

Leadership

Public health knowledge

Team supervision

Communication skills

Education

Medical degree (MD/DO)

MPH or public health experience

Job description

Department ofHealth and Human Services (DHHS)

Public Health Physician

Opening Date: July 24, 2026

Closing Date: August 21, 2026

Job Class Code:4362

Grade:56 (Professional & Technical)

Salary:$112,507.20 - $159,328.00 per year

Position Number:02000-3039

Location:Augusta

This position allows for partial telework with management approval.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.

About this Role:

Join the Maine CDC’s Environmental Health Program (EHP) and use your medical expertise to make a direct impact on the health of children in Maine communities. You will work in a collaborative, innovative, and supportive environment that is cutting-edge, challenging, and engaging, one where no two days are the same and teamwork drives success. State of Maine employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that supports work-life balance and personal well-being, including generous paid time off, substantial employer-paid health and dental insurance, and opportunities to build a long-term career in public service.

In this role, you’ll serve in two meaningful capacities:

1. Lead the health team for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP)
2. Serve as a medical expert on environmental chemical exposures

This is a managerial medical position in a public health setting, where your leadership, clinical insight, and collaboration will help protect and improve lives across the state.

Join a great team doing meaningful, innovative work in environmental health. Flexible and/or reduced schedules (to 32 hours per week) may be negotiated for candidates who want to maintain a clinical role outside of State government.

Make an Impact: What You’ll Do

Lead the Health Team for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

As the health team leader for CLPPP, you will guide and support a small but impactful team while helping to ensure children across Maine receive appropriate testing and care. This work will advance progress toward the goal of eradicating childhood lead poisoning in Maine. It is especially critical following recent changes to state law, including a new requirement that all children receive a blood lead test at ages 1 and 2.

• Oversee monitoring of children’s blood lead levels, including confirmatory and follow-up testing, based on current state and federal guidelines, best practices, and CLPPP standard operating protocols;
• Supervise a team of two nursing staff;
• Lead a weekly childhood lead poisoning team case review;
• Inform healthcare providers about blood lead testing requirements and protocols for the medical management of childhood lead poisoning cases;
• Approve provider offices to conduct in-office blood lead testing;
• Collaborate with other state offices and state clinical organizations to perform education and outreach and to advance CLPPP priorities;
• Deliver presentations and grand rounds on childhood blood lead testing and lead exposure;
• Develop lead poisoning health case management protocols and procedures;
• Partner with managers and epidemiologists to monitor rates of blood lead testing in various populations;
• Partner with environmental specialists to determine when temporary relocation is needed for affected children.

Serve as a Medical Expert in Environmental Health

You will also play a key role in addressing environmental and chemical exposure concerns across the state, working with the Environmental Toxicology and Environmental Epidemiology Units within EHP.

In this capacity you will:

• Provide medical guidance to toxicologists, epidemiologists, other state agencies, and Maine residents;
• Support responses to both routine and acute environmental, occupational, and chemical exposures;
• Assist with consultations, reporting, and surveillance for notifiable environmental health conditions, including carbon monoxide poisoning and exposure to PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”;
• Assist toxicologists in responding to community or individual concerns when environmental exposures approach clinical significance;
• Collaborate across disciplines, sometimes in time-sensitive situations, under the direction of the Senior Environmental Health Program Manager.

Additional Ways You’ll Contribute:

• On occasion, as needed, and as funding allows, support other Divisions within Maine CDC to provide medical expertise for other health conditions;
• Infrequently, and only in extreme circumstances, provide on-call coverage or work outside of regular business hours to ensure timely and appropriate management of severe lead poisoning or other serious environmental health incidents.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduate degree from an accredited Medical or Osteopathic School in the United States (or, if a graduate of a medical school outside of the U.S., evidence of passing scores for FLEX or National Board Examinations, or current Maine medical licensure); AND
• Master’s Degree in Public Health OR at least two (2) years of full-time experience performing public health work at the US CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), US Public Health Service, another US state or territory, an accredited university, a hospital accredited by The Joint Commission, or a similar public health practice setting.

LICENSING/REGISTRATION/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: (These must be met by all employees prior to attaining permanent status in this class).

Certificate of registration with the right to practice medicine and surgery in Maine as issued by the State Board of Registration of Medicine.

Preferred Candidates Will Also Have:

• Experience or training in the fields of environmental medicine, occupational medicine, environmental health, or occupational health;
• Experience supervising staff and managing complex teams;
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills;
• Experience working in a public health program or agency.

Licensing Requirements:

In order to secure a permanent job status (achieved after 6 months in the position), the candidate must hold, obtain, or be qualified to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine in the State of Maine from the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine (per 32 M.R.S. § 3271) or the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure (per 32 M.R.S. § 2571).

Thinking about applying?

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Agency information:

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

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

There are equal opportunity statements indicating Maine State Government’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and strive to create an inclusive environment for applicants of all backgrounds.

There is a commitment to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.