HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPECIALIST II

Orange County; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Orange County Health Care Agency is seeking a Hazardous Materials Specialist II to oversee environmental health activities, inspections, and enforcement. The role involves coordinating with federal and state agencies, preparing reports, and guiding staff in hazardous materials management.

The ideal candidate has a bachelor’s degree in a scientific field, plus REHS certification, and is prepared for after-hours responsibilities including emergencies and complex regulatory tasks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a science field with at least 30 semester units in biological/physical/environmental sciences including lab course.
• REHS certification from CDPH preferred for Body Art programs.
• Completion of required certifications within 180 days of hire.
• Experience in regulatory inspection and environmental health is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide regulatory oversight for environmental health activities and safety compliance.
• Prepare inspection reports, remediation plans, and enforcement documents.
• Coordinate with federal, state, and local agencies and stakeholders.
• Deliver technical training and guidance to staff and operators.
• Respond to public health emergencies involving spills or releases.

Skills

Regulatory knowledge

Interagency coordination

Technical reporting

Emergency response

Written communication

Oral communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in science

REHS certification

Tools

Geotracker

CERS

SWIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SPECIALIST II

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This recruitment will establish an open eligible list that will be used to fill current and future Hazardous Material Specialist II positions. The eligible list established may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County of Orange.

DEADLINE TO APPLY

This recruitment will be open for a minimum of five (5) business days and will close on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 11:59 P.M. (PST).

HEALTH CARE AGENCY

The County of Orange Health Care Agency (HCA) is a dynamic organization dedicated to creating and supporting an environment that promotes the achievement of optimal individual, family and community health. Under the leadership of the Agency Director, a dynamic executive team with an organizational structure comprised of five service areas - Administrative Services, Behavioral Health Services, Correctional Health Services, Public Health Services, and Specialized Medical Health Services - is committed to meeting the health needs of the diverse Orange County community.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION

The Environmental Health Division (EH) is comprised of various programs aimed toward protecting the health and safety of Orange County residents and visitors from harmful conditions in the environment. Staff enforce laws and regulations and emphasize education to assist businesses with providing healthy and safe communities. Services include retail and wholesale food protection, foodborne illness investigations, public pool inspections, childhood lead exposure prevention, water quality, ocean water protection, solid waste facility oversight, hazardous materials surveillance and mitigation oversight, underground and aboveground storage tank oversight, body art facility and practitioner oversight, medical waste management inspections and a used oil recycling education program.

The Hazardous Materials Surveillance Section (HMSS) manages the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), medical waste, and body art regulatory inspection programs. The CUPA programs consist of the hazardous materials, hazardous waste, above-ground petroleum tanks, underground storage tanks (UST), and the California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP) inspection programs. In addition to the regulatory oversight programs, the HMSS manages two CalRecycle grants, the Waste Tire Enforcement grant and the Used Oil Recycling grant.

The Land & Water Quality (LWQ) Section manages the Site Mitigation program including Local Oversight programs (LOP) and Industrial Cleanup (IC), which provide regulatory oversight for cleanup of current/former industrial facilities and leaking underground storage tanks (UST). The LWQ Section also manages the Solid Waste (SW) program that protects public health and safety, and the environment by ensuring that solid waste is collected, stored, processed and disposed properly. Solid waste facilities in Orange County are required to hold permits from the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA).

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Hazardous Materials Specialist II (HMS II) is the first working level class in the Hazardous Materials Specialist series. Incumbents in this class have a firm understanding in the field of hazardous materials and hazardous waste. Work involves independent decision-making, coordination with regulatory partners, and delivering clear, responsive guidance to businesses, responsible parties, and community stakeholders.

This classification receives on-the-job training regarding the various disciplines included, but not limited to, advance environmental crimes, enforcement, and emergency response. HMS II performs inspections, investigations, and enforcement duties to ensure compliance with state and federal environmental regulations. At the EH Division’s request, HMSII is required to conduct regulatory requirements during afterhours including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities and duties for this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Regulatory oversight of public health protection activities including providing technical expertise to ensure safe and compliance environmental cleanup
• Report preparation, technical and regulatory documentation, for example, inspection reports, remediation plans, and enforcement orders
• Interagency coordination and stakeholder engagement with partner agencies e.g. Federal and California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), CalRecycle, fire authorities, County departments (e.g. OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycle, District Attorney, County Counsel), etc.; may participate in enforcement hearings and public forums
• Technical training and staff development, participating in technical advisory groups, assisting in the training and cross-training of staff, and providing technical expertise and education to operators and the public
• Public health emergency response that may involve, but is not limited to, spills, releases, or similar environmental threats

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES

The ideal candidate will possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to a Hazardous Materials Specialist I (HMS I) or an Environmental Health Specialist II (EHS II) with the County of Orange. In addition, the ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency with at least 30 semester units of basic biological, physical, or environmental science courses including at least one laboratory course in one of the following fields: chemistry, physics, microbiology, biology, and a mathematics course of college algebra or higher.

For Body Art programs, the ideal candidate will be in possession of the following: a valid certificate of registration as an Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

In addition, the ideal candidate will also have extensive experience in the following core competencies:

Technical Knowledge

• Knowledge of State and Federal laws and regulations regarding environmental compliance, hazardous materials, business emergency plans, hazardous waste, underground storage tanks, aboveground petroleum storage tank programs, solid waste, and management of various cleanup projects
• Knowledge of and physical capability to wear personal protective equipment including specialized chemical suits and air-purifying respirator
• Proficiency with computer hardware and software to enter and retrieve data, review state forms, complete reports, and maintain compliance with uploading requirements within the following databases: EH data management system, Geotracker, California Environmental Reporting System (CERS), and/or Solid Waste Information System (SWIS), and a variety of productivity software, such as; Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Outlook, etc.

Relationship Building

• Establishing and maintaining professional working relationships and continuously work to improve relationships, contacts, and networks with peers, supervisors, managers, clients, and the public
• Understanding of the interrelationships, roles, and responsibilities of internal and external stakeholders, such as; Federal and California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), CalRecycle, fire authorities, County departments (e.g. OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycle, District Attorney, County Counsel)
• Interacting with diverse customers, fostering positive relationships grounded in sensitivity, respect, fairness, and consistency

Oral and Written Communication

• Communicating effectively, both verbally and in writing, explaining regulations varying in difficulty and complexity and using active listening to fully understand questions, concerns, and stakeholder needs
• Reviewing, evaluating, and summarizing data in writing and presenting information clearly and in an organized manner through written inspection reports, technical and enforcement letters, public meetings, and similar methods
• Providing education to promote understanding, compliance, and informed decision-making within the community and regulated businesses

Organization and Decision Making

• Organizing priorities and assignments to accomplish tasks efficiently and independently
• Applying critical thinking to identify and analyze problems, gather relevant data and information, draw valid conclusions, and provide solutions or recommended course of action
• Identifying when issues need to be escalated to higher authorities and effectively alert appropriate stakeholders.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

for details on the Hazardous Materials Specialist II classification, including the physical, mental, environmental and working conditions.

Special Requirements

Upon hiring or transferring to this classification, incumbent must possess or complete the following certifications within 180 days of hire:

• 40-hour HAZWOPER course
• APSA (Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act) Tank Inspector Certification, if assigned to the Hazardous Materials Surveillance Section
• International Code Council "California UST Inspector" Certification, if assigned to the Hazardous Surveillance Section

NOTE: Foreign degrees require an evaluation of U.S. equivalency by an agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (N.A.C.E.S.).

Veterans Employment Preference

The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please review the policy.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

The County of Orange is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Individuals who require a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should notify the recruiter listed on the job posting as soon as possible. Documentation supporting the accommodation request may be required.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION

Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.

NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply. Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, contact Janeth Boudreaux at jboudreaux@ochca,com or [phone].

Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.