Health and Environmental Investigator III

B Townblog; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

King County's Food and Facilities Program seeks a Health & Environmental Investigator III to manage sewage release risks affecting recreational waters and shellfish areas. The role supports beach and shellfish monitoring, collaborates with local utilities and state agencies, and conducts plan reviews for water recreation facilities.

The investigator will provide technical assistance, respond to complaints, and help with investigations, while aligning with equity and public health goals across

Qualifications

• Valid Washington State driver's license.
• REHS/RS certification or eligible within six months.
• Experience conducting inspections of water recreation facilities and plan reviews.
• Ability to respond to and manage sewage releases and related incidents.
• Desirable bilingual ability in languages common in King County (e.g., Spanish, Somali, Chinese).

Responsibilities

• Conduct plan reviews of remodeled and newly constructed water recreation facilities.
• Respond to and manage sewage releases and overflow events; assess contamination risk.
• Oversee marine and freshwater beach monitoring and shellfish sampling programs.
• Provide training and technical support to staff; update protocols and forms.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Job description

The Food and Facilities Program is seeking a skilled, enthusiastic, and dedicated Health & Environmental Investigator III (HEI) for our Water Recreational Program. A key responsibility of this position is to manage and assess risks of sewage release events impacting recreational bodies of water and shellfish harvest areas. Additional responsibilities include supporting fresh and marine water swimming beach and shellfish monitoring programs. The HEI will work closely with multiple local utilities, cities, the Washington State Department of Health, Department of Ecology, and other agencies. Internally, this position will work with the Food and Facilities Assistant Division Director/supervisors and King County Communications. The HEI will also conduct plan reviews of remodeled and newly constructed water recreation facilities; provide water recreation facility technical assistance to program staff, other agencies, and the public; assist with responding to water recreation related complaints, service requests, and investigations; and provide technical support to other staff and to the public.

Background

Through the work of 190+ dedicated employees, The Environmental Health Services Division’s mission is to identify and sustain environmental conditions that promote healthy people and healthy communities. Our vision is healthy, safe, and vibrant communities that are free of health disparities based on race, gender, or economic status. The Division’s core values include equity and social justice, integrity, community service, collaboration, a supportive work culture, and learning from each other and the communities we serve. We strive for fair and culturally competent service delivery, innovative, effective, and efficient application of resources, building a culture of performance and expanding opportunities to seek input, listen and respond to industry and residents.

To learn more, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/ehs.

Note: This recruitment will be used to create an eligibility pool to fill additional Career Service, Term-Limited Temporary (TLT), or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) vacancies that may occur over the next six months.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice

Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

It has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

Work Schedule

The work schedule is full-time (40 hours per week) and overtime eligible. The normal work week is Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, but may require work outside of these hours. Evening, night, and weekend work may be required. Alternate work schedules will be considered after successful completion of the probationary period.

Work Location

The work will be performed in a hybrid environment with field work at various locations throughout King County. Primary base office will be the downtown Seattle office. The frequency of onsite work may vary based on business or operational needs. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. The Environmental Health Division reserves the right to place staff at worksite locations or transfer staff to new worksite locations that best support the efficient delivery of services.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The selected candidate will join an innovative and progressive team that is transitioning to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available during scheduled work hours.

Conduct plan reviews of remodeled and newly constructed water recreation facilities

• Conduct comprehensive plan reviews for water recreation facilities ensuring compliance with WAC 246-260, WAC 246-262, and KCBH Code.
• Issue Water Recreation Facility Construction Permits for approved water recreation plans.
• Maintain and evaluate EH portal service website drain cover replacement submittals.
• Complete pre-operational inspections for water recreation facilities.

Respond and manage sewage releases and overflow events

• Manage sewage release/overflow notifications and assess contamination risk to the public.
• Review and provide follow-up for incoming Ecology Reporting and Tracking System (ERTS) reports.
• Coordinate and work with local utilities, management, communications team, county officials and the Washington State Department of Ecology BEACH Program.
• Track data and manage records of sewage releases/overflow events.

Respond and manage the marine and freshwater beach monitoring and shellfish sampling programs

• Analyze laboratory sample test results received for bacterial and toxic algal blooms.
• Coordinate with King County Water and Land Resource Division, Washington State Department of Ecology BEACH Program, and local parks on signage postings at beaches.
• Handle and manage all complaints regarding beach closures and warnings.
• Coordinate with King County lab on sampling schedules and resamples.
• Perform risk assessments for appropriate signage postings.
• Work and coordinate with Washington State Department of Health Shellfish Program and local parks on signage postings in recreational shellfish harvesting areas based on lab results.

Other duties

• Provide training and technical support to staff.
• Update protocols, information, and forms on Water Recreational Program website.
• Participate in program activities and investigations with the Washington State Department of Health’s Water Recreation Program and with Public Health - Seattle & King County Prevention Division's Communicable Disease Investigators.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

• Within six months of hire, Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) or from the Washington State Board of Registered Sanitarians (WSBRS).
• Demonstrated experience conducting routine inspections and comprehensive plan reviews for water recreation facilities ensuring compliance with water recreation code.
• Demonstrated knowledge of environmental health principles and federal, state, or local environmental health regulations, codes and/or policies.
• Demonstrated ability to research and draft program policies, procedures, correspondence, and technical reports.
• Demonstrated ability to respond to and manage sewage releases and overflow events, by analyzing and interpreting data to guide decision-making, and making recommendations to agency partners.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct marine and freshwater beach monitoring and shellfish sampling programs, for example by: analyzing laboratory sample test results, coordinating with other agencies on signage at beaches, handling complaints, coordinating sampling schedules and resamples, and/or performing risk assessments to determine public health recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to apply principles of equity and social justice in local government programs. Demonstrated cultural competence working with diverse populations including race, ethnicity, gender, ability, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

• Demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings and provide presentations to a wide range and size of audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with the public, program staff and other agencies; and to participate effectively on committees and work groups to collaboratively discuss and resolve issues and develop recommendations for long term program evaluation and planning.
• Demonstrated proficiency with computer systems, Microsoft Office suite and with database or planning/design software.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain professional relationships with staff in different levels of government agencies and people in different fields of discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate through uncertainties, to be comfortable when there are no clear answers, and to make sound decisions by collecting and analyzing data, understanding the legal framework and the interests of all involved parties, and working closely with the leadership.

LICENSING/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid Washington State driver's license.
• Within six months of hire, Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) or from the Washington State Board of Registered Sanitarians (WSBRS).

All required licenses and certifications must be maintained in active status without suspension or revocation throughout employment.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience conducting inspections and completing pre-operational inspections of water recreation facilities
• Experience responding to and managing sewage releases and overflow events
• Experience with marine and freshwater beach monitoring and shellfish sampling programs
• Demonstrated experience issuing food or water recreation construction permits for approved plans
• Experience working in a highly collaborative government program or coalition.
• Established effective working relationships with program partner agencies.
• Bilingual in one of the most common non-English languages in King County (such as Spanish, Arabic, Somali, Hindi, Punjabi, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean).
• Experience working with permitting and licensing software (e.g., Tyler EPL and Bluebeam)

Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation\'s best places to live, work and play.

What to Expect Next

The following sections contain information about our recruitment process and what to expect next during the selection process. If you require any accommodations during the process, please contact the recruiter listed on the job announcement.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

Who May Apply

All eligible applicants.

Union Membership

PROTEC17-DPH