SUPERVISING PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 71,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Chicago is seeking a Supervising Public Health Inspector in Chicago, IL. The role oversees sanitation inspections of food establishments and pools, ensuring compliance with health codes and licensing requirements.

This position requires a degree in Biology or Environmental Health, licensure as an Environmental Health Practitioner, and supervisory experience in urban regulatory inspections. The work involves mentoring staff and participating in on-call coverage as needed.

Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor's degree in Biology/Natural Sciences/Environmental Health or related field with relevant experience.
• Master's degree with applicable experience in food sanitation is acceptable.
• Must be licensed as Environmental Health Practitioner by Illinois within six months of hire.
• Valid Illinois driver's license required and city-insured vehicle usage.

Responsibilities

• Supervise Sanitarians conducting food and environmental inspections.
• Review inspection reports and enforce health codes and licensing requirements.
• Train new staff on inspections, food safety, and sanitation codes.
• Maintain inspection records and prepare activity reports.
• Respond to citizen inquiries and coordinate with City departments.

Skills

EHP License

Supervisory Experience

Regulatory Inspections

Pool Inspections

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Biology/Natural Sciences/Environmental Health

Master's degree in Biology/Natural Sciences/Environmental Health

Tools

MS Office

Job description

SUPERVISING PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR

Job Number: 417242-1

Job Announcement

Number of Positions: 2 (additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $83,052.00/Year

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 10/16/2026

Mission: CDPH works with communities and partners to create an equitable, safe, resilient and Healthy Chicago.

Under general supervision, supervises Sanitarians engaged in conducting inspections of establishments that process, prepare, and/or serve food to enforce food safety, sanitation codes and licensing requirements, and/or supervises Sanitarians engaged in conducting inspections of swimming pools and spas to enforce environmental health codes and licensing requirements

Essential Duties

• Assigns inspections or complaints of sanitation violations to staff and monitors to ensure they are conducted thoroughly and efficiently
• Reviews inspection reports and citations issued for completeness, accuracy, and appropriateness of findings
• Provides assistance and instruction to staff on complex inspections and investigations
• Conducts field visits to observe inspections and ensure compliance with departmental protocols
• May assist in conducting inspections and investigations and in preparing reports on findings
• May issue citations for health code violations
• Testifies in Administrative Hearings regarding violations found
• Oversee the training of new staff on inspections, food safety and sanitation codes, environmental health codes and licensing requirements
• Prepare reports on inspection activities
• Supervises the maintenance of inspection documents and reports
• Responds to citizen complaints and inquiries on health code violations and compliance methods
• Serves as a liaison to City departments, public agencies, and the general public on sanitary codes and enforcement issues.
• May also be assigned to the Small Business Center at City Hall five days a week to provide health consultations required under the Municipal Code of Chicago.
• Monitors and reviews work performance and productivity of Sanitarians and administrative staff, administers disciplinary actions as required and conducts performance evaluations of staff.
• May supervise operations involving health code enforcement, licensing, and 311 service requests.
• May review plans for new or remodeled food establishments.
• Assist in collecting samples and taking swabs for laboratory analysis as required
• Participate in rotating on-call coverage, including additional hours as needed.

NOTE: The list of essential duties is not intended to be inclusive; there may be other duties that are essential to particular positions within the class.

Performs related duties as required

Location: Chicago Department of Public Health - Food Safety & Regulatory Services, Health Protection Bureau

Address: 2133 West Lexington, Chicago, IL

Days: Monday - Friday (May include occasional Saturdays

Shift: 8:30am - 4:30pm.

Participate in a rotating on-call coverage, including additional hours as needed.

Work in communities throughout the City of Chicago, as required.

Work after hours and on weekends during Summer Special Events season.

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Biology, the Natural Sciences, Environmental Health, or a directly related field, plus two (2) years of food sanitation experience, OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree or higher in Biology, the Natural Sciences, Environmental Health, or a directly related field, plus one (1) year of food sanitation experience

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• Must be licensed as an Environmental Health Practitioner by the State of Illinois within six months of hire
• A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required.
• Must have the permanent use of an automobile that is properly insured, including a clause specifically insuring the City of Chicago from accident liability.

Selection Criteria

This position requires applicants to complete an interview which will include a written exercise and/or a skills assessment test as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected.

Desired Skills

• Currently possess a State of Illinois Environmental Health Practitioner License.
• Previous experience with conducting regulatory risk-based food inspections of a complex nature in an urban setting.
• Previous experience as a supervising public health inspector or equivalent in another local or state health department.
• Previous experience investigating suspected food poisonings and collecting food and water samples for laboratory testing.
• Certified Swimming Pool Operator with experience inspecting swimming pools and spas.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

APPLICATION EVALUATION

Initial evaluation will be based on the information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow all required employment/hiring plan provisions, federal, state, and local laws, and collective bargaining agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience, the City of Chicago has adopted ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, residents of Socio‑Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA), and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring processes please

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ANY AND ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT

The City of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer and Fair Chance Employer

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor