Requistion #: ENVIR001032. Salary Range: $74,901.04/yr. – $96,316.53 per year. Application closes:

Job Summary:

The Environmental Health & Safety Specialist is responsible for environmental health and safety inspections, investigations, enforcement, and educational activities to protect the public health. Conducts sanitation inspections of licensed and unlicensed facilities, drinking water and water quality, vector control, subsurface sewage disposal evaluations, and epidemiological investigations of complaints and violations relating to public health and environmental protection.

Essential Functions:

• Supports Grand Ronde residents in the areas of domestic well safety and emerging issues related to regulated and non-regulated water; and work across programs and other county/state departments to ensure healthy community water systems.
• Works with the Public Health and County Emergency Preparedness staff on preparing for, and responding to, and recovering from emergencies and natural disasters, including (but not limited to) wildfires and large community boil water advisories.
• Inspects food operations, tourist venues, housing, schools, institutional care and day care facilities, recreational sites (e.g. playgrounds), and public swimming pools and spas for compliance with State sanitation laws and regulations; conducts health hazard surveys and produces reports.
• Conducts public water system surveys and follows up on alerts.
• Conducts vector control activities.
• Provides environmental health and education to the community.
• Conducts environmental restoration and stewardship activities.
• Evaluates the safety of private water supplies; collects samples for laboratory analysis; interprets and documents test results; provides professional advice for correction or mitigation.
• Investigates communicable disease outbreaks implicating food or water or other environmental causes in public facilities or in a community; recommends necessary control measures.
• Evaluates and investigates non-communicable concerns having an environmental cause; recommends necessary control measures.
• Investigates environmental health related complaints or concerns as directed.
• Conduct prevention programming aimed at reducing injury & disease
• Performs a variety of other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Education, Experience, and Licenses:

• Requires a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent semester hours, in science courses relating to environmental or physical science, natural science, engineering, and/or another closely related field approved by the Oregon Health Licensing Office.
• Requires a minimum of two (2) years of directly related work experience, OR equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Driving Requirements:

• Must maintain a valid Oregon driver’s license or obtain one upon hire, qualify for the Tribe’s vehicle insurance, and provide proof of personal vehicle insurance.

Qualifications, Registrations, and Certifications:

• Certification as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist with the State of Oregon, as defined by ORS 700.030 is required at time of appointment OR may be obtained within three years.
• Annual maintenance of certification as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist through continuing education courses as required by the State of Oregon.
• Eligible for registration as an Oregon Environmental Health Specialist or Environmental Health Specialist Trainee within two months of hiring.
• When hired as a trainee, must complete trainee program within the Oregon Health Licensing Board timeframe to obtain a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) certification and maintain REHS certification annually.
• Currently certified or able to obtain certification as a certified pool operator (CPO).
• Currently certified or able to obtain 24-hr hazardous waste operations and emergency response (HAZWOPER) certification.
• Eligible to be standardized as a food safety inspector by the Oregon Health Authority – Food Safety Program.
• Experience in Oregon’s onsite wastewater program and/or completion of the minimum educational qualifications for the State of Oregon classification as a Wastewater Specialist.
• Current registration with the State of Oregon as an Environmental Health Specialist or Wastewater Specialist with no less than 10 quarter hours or equivalent semester hours in Introductory Soil Science, Soil Morphology, and Physical Geology, or Geomorphology.
• Knowledge of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Standardized by Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.
• FDA Food Specialist or experience with any jurisdiction participating in FDA Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.
• Serv Safe Certified per National Restaurant Association.
• On-site Wastewater certification per Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (OR DEQ).
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to Native American culture is required.

Environmental Factors and Conditions/Physical Requirements:

• Continually requires the ability to express or receive detailed information or important instructions through oral communication.
• Continually requires working with fingers rather than the whole hand or arm. Requires repetitive movement of wrists, hands and/or fingers. Often requires walking or moving about to accomplish tasks.
• Requires standing and/or sitting for sustained periods of time, raising objects from a lower to a higher position and/or moving objects horizontally.
• Occasionally requires lifting of up to 50 pounds.
• This position is frequently subject to inside environmental conditions which provide protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes, and is occasionally subject to outside environmental conditions.
• Supports a safe work environment by performing all duties in accordance with Tribal safety policies and procedures, and Emergency Management Plan. 
• Due to the nature of the interactions with other employees and the public we serve, employees may be required to provide documentation of, or receive, certain health vaccinations.
• May be called upon to serve as a Disaster Reservist during emergencies.
• Local travel is occasionally required. Travel outside of the state is infrequently required.

Background Check:

Candidates for this position will be subject to criminal and character background checks and may be subject to fingerprinting.