Senior Hazardous Materials Specialist (Household Hazardous Waste)

YOU MUST BE AN ALAMEDA COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO APPLY

THIS IS A NEW PROMOTIONAL ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended. Qualified applicants must be current county employees and have completed, by the last day for filing, the equivalent of six months of continuous service following a regular appointment in the Alameda County classified service.  A regular appointment does not include provisional, TAP (Temporary Assignment Pool), or STEP-UP appointments.  

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

THE COUNTY

Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California's seventh-largest county.  The County employs 9,700 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $3.4 billion.  Oakland, the County seat, is California's eighth largest city.  One and a half million people call Alameda County home and live in a variety of incorporated cities, unincorporated communities and rural areas.  As a major urban county, Alameda provides a full range of services to its citizens.  The County is a blend of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, and its mixture of cosmopolitan and suburban areas provides the perfect environment for families and their active lifestyles.  The County offers extensive cultural resources, countless recreational opportunities and an array of fine public and private colleges and universities.  

THE HEALTH CARE SERVICES AGENCY

The Mission of the Health Care Services Agency is to provide fully integrated health care services through a comprehensive network of public and private partnerships that ensure optimal health and well-being and respect the diversity of all residents. The Agency’s major services include Behavioral Health Care, Environmental Health, and Public Health programs; primary care services via community-based organization (CBO) contracts, and health care services for all County residents qualifying as medically indigent, as well as Health Care Administration. For more information about the department, please visit their website at: http://www.acgov.org/health.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Alameda County Department of Environmental Health operates various programs to protect the public.  For more information about the department of Environmental Health Care Services, please visit www.acgov.org/aceh/.

PROGRAM

Household Hazardous Waste Program (HHW): Incumbents assigned to Household Hazardous Waste will handle and manage hazardous materials, including proper categorization and packing in a HHWF; drive and perform duties on the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Vehicle or Emergency Response Van; respond to security breach alerts at the fixed facilities as part of the on-call team; perform duties while assisting the Hazardous Materials Technicians to properly categorize, pack and ship hazardous wastes, assist in tasks that ensure compliance of the program and assist in the handling of emergency situations..

THE VACANCY

The current vacancy is within the Household Hazardous Waste Program of the Hazardous Materials Division in the Department of Environmental Health.

THE POSITION

Under general direction conducts hazardous waste investigations and evaluates and interprets problems of environmental and public health hazards. This classification provides lead responsibility for those programs staffed by Hazardous Materials Specialists or Hazardous Materials Technicians and is assigned the more difficult or complex tasks.  Positions in this classification are located in the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), Local Oversight Program (LOP), and the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program, and within the Director’s Office of the Environmental Health Department, reporting to a Supervising Hazardous Materials Specialist or the appropriate program Chief. Incumbents in this position conduct investigations and site data analysis for industrial, governmental and community sites for potential health hazards, environmental impact or regulatory compliance concerns. In all assignments, the Senior Hazardous Materials Specialist assists in the development, standardization and implementation of the Department’s environmental management protocols.

The Senior Hazardous Materials Specialist is distinguished from the Senior Environmental Health Specialist in that the former is primarily responsible for environmental and public health impacts associated with the improper use or storage of hazardous materials or has responsibility for the safe operation of Household Hazardous Waste Facilities, HHWF's. Positions in this class differ from those in the next higher class of Supervising Hazardous Materials Specialist or appropriate program Chief, as incumbents do not exercise full supervisory authority in hiring, evaluating or disciplining staff, but they do assist in these processes.  Click here to view the Job Specification.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications and knowledge, skills and abilities listed below, the ideal candidate for this position will possess at least one year of the qualifying work experience to specifically include, working in a Household Hazardous Waste facility, handling and managing hazardous waste, which includes the proper categorization and packing of hazardous materials in compliance with Federal, State, local standards, guidelines, codes, laws and regulations. Ideal candidates will also be well prepared to assume a technical lead role that includes training/mentoring others, representing the programs and the Department in interactions with the public and other agencies, as well as: 

• Take personal satisfaction and pride contributing as a valued technical lead for HHW programs, planning, organizing, and reviewing the work of other team members.  
•  Possess the initiative to grow as a professional and to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to function as a technical lead.
• Be well prepared as a supportive team leader capable of training, coaching, and mentoring staff in order to optimize team members.
• Be respected as an environmental health professional trusted to develop, standardize and implement environmental protocols. 
• Be a strong collaborator and consensus builder with exceptional organizational skills and a demonstrated ability to plan and organize work for self and others in order to ensure that work is completed efficiently and in a timely manner. 
•  Be an effective communicator who conveys information and ideas to individuals or groups in a manner that meets audience needs; able to develop and maintain effective relationships with others; and relate well to people of diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, abilities, motivations, or backgrounds. 
•  Be a practiced problem solver with good judgment; capable of thinking logically, taking initiative, and reacting calmly under pressure in order to arrive at sound conclusions. 
• Be flexible and adaptable with the ability to maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment.
• Have strong experience performing field investigations, preparing comprehensive reports, and maintaining accurate records.
• Be able to interpret and apply relevant laws and regulations, and pertinent Federal, State and Local standards.

The minimum professional requirements for admission to the competitive assessment process include:

EDUCATION:

Possession of a Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university with a major in industrial hygiene, environmental health science, physical science, engineering science or a related field. Eligibility for certification by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene if assigned to the CUPA Program is desirable. Professional registration as a Geologist or Engineer if part of the LOP Program is desirable.

EXPERIENCE:

Either I: The equivalent of one-year full-time experience in the class of Hazardous Materials Specialist in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II: The equivalent of three years of full-time experience in the class of Hazardous Materials Technician including some lead experience in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or III: The equivalent of two years of full-time experience in a position equivalent to the County's class of Hazardous Materials Specialist. Work experience equivalency is not limited to public agency experience. A Master's degree in an appropriate field may be substituted for one year of the required experience. Some lead or supervisory experience is desirable.

LICENSE:

Possession of a valid California State Motor Vehicle Operator's license.

CERTIFICATION:

Incumbents must be certified under applicable Occupational Health and Safety standards as established within HAZWOPER guidelines within 6 months of appointment.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

HHW Specialty - The Household Hazardous Waste Specialty requires at least one year of the qualifying work experience to specifically include, working in a Household Hazardous Waste facility, handling and managing hazardous waste, which includes the proper categorization and packing of hazardous materials in compliance with Federal, State, local standards, guidelines, codes, laws and regulations.

May require working under adverse working conditions and in adverse weather. When assigned to the HHW, employee may be asked to perform various physical demands such as lifting up to 50 pounds, bending, stooping, climbing and walk or stand for prolonged periods of time. When assigned to CUPA/LOP may be asked to walk on uneven surfaces or walk or stand for prolonged periods of time.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the "Examples of Duties" section of this specification.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Public Health, industrial hygiene, environmental sanitation, environmental contamination, geology and engineering practices and principles.
• Method, techniques and practices used in the determination, mitigation and elimination of health hazards.
• Pertinent Federal, State and local standards, guidelines, codes, laws and regulations governing environmental contamination.
• Practices in the transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes.
• Statistical methods and survey techniques.
• Operations of a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.
• Categorizing and packaging hazardous wastes for shipment.
• Advanced principles and practices related to environmental contamination.
• Computer applications related to work.

Ability to:

• Perform field investigations.
• Collect samples of substances.
• Prepare comprehensive reports.
• Interpret technical data and reports related to environmental contamination.
• Exercise sound independent judgment.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare clear and concise technical and administrative correspondence.
• Interpret and apply relevant laws and regulations.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing with staff and the general public.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with team members.
• Direct and train staff.
• Delegate work assignments.
• Review work in progress.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS: 1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. 2) Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process which is a review of candidates' Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. 3) Those candidates selected as best qualified will move on to the next step in the examination process, an oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position.  Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.  The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:  

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN: 

**The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues.  To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs/divisions/ps/application.htm

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees) 
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Employee Mortgage Loan Program
• Group Auto/Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1^st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. If you have questions, please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Nicole Lewis-Bolton, Human Resources Analyst II

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

(510) 272-6468 • nicole.lewis-bolton@acgov.org

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.