Supervising Hazardous Materials Specialist (CUPA Specialty)

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.

Supplemental Questionnaire:  A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application.  Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.  Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

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

Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA):  Incumbents assigned to CUPA are responsible for conducting routine compliance inspections; investigating potential community health hazards; evaluating work sites; ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations and local ordinances; responding to emergency hazardous materials incidents within the County’s jurisdiction; documenting, identifying, assessing risk and advising on clean up.

THE VACANCY

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

THE POSITION

Under direction, the Supervising Hazardous Materials Specialist will supervise and review the work of professional and clerical staff in the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) program in the Division of Environmental Health; the incumbent will assist the Chief of Environmental Protection and will act in his/her absence; and perform related work assignments as required. This position is the first level supervisor in the Hazardous Materials Specialist series. This classification is distinguished from the next higher-level class of Chief, Environmental Protection by having responsibility for the day-to-day activities of a work unit that may include Senor Hazardous Materials Specialist, Hazardous Materials Specialists, and/or Hazardous Materials Technicians who are engaged in the collection and disposal of hazardous household material and/or enforcing hazardous waste control laws and/or overseeing environmental cleanup projects.  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 be well prepared to assume a supervisory role that includes managing others, representing the programs and the Department in interactions with the public and other agencies. 

• Take personal satisfaction and pride contributing as a valued first-line supervisor assigning, planning, organizing, and reviewing the work of professional and clerical staff.  Possess the initiative to grow as a professional and to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to function as a manager in any of the following programs: Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), Clean water /Storm water Program, and Waste Tire Program in the Divisions of Hazardous Materials.
• Be well prepared as a supportive supervisor capable of training, coaching, counseling and managing staff in order to optimize individual performance.
• Be respected as an environmental health professional trusted to develop, standardize and implement environmental management 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; who is able to develop and maintain effective relationships with others; and who relates 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 ability to maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment.

For more information about the Health Care Services Agency, please visit the Agency's website at www.acgov.org/health.

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

Education:

Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in environmental health science, industrial hygiene, physical science, engineering science or related field. (Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, Registered Engineer or Registered Geologist is desired for vacancies in the LOP or CUPA programs.)

AND

Experience:

Either I

The equivalent of one year full-time experience in the class of Supervising Environmental Health Specialist in the Alameda County classified service.

Or II

The equivalent of two years of experience in the class of Senior Hazardous Materials Specialist in the Alameda County classified service.

Or III

The equivalent of three years full-time experience in the class of Hazardous Materials Specialist in the Alameda County classified service or the equivalent of four years in a position equivalent to the class of Hazardous Materials Technician including one year of lead or supervisory experience in the Alameda County classified service. Experience in private sector industries or consultant firms in one or more of the disciplines associated with hazardous materials and waste management is acceptable experience. (A post graduate degree may substitute for one year of the required experience).

License: Possession of a valid California Driver’s License

Special Requirements:

CUPA Specialty - The Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) requires possession of the minimum experience requirement specifically to include: CUPA programs such as hazardous waste generator, hazardous materials business plan, underground storage tanks, aboveground storage tanks,  Cal ARP, storm water and waste tire programs; investigating community health hazards; evaluating occupational work sites and ensuring compliance with the applicable laws and regulations, responding to emergency hazardous materials incidents (including the documentation, identification, risk assessment, and advisement of clean up).

Must be available to work varying shifts, including weekends Must be available to work at events held off-site within the county. Must be able to perform physical work, including outdoors and/or in inclement weather.  

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:

• Provisions of Federal, State and local ordinances and regulations relating to environmental protection.
• Relevant technologies and analysis tools.
• Principles and practices of environmental health, occupational health, industrial health.
• Functions and operations of associated agencies.
• Budgetary procedures.
• Computer software applications such as spreadsheet, word processing and database programs.

Abilities:

• Interact with other County departments to coordinate maintenance of the facilities.
• Interact with various materials, supply and disposal vendors.
• Ordering of supplies and equipment.
• Reviewing and approving of invoices, bills and statements from vendors.
• Recordkeeping.
• Report writing.
• Interact with regulatory agencies.
• Assisting with procurement of goods and services.
• Coordinating and tracking training for the program workers.
• Written communication.
• Oral communication.
• Decision making.
• Leadership.
• Planning and organization.
• Management techniques.
• Budget analysis.
• Interpersonal sensitivity.

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 an oral interview exam 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.

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)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
• 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
• Management Paid Leave**
• 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.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

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.