Chief, Environmental Health (CUPA)

 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

Alameda County's Health Services Program is administered by the Health Care Services Agency and includes the following program areas: Behavioral Health, Public Health, Environmental Health, and Agency Administration/Indigent Health. The ultimate 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. Health Care Services Agency currently has multiple career opportunities for experienced professionals to become part of a service delivery team dedicated to the optimal health and well-being of Alameda County residents.  For more information about the Health Care Services Agency, please visit www.acgov.org/health/

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

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

THE POSITION

Under general direction, to plan, organize and direct the activities of the Environmental Health Department. The incumbent assists the Director, Environmental Health in the development and implementation of Department Policy. In addition to staff management duties and program accountability, the Chief position also provides consultation, acts as liaisons with other agencies, and may be required to be in possession of a REHS in representing the Department and acting as a Hearing Officer for administrative hearings. And to perform related duties as required.

The Chief, Environmental Health classification is located in the Hazardous Materials, Field Operations, and Vector Control Divisions of the Environmental Health Department. Chief, Environmental Health positions are directly responsible for all aspects of operation for their respective division. They are responsible for implementing all applicable Environmental Health Laws, Regulations and local ordinances that apply in the County of Alameda. The incumbents are required to have expertise and formal training in the technical components of their assigned Division. Incumbents in these positions also assume full budgetary responsibilities for their respective Divisions. (For assignments in Field Operations the incumbent must be registered as a REHS.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA): Experience conducting compliance inspections; investigating potential community health hazards; evaluating hazardous materials/waste management at work sites; ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations; responding to emergency hazardous materials incidents within the County’s jurisdiction; documenting, identifying, assessing risk, and advising on remediation/clean up.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications and knowledge and skills below, the ideal candidate will:

• Be a supportive effective leader, who identifies areas of improvement and encourages individual development, ensures opportunities for development, provides constructive feedback and assists in establishing goals.
• Have the demonstrated ability to prioritize critical tasks, utilizes available resources efficiently, organizes and allocates time appropriately, and adjusts timelines and priorities when appropriate.
• Be a collaborative spirit who proactively works to build effective working relationships with direct reports, units, departmental staff, and other agencies, by seeking ideas and supporting opportunities for partnerships.
• Possesses strong knowledge of various Environmental Health programs; explain, interpret, and stay abreast on related Federal, State, and local ordinances, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrate proficiency in using various electronic devices and computer systems; stays current on new technologies and web-based resources.
• Design, implement, and manage multiple projects; manage budget resources; and monitor program effectiveness.
• Exercise personal integrity
• Make sound, analytical decisions and problem-solve.
•  Have strong communication (verbal/written) and interpersonal skills
• Possess the minimum experience requirement as it specifically relates to CUPA programs including Hazardous Waste Generator, Tiered Permitting, Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP), Underground Storage Tank (UST), Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA), California Accidental Release Prevention (CalARP), and storm water protection/pollution prevention and waste tire recycling programs; investigating potential threat to public health and the environment related to hazardous materials; evaluating hazardous materials/waste management at work sites; ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations; responding to emergency hazardous materials incidents (including documentation, identification, risk assessment, and remediation).

 For a detailed listing of the essential responsibilities and core competency requirements for this position, please click here for the job description.

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 major level coursework in industrial hygiene, environmental health science or physical science, or related fields.

AND

EXPERIENCE:

Either I
The equivalent of three years' full-time experience in the class of Supervising Hazardous Materials Specialist or Supervising Environmental Health Specialist, Supervising Vector Control Officer or Vector Control Program Manager in the Alameda County classified service. (Non-classified includes District Attorney's Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts.)

Or II
The equivalent of five years of increasingly responsible full-time professional or technical experience in Environmental Programs, including at least three years of supervisory experience. (A post-graduate degree in an appropriate field may be substituted for the non-supervisory experience for one year of experience.)

AND

LICENSE:

A valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's License.

CERTIFICATES:

When assigned to the Field Operations, a valid California certificate of registration as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist is required.

When assigned to Hazardous Materials or Vector Control, a valid California certificate of registration as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist is preferred.

All candidates must provide their own vehicle and must be available for evenings and weekends as needed to respond to program related emergencies or weekend activities.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA): Experience conducting compliance inspections; investigating potential community health hazards; evaluating hazardous materials/waste management at work sites; ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations; responding to emergency hazardous materials incidents within the County’s jurisdiction; documenting, identifying, assessing risk, and advising on remediation/clean up.

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:

Principles and state and federal laws, rules and regulations pertaining to:

• Public health, occupational health, industrial hygiene.
• Food, milk and drinking water standards.
• Hazardous materials and hazardous waste management.
• Land-use including but not limited to septic systems and small water systems.
• Recreational sanitation.
• Environmental clean-up standards for remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater.
• Waste disposal - air, solid and liquid.
• Housing - building and plumbing codes.
• Vector control.
• Department of Corrections' standards.
• Department of corrections' standards.
• Contract development under county and state procedures.
• County government procedures such as budget amendments, staffing adjustments, Ordinance development.
• Succession planning and career development.
• Budgetary management.
• Personnel administration, management and supervision.
• Environmental health-related agencies.
• Basic database (such as Envision) use.
• Effective use of Microsoft-Office suite programs including PowerPoint, Excel, Word.

Ability to:

• Provide budget and fiscal analysis.
• Exercise interpersonal sensitivity.
• Use current standard office equipment, including but not limited to mobile phones, pagers, and computers with standard programs such as Outlook, Office Suite, database programs such as Envision or Access.


Core Competencies:

• Oral Communication - Includes person to person and presentations before large groups.
• Written Communication - Includes daily correspondence and larger reports/presentations.
• Decision-making - Includes making decisions that further the goals and needs of the County; includes using business acumen in making decisions that build a strong organization which delivers the highest level of service to diverse customers.
• Analytical and Problem Solving - Includes using vision, strategy, and innovation to deal with change.
• Planning and Organization - Includes using vision, strategy and innovation to maximize resources.
• Management Control / Supervision - Includes making excellent hiring choices, developing staff professionalism, growth and competency, and giving honest and fair evaluations.
• Leadership - Includes knowing when to lead and when to work effectively as part of a group; Includes imparting to staff a commitment to the County's mission, credo and goals; Includes modeling excellence.
• Interpersonal Sensitivity - Includes fair treatment of all persons in both oral and written communication.
• Flexibility - Includes working with change using vision, strategy and innovation.
• Resistance/Adaptation to Stress - Includes staying calm under difficult conditions.

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 examination. The oral examination will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score and 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)
• 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
• 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 @jobaps.com, acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com 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 ensure 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 Noreply@jobaps.com are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. 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

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

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

Disaster Service Worker

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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.