Environmental Health Technician

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year, but can be extended.

Application and 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. Applications will only be accepted on-line.

THE 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. To read more about the department, please visit their website at: http://www.acgov.org/health.

 

THE POSITION
Environmental Health Technicians are located in the Department of Environmental Health and under general supervision, assist the Department in its implementation of 20 different regulatory or service programs including but not limited to: Recreation (pools and spas), Vector Control, Hazardous Materials, Household Hazardous Waste, and several components of the Food Protection Program such as the vehicle and special events unit.  Incumbents assist in all aspects of these programs to the extent that other forms of professional registration are not required or specialized skills inherent to the Technician or Specialist positions are not essential. Environmental Health Technicians are assigned to one of the following programs:

 

Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA):  Incumbents assigned to CUPA will assist businesses with CERS data submittals, review and process CERS; process incoming inspection reports and update Envision Connect database with facility information;  assist inspectors with CERS information; assist with billing, invoicing and facility operating permits; work with inspectors on special projects, including electronic equipment maintenance and computer issues and other program related administrative tasks. 

Local Oversight Program (LOP): Incumbents assigned to LOP are responsible for providing support and assistance to Hazardous Materials Specialists who provide regulatory oversight for the investigation and remediation of subsurface soil and groundwater contamination from leaking underground storage tank sites and other subsurface contamination sites.  Environmental Health Technicians may assist in the review and analysis of technical data from subsurface contamination sites and evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions at contamination sites.  

Household Hazardous Waste Program: Incumbents assigned to Household Hazardous Waste will assist in receiving, unloading, identifying, categorizing, properly packaging, and loading of Hazardous waste received from households and small businesses at three Household Hazardous Waste Transfer facilities in Hayward, Livermore and Oakland. Incumbents with proper training will additionally perform light maintenance and cleaning of the facility and equipment, identify unknown chemicals, perform inspections, receive and check supplies,  keep records and perform other administrative tasks, as well as other duties related to operating a Household hazardous waste facility.

 

THE VACANCY
The current vacancy is within the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), Hazardous Materials Division in the Department of Environmental Health. However, the eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be used by any Environmental Health unit needing to fill a vacancy.

 

 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated the following critical attributes:

• A motivated and resourceful team player, who pays close attention to detail.
• A self-directed problem-solver with high standards for quality and a strong commitment to public service.
• Leverages automated systems and technology to achieve efficiencies and improve program performance.
•  Consistently manages time and resources to appropriately prioritize and complete goals and assignments.
•  An effective communicator, able to explain program requirements and concepts to the public and present to a
   diverse population.
• A collaborator and team player who maintains and cultivates successful working relationships with others.
• Ability to learn and adapt to new procedures and processes successfully.

EITHER I

Education:

Possession of Associate Science (AS) degree in environmental or Earth sciences, including but not limited to chemistry, industrial hygiene, toxicology and hazardous materials management, geology, public health, engineering, or food science.

AND

Experience:

Minimum of three years of full-time experience in the field of environmental health or hazardous materials or vector control or other life or earth science.

OR II

Education:

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in industrial hygiene, environmental health science, physical science, engineering science or a related earth or life science.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

May be required to perform heavy lifting up to a maximum of 50 pounds moving containers and drums using manual handling equipment.
May be required to work in adverse weather conditions.
May be required to work on uneven ground.
May be required to work flexible schedules that may also include one or both weekend days and evening work hours.
May drive a motor vehicle for periods up to 1 hour on a regular basis.
Must be medically qualified/cleared to wear a half face and full face respirator.
Must be clean shaven at all times compliant with OSHA 1910.20 specifications with respect to facial hair and respirator usage.

License:

Possession of a valid California State Motor Vehicle operator’s license.
Possess and maintain a valid Class C California Motor Vehicle Operator's license. Candidate must submit evidence from DMV showing current status of their license at the time of application and must have a clean driving record for the previous 3-year period.

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

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• General understanding of public health, industrial hygiene, environmental sanitation, and
   engineering practices and principles.
• General understanding of State water code, health and safety code, California code of regulations.
• General understanding of methods, techniques and practices used in the determination and
  elimination of health hazards.
• General understanding of basic best management practices in the handling, transportation and
  disposal of hazardous wastes, evaluation of field conditions for the identification of pest types.
  Standard water sampling protocol for swimming pool water samples.
• Computer software applications, telecommunications equipment such as smart phones and
   interlinkage of this equipment.
• Working knowledge of search engines, sharing, saving and using word processing programs and
   spreadsheets such as Excel.


Ability to:

• Investigate, accurately record observations, evaluate findings and use field-testing equipment
  under direction.
• Prepare comprehensive reports using pre-formatted forms.
• Interpret and apply relevant laws and regulations with the assistance of the relevant Specialist.
• Oral/written communications.
• Use of basic hand tools.
• Use of standard office equipment. Modern office practices and procedures, including data entry
  and standard office equipment operations.
• Computer skills such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and the Internet.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS: 1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process. 2) A review of candidates’ Supplemental Questionnaires to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. 3) 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 many 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.

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 & Welfare Benefits

• Medical – HMO & PPO Insurance
• Dental – PPO & DHMO Insurance  
• Vision
• Basic Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage) 
• County Allowance
• Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Accident, Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Short-term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan – (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan

For your Work/Life Balance

• 11 paid holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave**
• Group Auto/Home
• 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. Replies to the email box 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.

 

Sylvia Perez, Human Resources Analyst

Human Resource Services, County of Alameda

sylvia.perez@acgov.org

510-208-9593

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer