Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Hazardous Materials Specialist (Household Hazardous Waste Option)

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Recruitment #15-5650-02

Introduction

YOU MUST BE AN ALAMEDA COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO APPLY

THIS IS A NEW PROMOTIONAL ASSEMBLED EXAMINATIONThe 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 the equivalent of six months of continuous service following a regular appointment in the Alameda County classified service (non-classified includes the District Attorney’s Office, the Medical Center, and the Superior Court) by 3/7/2016.  A regular appointment does not include provisional, TAP (Temporary Assignment Pool), or STEP-UP appointments.

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. Applications will only be accepted on-line.  Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

DESCRIPTION

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 VACANCY
There is currently one vacancy in the Hazardous Household Waste Program.

 

THE POSITION
Hazardous Materials Specialists are located in the Department of Environmental Health. Incumbents conduct investigations and site data analysis for industrial, governmental and community sites regarding possible health hazards, environmental impact, or regulatory compliance concerns.

 

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

 

  • Strong ability to gather, analyze and compile information and implement regulations to address compliance related issues and problems.
  • 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 identify safety issues and problems; detects hazardous working conditions and safety problems; checks equipment and/or work area regularly.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

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 field, AND

Experience:

The equivalent of two years of increasingly responsible, full-time experience in hazardous materials management, environmental health inspections, industrial hygiene practices, operations of a HHWF, or in a research and resources recovery program in a hazardous materials program. (A Master's degree in an appropriate field may be substituted for the equivalent of year of the required experience).

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 Requirement:

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.

Specialty Designation Requirement: The Household Hazardous Waste Option 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.

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

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

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.
• Basic practices in the transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes.
• Statistical methods and survey techniques.
• Basic knowledge of operations of a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, CUPA/LOP.
• Categorizing and packaging hazardous wastes for shipment.
• 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.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

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 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.

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via e-mail 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:

Deadline for Filing:

Review of Minimum Qualifications:

Review for Best Qualified:

Oral Interviews:

 

 

 

 

5:00 pm, Monday, March 7, 2016

Monday, March 14, 2016

Monday, March 25, 2016

Week of April 4, 2016

 

 

 

 *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 statutes.  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

BENEFITS

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
  • 1st 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.

Conclusion

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

510-208-9593

sylvia.perez@acgov.org

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer