Hazardous Materials Specialist(Local Oversight Program Specialty)

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 COUNTY

Alameda County, located on the east side of San Francisco Bay, is California's seventh-largest county.  The County employs 9,080 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $2.39 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 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.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

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/.

THE POSITION

Under general direction, conducts hazardous waste investigations and evaluates and interprets problems of environmental and public health hazards. This position works under the general direction of a Supervising Hazardous Materials Specialist.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

The Hazardous Materials Specialists are located in the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), Local Oversight Program (LOP), and the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program, of the Environmental Health Department. Incumbents conduct investigations and site data analysis for industrial, governmental and community sites regarding possible health hazards, environmental impact, or regulatory compliance concerns. The Hazardous Materials Specialist is distinguished from the Environmental Health Specialist in that the latter 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. The handling and managing of hazardous waste requires a comprehensive knowledge of the hazardous materials field. Incumbents receive direction from a Supervising Hazardous Materials Specialist. 

Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA):  Incumbents assigned to CUPA are responsible for conducting routine environmental surveys; 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.

Local Oversight Program (LOP): Incumbents assigned to LOP are responsible for providing regulatory and technical oversight for the routine or frequently seen leaking Underground Storage Tanks and other contamination sites; Providing review and analysis of technical data and evaluates the effectiveness of corrective actions at contaminated sites; Conducting environmental oversight surveys; investigating potential community health hazards; evaluating sites based on current and future use; ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations and local ordinances.

Household Hazardous Waste Program: 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 Land Use and Local Oversight Program of the Hazardous Materials Division in the Department of Environmental Health. However, the eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies that arise in any Environmental Health unit.

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.
• Leveraging automated systems and technology to achieve efficiencies and improve program performance.
• Consistently managing time and resources to appropriately prioritize and complete goals and assignments.
• Effective communication, and the ability to explain program requirements and concepts to the public and present to a diverse population.
• Collaboration and a 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.
• Problem-solving with high standards for quality, attention to detail, and a strong commitment to public service. 
• Learning and adapting to new procedures and processes successfully

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.

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.
• 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.

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.

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:

Deadline for Filing	5:00pm, Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Review of Minimum Qualification	July 12, 2017
Supplemental Questionnaire Review for Best Qualified	July 27-28 2017
Oral Interview Exam**	August 15-16, 2017

**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. 

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
• 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. 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