Environmental Health Specialist

General Statement of Duties

Position performs environmental health regulatory, compliance, and educational activities, including inspections, investigations, enforcement actions and responding to public inquiries.

Works under the general supervision of the Public Health Director and normally receives little instruction on a day‑to‑day work and receives general instructions on new assignments.

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Any one position may not include all of the duties listed nor do the listed examples include all duties which may be found in positions of this class.

• Conducts inspections, plan reviews, complaint investigations and other compliance activities related to retail food establishments, schools, childcare centers, body art establishments, onsite water treatment systems (OWTS), and other assigned environmental health programs.
• Conduct pre‑operational inspections and final approvals for new or remodeled regulated facilities prior to opening or licensing, as required.
• Respond to and investigate environmental health concerns including, but not limited to, water quality, air quality, and hazardous materials.
• Maintain accurate licensing, permitting, and inspection records; collect applicable fees in accordance with County financial policies and internal controls, and prepare written reports and correspondence for regulatory and public information purposes.
• Enter inspection, permitting, and investigation data into required state and County databases and ensures timely and accurate reporting in accordance with CDPHE.
• Obtain compliance with public health laws and regulations through education, corrective action, and administrative enforcement procedures, in coordination with supervisory staff and legal counsel as appropriate.
• Assist with foodborne illness investigations, zoonotic disease surveillance, and outbreak response activities, including environmental sampling, documentation, and coordination with state and regional partners.
• Coordinate with local, regional, and state agencies, emergency responders, and community partners to support environmental health response.
• Attend required training, meetings, conferences, and continuing education to maintain professional competence and required certifications.
• Provide education, technical assistance, and guidance to regulated facilities, contractors, community partners, and the general public regarding environmental health requirements and best practices.
• Exercise independent judgement in prioritizing work, identifying public health risks, and determining appropriate corrective actions within established authority.
• Participates in County emergency preparedness, response, and recovery activities as assigned.
• Regular and predictable attendance is required.

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in environmental health, biology, public health, or environmental science, or a closely related field, or any combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Previous experience in environmental health, public health, inspection, code enforcement, environmental compliance, or related field is preferred.

Knowledge of environmental health principles and regulations. Knowledge of physical, biological and /or environmental sciences related to job assignments. Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS), Certified Professional in Food Safety (CP‑FS), Colorado Professionals in Onsite wastewater (CPOW), or ability to obtain required program certifications and CDPHE standardization within established time frames.

Ability to conduct inspections, investigations, sampling, and other assignments. Ability to prepare and conduct presentations. Ability to maintain organized and accurate files and record keeping systems. Ability to solve problems appropriately, considering impact on human health and the environment. Ability to take responsibility for, prioritize multiple assignments, and track own progress.