Director of Public Health

Under the policy direction of the Board of Health and the general direction of the Director of Health and Human Services, the Director of Public Health is responsible for the leadership, administration, and operation of the Town’s Public Health Division.

The Director oversees environmental-health regulation and enforcement, inspectional services, communicable-disease control, emergency preparedness, public health programming, and the supervision of Division staff. The Director serves as the Town’s principal technical authority on environmental and regulatory public health matters and ensures compliance with applicable federal and state laws, sanitary and environmental codes, Town bylaws, Board of Health regulations, SAPHE 2.0 requirements, and Foundational Public Health Services standards.

• Directs the day-to-day operations of the Public Health Division and establishes work plans, operating procedures, service standards, workload priorities, and performance expectations.
• Ensures that the Division fulfills its statutory, regulatory, inspectional, communicable-disease, and emergency preparedness responsibilities.
• In coordination with the Director of Health and Human Services, develops and manages the Division’s operating and capital budgets, grants, revolving funds, contracts, procurements, revenues, and required reports.
• Evaluates Division operations and uses workload, compliance, and performance information to allocate resources and improve services. Ensures the Division is prepared to meet evolving SAPHE 2.0 requirements and Foundational Public Health Services standards.
• Maintains current knowledge of public health laws, regulations, professional standards, and emerging environmental-health issues.

• Directs and conducts environmental-health inspections and investigations in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, sanitary and environmental codes, Town bylaws, and Board of Health regulations.
• Provides technical direction and oversight in food safety, housing, septic systems and Title 5, swimming pools, lead, public health nuisances, hoarding conditions, disease vectors, and other environmental-health matters.
• Reviews complex inspectional findings and determines the appropriate regulatory, corrective, or enforcement response.
• Ensures that inspections, complaint investigations, follow-up activities, and enforcement actions are completed consistently, accurately, and within required time frames.
• Provides technical assistance to Division staff regarding the interpretation and application of environmental-health laws, regulations, codes, and professional standards.
• Maintains sufficient technical and inspectional proficiency to perform inspections and investigations.

• Ensures consistent, timely, firm, and impartial enforcement of public health laws, codes, regulations, and orders.
• Issues or oversees the issuance of inspection reports, notices of violation, orders to correct, emergency orders, and other enforcement documents.
• Coordinates complex enforcement matters with Town Counsel and other municipal departments when appropriate.
• Prepares documentation and evidence for administrative hearings, housing court proceedings, and other legal actions.
• Represents the Public Health Division in administrative hearings, court proceedings, and enforcement-related meetings as required.
• Monitors compliance with enforcement orders and ensures appropriate follow-up action.

• Serves as the principal professional and technical advisor to the Board of Health.
• Prepares or reviews meeting agendas, staff reports, technical analyses, proposed regulations, enforcement recommendations, and…