Senior Registered Environmental Health Specialist – Division of Environmental Health – Department of Health Services

Organizational Overview:

The Bergen County Department of Health Services’ (BCDHS) mission is to coordinate and assure the preservation, protection, and promotion of the health, wellbeing, and quality of life for all Bergen County residents. Through a wide range of services, BCDHS creates healthy and thriving communities.

Job Description:

This employment opportunity is to serve as a Senior Registered Environmental Health Specialist for the Department of Health Services. Under direction, takes the lead over Registered Environmental Health Specialists and Registered Environmental Health Specialist trainees; performs sanitary inspection work involving the enforcement of relevant sanitary, environmental, and public health laws and rules within the concerned jurisdiction; conducts inspections, investigations, and educational outreach activities;

performs other related duties as required and/or necessary.

Job Responsibilities:

• Acts as a technical resource for junior staff and provides instruction and guidance as needed.
• Organizes assigned technical field and office work and develops effective work methods.
• Provides guidance and instruction to, and may assist in training, Registered Environmental Health Specialists and/or Registered Environmental Health Specialists Trainees.
• Conducts activities related to licensing, operation, and enforcement of sanitary, environmental, and public health laws and rules of regulated activities and facilities.
• Confers with Health Officer, engineers, veterinarians, and Registered Environmental Health Specialists concerning improvements in public health and sanitation.
• Reviews and may approve plans for residential, commercial, and industrial development as necessary to ensure compliance with sanitary, environmental, and public health laws, rules, and ordinances.
• Collects water, food, and other specimens as needed for laboratory analysis and interprets the results of the subsequent analysis.
• May respond to emergency situations.
• Plans and conducts routine and emergency environmental health inspections and investigations and provides technical expertise to ensure operator and/or owner conformance with environmental health laws, rules, and ordinances.
• Maintains, updates, and analyzes environmental health records, findings of inspections, and other data to ensure proper documentation and continuity of environmental health protection.
• Prepare reports and findings as witness to environmental health violations in court cases and hearing.
• Reviews new environmental health policies and may implement the requirements of said policy as necessary.
• Educates and communicates environmental risks to the public, media, and other interested parties.
• Assists the public, local health agency personnel, and other officials with recommendations and resources on various environmental health matters consistent with environmental laws, rules, or ordinances and suitable abatement practices.
• Investigates foodborne, airborne, waterborne, and other suspected disease outbreaks as required.
• Keeps current with professional developments in environmental health technologies, information systems, and technical advancements in the field.
• Conducts surveys and investigations of communicable diseases and epidemics which may be the result of a lack of environmental sanitation.
• Reviews and analyzes records/reports and makes recommendations as to laws/regulations which are needed for proper control of environmental sanitation and for methods of improving the operation of existing controls.
• Assembles, reviews, and utilizes articles, bulletins, demonstrations, and other educational methods and materials concerning…