Environmental Health Specialist -II-III - Land Use, Solid​/Med Waste & Body Art Promotional

San Mateo County Health is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Environmental Health Specialist I/II/III
. Current vacancies include two positions in the Land Use Program and one position in the Solid Waste, Medical Waste, and Body Art Programs within Environmental Health Services. All positions are based in San Mateo, CA, with travel throughout the County’s 20 cities and unincorporated areas.

The Environmental Health Services Division ensures a safe and healthful environment through education, monitoring, enforcement, and community services. This recruitment offers the opportunity to apply technical expertise, regulatory knowledge, and community engagement skills across diverse program areas that directly protect the health and safety of County residents.

Land Use Program

• Inspects and oversees water wells, septic systems, and related construction.
• Reviews soil percolation testing, hydrogeology, and system design.
• Conducts inspections of confined and exotic animal facilities.
• Advises builders, engineers, and contractors on compliance with environmental health laws.

Solid Waste, Medical Waste, and Body Art Programs

• Serves as the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) designated by Cal Recycle for permitting, inspection, and enforcement of landfills, recycling facilities, and waste transporters.
• Enforces the California Medical Waste Management Act to ensure safe generation, storage, transport, and disposal of medical waste.
• Implements the Safe Body Art Act to ensure safe and sanitary operation of body art facilities and practitioners.

Responsibilities will vary depending on program assignment and may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Perform inspections, investigations, and enforcement activities in assigned program areas.
• Review and apply relevant laws, regulations, and ordinances.
• Provide instructions for correction of violations.
• Investigate and resolve citizen complaints.
• Advise and instruct individuals, businesses, and contractors on environmental health requirements.
• Maintain records, prepare reports and correspondence.
• Work independently and collaboratively within a team to achieve program objectives.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Experience conducting regulatory, health-based inspections.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex technical issues in understandable terms.
• Skilled in preparing concise, well-organized reports and correspondence.
• Effective at balancing independent work with teamwork.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Land Use candidates: Knowledge of water well siting, construction, water treatment, soil science, hydrogeology, septic system design, and construction drawings.
• Solid Waste/Medical Waste/Body Art candidates: Knowledge of the California Health & Safety, California Code of Regulations, Public Resources Codes and County ordinances pertaining to these programs; experience using Cal Recycle’s Solid Waste Information System (SWIS) portal is a plus.

Environmental Health Specialist I - Possession of a current Trainee Certification Letter from the California Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Specialist Registration Program.

Environmental Health Specialist II and III - Possession of a California Certificate as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS).

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

I level ($43.73 - $48.90/hour): A bachelor's degree which has included a minimum of 30 semester units of basic sciences.

II level ($51.25 - $64.04/hour): One year of experience in general inspections and investigations in the environmental health field.

III level ($54.38 - $67.95/hour): Two years of journey level experience in environmental health inspections and investigations.

• Principles of biological and physical sciences.
• Principles and practices of environmental health sanitation.
• Techniques of environmental health inspection, investigation and control.
• General community health problems and governmental…