ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TRAINER - 40011000

Durham County Government employs approximately 1,900 employees that work towards providing needed services throughout the community. With a wide array of services, Durham County Government is at the heart of a rapidly growing and diverse area offering residents, employees and visitors exciting opportunities to live, work, grow and play. For more information about Durham County Government, visit www.dconc.gov.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The primary responsibility of the organizational unit is to protect public health through education, surveillance, consulting, inspection, and enforcement of local and state environmental health laws and regulations as they relate to institutions, foodservice establishments, and lodging establishments.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• Provides project management and/or technical assistance for complex projects.
• Plans and manages special, complex projects, ensuring compliance with state rules and local regulations and ordinances.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for other departmental staff for the food, lodging, institutions, childcare, and tattoo programs.
• Consults with operators to ensure compliance and understanding of complex regulatory updates and requirements.
• Advises and updates section supervisors regarding significant situations found to be in non-compliance with applicable state rules and statutes.
• Advises and updates section supervisors regarding significant personnel or other relevant issues related to regulated facilities.
• Performs routine regulatory activities including inspections and evaluations; initiates and supports enforcement actions.
• Serves on departmental committees and task forces as assigned.
• Prepares reports on significant issues for inclusion in the Health Director’s monthly Board of Health report.
• Assess program data and trends; anticipate future impact to the program.
• Performs related tasks as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of available resources and organizations and the ability to coordinate those resources.
• Thorough knowledge of the North Carolina Food Code and rules related to inspections.
• Ability to interpret and apply rules to a high standard and communicate those interpretations to the section.
• Ability to communicate effectively with staff, stakeholders, and community members.
• Ability to think through and address complex issues.
• Ability to identify areas of concern in the program and present solutions to supervisors and the Health Director.
• Knowledge and skill in the application of public health practices, principles, and techniques and related programs. 
• Considerable knowledge of available resources and organizations and the ability to coordinate them as needed.
• Knowledge of environmental health laws, rules, and procedures, as well as a complete understanding of the concepts of public health law.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 

Requires a bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in Physical/Biological science related field and two years of experience at the Registered Environmental Health Specialist level in a health department and State authorizations in all applicable disciplines required for enforcement of State rules or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Registered as an Environmental Health Specialist by the North Carolina Board of Sanitarian Examiners prior to employment.

• Valid NC's Driver's License

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE:

Durham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Durham County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

To further the mission of the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) to partner with our community to advance health equity, protect the environment, and promote health and wellness for all, DCoDPH is implementing the employee vaccination and tuberculosis screening policies. All DCoDPH employees are considered healthcare personnel (HCP) working in a health care setting with the potential for exposure to patients and/or infectious materials and, therefore, are required to comply and provide documented proof of the following:

• Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) vaccination/immunity 
• Varicella-Zoster Virus (Chicken Pox) vaccination/immunity 
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
• Tuberculosis (TB) baseline screening within the last twelve (12) months prior to employment
• Hepatitis B vaccination/immunity – only required for DCoDPH employees with potential Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) exposures.

Identified DCoDPH HCP with potential Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) exposure have an additional requirement for the Hepatitis B vaccination. Required vaccination, serological testing to determine immunity, and baseline tuberculosis screening are available for all Public Health employees who elect to become DCoDPH patients upon request and at no cost.

Proof of vaccination and tuberculosis screening must be provided to Human Resources within seven (7) business days prior to the date of employment.

Durham County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer