Director of Environmental Health

Douglas County Health Department•Tuscola, IL

2d•$64,000 - $76,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Environmental Health is responsible for planning, developing, administering, and evaluating comprehensive environmental health and safety programs designed to prevent or eliminate environmental health and safety hazards in accordance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Director provides leadership and direct supervision to Environmental Health Division staff and is responsible for establishing work priorities, assigning responsibilities, monitoring performance, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting the professional development of assigned employees. The Director works collaboratively with other directors and managers to promote a high-performance environmental health and safety culture and to develop effective programs and processes that achieve high levels of environmental stewardship, public safety, and regulatory compliance. The Director should possess emergency preparedness and first responder training and is responsible for managing, planning, implementing, and monitoring the Douglas County Health Department’s Emergency Management Program and the Douglas County Medical Reserve Corps program.

Requirements

Thorough knowledge of the theories, principles, policies, practices, and methods used in the design, development, implementation, and administration of comprehensive environmental health programs.
Knowledge of federal, state, and local environmental health laws, rules, regulations, codes, standards, and enforcement procedures.
Knowledge of supervisory and management principles, including employee development, performance management, workload planning, conflict resolution, corrective action, and team building.
Ability to lead, motivate, supervise, and evaluate employees with varying levels of experience and responsibility.
Ability to establish clear expectations, hold employees accountable, address performance concerns, and provide constructive feedback.
Ability to organize and prioritize multiple programs, deadlines, inspections, complaints, projects, and staff assignments.
Ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations, policies, ordinances, and technical guidance consistently and objectively.
Ability to make sound decisions involving regulatory compliance, public health risks, enforcement actions, and emergency response.
Ability to communicate professionally and effectively with employees, residents, businesses, contractors, elected officials, regulatory agencies, and community partners.
Ability to prepare and review professional reports, correspondence, policies, procedures, grant documentation, enforcement records, and public information.
Ability to handle difficult, sensitive, or confrontational situations calmly, professionally, and consistently.
Experience developing and presenting educational programs, training sessions, and public presentations for groups of varying sizes.
Training in the Incident Command System and National Incident Management System.
Ability to respond outside normal working hours during emergencies, urgent environmental health matters, meetings, exercises, or other Department needs.
Possession of a valid driver’s license and the ability to travel throughout Douglas County and to other locations as required.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a major in environmental health and safety, environmental science, environmental engineering, public health, or a closely related field.
Five years of progressively responsible experience in an environmental health or safety program, including supervisory, management, program coordination, or leadership experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner credential, or the ability to meet eligibility requirements and sit for the examination within one year of employment.
Food sanitation manager certification and food sanitation instructor certification, as required for assigned responsibilities.
Licensed tanning facility inspector.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in local government, public health, regulatory enforcement, emergency preparedness, grant management, or employee supervision is preferred.
Preferred qualifications include licensure or certification as a wastewater installer, radon measurement professional, and larvicide applicator.

Responsibilities

Plans, organizes, directs, controls, integrates, and evaluates the work of the Environmental Health Division.
Administers comprehensive environmental health programs, including but not limited to septic systems, private water wells, food sanitation, tanning facilities, solid waste, radon, West Nile virus control, bioterrorism preparedness, nuisance complaints, and other environmental health or prevention programs administered by the Department.
Develops division policies, procedures, protocols, forms, workflows, and quality assurance processes to ensure consistency and compliance.
Establishes annual program goals, performance measures, work standards, and priorities for the Environmental Health Division.
Monitors staff caseloads, inspections, investigations, complaints, enforcement activities, reporting deadlines, and completion of assigned responsibilities.
Ensures inspections, investigations, enforcement activities, and regulatory decisions are completed accurately, consistently, professionally, and within required timeframes.
Reviews complex or sensitive environmental health complaints and provides guidance regarding enforcement, corrective actions, and regulatory requirements.
Responds to escalated concerns from residents, businesses, contractors, elected officials, partner agencies, and other stakeholders.
Serves as a liaison and key spokesperson for the Department in dealings with federal, state, and local environmental regulatory agencies and organizations regarding compliance matters.
Represents the Department before federal, state, and local agencies, boards, committees, community organizations, and other groups regarding environmental health issues.
Oversees environmental regulatory compliance auditing and reporting.
Ensures the maintenance of required records, files, inspection documentation, permits, reports, and enforcement records in compliance with applicable retention requirements.
Ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local reporting requirements.
Develops, implements, and monitors work plans designed to achieve division and Department goals and objectives.
Participates in the development of the Department and Environmental Health Division budgets and monitors expenditures against approved budgets.
Identifies staffing, equipment, technology, training, and resource needs for the Environmental Health Division.
Manages, supervises, and evaluates the development, implementation, and effectiveness of programs, work processes, systems, and procedures.
Coordinates staff training and professional development related to environmental health regulations, inspection practices, enforcement procedures, customer service, documentation, safety, and emergency preparedness.
Maintains sufficient knowledge of Environmental Health Division programs to provide technical guidance and operational coverage when necessary.
Participates in Department leadership meetings, strategic planning, policy development, accreditation activities, and quality improvement initiatives.
Manages National Incident Management System compliance training for Department staff.
Maintains and develops Department emergency response plans, including the Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, Integrated Preparedness Plan, and Capability Planning Guide assessment.
Assists the County with the development and maintenance of All-Hazards Mitigation Plans.
Maintains emergency preparedness inventory through the Inventory Management and Tracking System program.
Coordinates with the local Emergency Management Agency in developing and maintaining county emergency response plans.
Completes Public Health Emergency Preparedness grant deliverables.
Completes required quarterly and annual Public Health Emergency Preparedness progress reports through CEMP, EGrAMS, and other required reporting systems.
Develops and maintains the county Medical Reserve Corps recruitment, orientation, training, retention, and deployment program.
Conducts routine after-hours Medical Reserve Corps meetings, exercises, trainings, and activities as necessary.
Records Medical Reserve Corps training, meetings, volunteer participation, and public outreach activities in the appropriate online portal.
Completes grant applications, deliverables, reports, and documentation for Medical Reserve Corps grants, including ORA, NACCHO STTRONG, and other related funding opportunities.
Participates in emergency response exercises, drills, after-action reviews, and improvement planning.
Serves in an assigned Incident Command System role during public health emergencies, disasters, or Department emergency responses.
Maintains confidentiality and safeguards sensitive, protected, and enforcement-related information.
Performs other duties as assigned.