Environmental Health Program Specialist I

Franklin County Public Health • Columbus, OH

3d • $23 - $27

About The Position

Under the direct supervision of the AHC / Director of Environmental Health, the EH Program Specialist I performs programmatic duties that support work throughout the Environmental Health division. The Environmental Health Program Specialist I work across the Division in coordination of planning, development, and implementation of program/contract and grant activities. This position focuses on providing excellent customer service to internal and external customers in accordance with the mission, core values, and purposes of Franklin County Public Health.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, public administration, or related field.
• 1 year directly related experience in supporting EH programs such as food safety, water quality, community environmental health, plumbing, etc.
• Organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy and ability to learn new information quickly.
• Ohio driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Under direct supervision from the Director, responsible for learning the day-to-day program, contract, and grant operations implemented in Sections across the Division. This position works across the Division in coordination of planning, development, and implementation of program/contract and grant activities.
• Lead the coordination and execution of the twice-yearly All EH staff meetings and quarterly jurisdiction meetings (i.e. UA BOH), including: Scheduling, agenda development, and venue preparation; Coordinating with EH Division Directors, Section Managers, and program leads; Capturing and distributing minutes, action items, and follow-up tasks; Monitoring progress on action items and reporting status to the EH Director.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the Accela Program: Learn, document, and lead correction of all issues related to Accela data, workflows, and configurations; Facilitate user training and onboarding for new Accela users across EH programs; Collaborate with IT and vendor support to troubleshoot and resolve system problems; Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and user guides.
• Lead EH supply ordering and inventory management: Assess supply needs across EH programs, forecast demand, and manage procurement; Maintain an organized, auditable procurement system with timely reordering; Track expenditures, reconcile invoices, and coordinate with Finance for budget compliance; Ensure compliance with FCPH procurement policies and vendor management standards;
• Coordinate the EHS-Net research group meetings: Plan and chair meetings, coordinate attendance of EH staff, and document research plans. Facilitate discussion and needs related to data collection, study design discussions, and dissemination of results. Track progress on EHS-Net projects and ensure alignment with Division goals. Manage invoicing and payments related to the program.
• Provide ongoing support to the EH Director: Assist with special projects, strategic planning, and high-priority initiatives; Prepare briefing materials, dashboards, and summaries for Director decisions; Represent the EH Director in meetings when needed
• Program operations and cross-functional collaboration: Learn and support day-to-day program, contract, and grant operations across EH sections (food safety, water quality, vector control, rabies, pool and body art, plumbing and medical gas, etc.): Maintain program calendars, milestones, and compliance timelines; Assist with development, monitoring, and reporting of program grants and contracts; Support program planning, implementation, and evaluation activities.
• Back-up programmatic duties as needed: Serve as a back-up lead for multiple EH programs to ensure continuity during staff absences. Develop cross-training plans to maintain operational resilience.
• Facilitate cross-sector collaboration with other divisions (HSP, P&W, Admin): Schedule joint meetings, identify shared objectives, track cross-divisional deliverables; Promote alignment of EH initiatives with broader agency priorities.
• Participate in community engagement activities as assigned: Coordinate EH program information and supply provision for community events; Liaise with community partners to understand needs and communicate program offerings; Represent EH at stakeholder meetings and public-facing events when appropriate.
• Provide exceptional customer service to internal and external customers: Respond to inquiries with accurate, timely guidance. Maintain a customer-centric approach in all EH program interactions. Develop and distribute clear, accessible program materials for diverse audiences.
• Quality Improvement (QI) and performance management. Lead and manage quality improvement initiatives in collaboration with the FCPH QI specialist: Identify opportunities for process optimization and service delivery improvements; Apply QI methods (e.g., Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles) to EH programs; Collect, analyze, and report on performance metrics; implement corrective actions.
• Oversee implementation of standardization and workflow improvements: Develop and maintain SOPs, checklists, and best-practice guidelines. Ensure consistency of program delivery across EH sections.
• Provide administrative support as needed: Prepare meeting materials, correspondence, and routine reports. Maintain calendars, coordinate travel, and process reimbursements. Manage documentation, filing, and records retention in accordance with policy. Manage public records requests; Ensure documents and reports are prepared for the monthly Board of Health Meeting.
• Perform duties with strict attention to data integrity, privacy, and compliance: Safeguard sensitive information and ensure lawful handling of data; Adhere to all applicable departmental and regulatory requirements.
• Attend professional development opportunities: Participate in conferences, seminars, or trainings as assigned; Share learnings with the EH team to foster organizational growth.
• Perform public health emergency response duties as assigned: Participate in emergency response training and drills; Support disaster preparedness activities consistent with job classification
• Support regulatory compliance and inspections: Assist with program audits, data validation, and corrective actions as requested.
• Manage data and information flow related to EH programs: Collect, organize, and maintain program data, dashboards, and reports. Prepare clear, concise reports for internal leadership, boards, and funders. Ensure data quality and integrity across Accela and other data systems
• Support information-sharing and transparency: Develop user-friendly materials (fact sheets, newsletters, briefings) for staff and stakeholders. Maintain up-to-date program information on internal and external platforms as appropriate
• Lead or co-lead selected special projects aligned with EH division priorities: Define scope, timelines, resources, and success metrics. Coordinate stakeholders, track progress, and report outcomes. Ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and with measurable impact.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing EH team culture: Promote knowledge sharing, mentorship, and support for staff development. Encourage continuous improvement, innovation, and constructive feedback.
• Support succession planning and continuity: Document processes and cross-train colleagues to ensure coverage. Identify capability gaps and propose targeted training plans.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for EH Programs: Lead management of Clear Impact entries and updates; Timeliness and accuracy of meeting coordination and action item follow-up; Effectiveness of Accela issue resolution and system improvements; Efficiency and accuracy of supply ordering and inventory management; Quality and impact of EHS-Net meeting outcomes and research coordination; Customer satisfaction and stakeholder engagement outcomes; Compliance with grant/contract milestones, reporting, and audits; Provide regular status updates to the EH Director and Division leadership; Prepare annual plan and work priorities aligned with EH Division goals.
• Communicate effectively with all stakeholders. Utilizes appropriate methods for interacting effectively and professionally with persons of all ages and from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, lifestyles and physical abilities.
• Performs public health emergency response duties as assigned and consistent with job classification and training provided, in response to threats to the public’s health. Participates in Department and community emergency response training and drills in support of disaster preparedness consistent with job classification.
• Meets all job safety requirements, policies and all applicable OSHA safety standards that pertain to essential functions.
• Attend conferences, seminars, or related education classes as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Schedules to support a work/life balance.
• Robust benefits including medical, dental, vision, employee assistance program and flexible spending account.
• Life insurance, short- and long-term disability options are also offered.
• Vacation time, personal time, sick time, and paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level