On-Site Sewage (OSS) Permitting - Health & Environmental Investigator IV

King County•Bellevue, WA

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is a unique opportunity within the Environmental Health Services (EHS) Division of Public Health – Seattle & King County to serve with Local Health Officer authority to implement the OSS Program. You will also lead a highly skilled team of professional sanitarians to implement King County Board of Health Title 13 On-Site Sewage code to support new development, replacement systems, and ensure the 85,000 on site systems in King County are safe. This position reports to the Community Environmental Health (CEH) Section Manager. About the Environmental Health Services Division: Through the work of over 190 dedicated employees, the Environmental Health Services Division promotes healthy and equitable environmental conditions and prevents disease through sanitation, safe food, air, and water, and reduction of exposure to hazardous materials. In addition to permitting and inspecting public pools, spas, pet businesses, plumbing installations, on-site septic systems, and solid waste facilities, the division also works in partnership with community to address unhealthy environmental conditions and leads the department’s climate change efforts. Our vision is healthy, safe, and vibrant communities that are free of health disparities based on race, gender, or economic status. The Division’s core values include equity and social justice, integrity, community service, collaboration, a supportive work culture, and learning from each other and the communities we serve. To learn more, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/ehs. Note: This recruitment will be used to create an eligibility pool to fill additional Career Service, Term-Limited Temporary (TLT), or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) vacancies that may occur over the next six months. Commitment To Equity and Social Justice: Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures. The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts. We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities. To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

Requirements

Seven (7) years of working knowledge of and experience in environmental health – Onsite Sewage Systems technical, regulatory, administrative, and policy issues and operation and maintenance practices of onsite sewage systems OR equivalent education/experience.
Registered Sanitarian OR ability to obtain registration within 6 months of hire.
Mature and developed understanding of personnel dynamics including conflict resolution, inclusiveness, transparency, employee recognition, and team building.
Strong listening skills harness staff talent, build program resiliency, efficiency and staff excellence.
Good governance / Customer service.
Providing a value-added experience.
Partnership and Collaboration. Ability to build and sustain partnerships to advance program goals.
Demonstrated skill in coordinating with industry contractors, local government partners, and property owners on code and code interpretation, and material and installation standards for on-site septic systems.
Mentoring. Ability to explain “the why” behind codes; provides technical assistance to the work of others.
Demonstrated successful project management skills and directing the work of team members.
Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time and obtaining required immunizations.
Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
When Public Health responds to an emergency, and in accordance with relevant CBA language and/or KC policy and procedures, we may assign duties outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time, including nights and weekends, with possible deployment to locations other than the department.

Nice To Haves

Ten (10) + years of working knowledge of and experience in environmental health – Onsite Sewage Systems technical, regulatory, administrative, and policy issues and operation and maintenance practices of onsite sewage systems.
Five (5) years of supervisory experience leading a team of OSS professionals.
Public health focus. Knowledge and understanding of public health principles.
Inclusive Culture. Ability to develop and maintain an inclusive culture with a climate in which people want to do their best; can motivate many kinds of direct reports, team, or project members; enables co-workers to grow and succeed through feedback, instruction, and encouragement.
Communication. Demonstrated excellence in facilitation, communication, and plain talk written skills.
Budget and performance accountability. Tracks performance accountability. Assists in budgeting to achieve desired performance.
Political accountability. Works with leadership to implement code commensurate with available resources.
Social Justice. Knowledge of and ability to lead with equity and social justice in an organization, program, and/or community setting.
Safety. Knowledge of occupational safety hazards and precautions.
Technology. Comfort with learning new digital technologies and engaging with colleagues on efforts to upgrade county and division systems and practices.

Responsibilities

Ensures effective management of the OSS Permitting Program. This position serves with Local Health Officer authority to implement the OSS Program via the King County Board of Health Title 13 On-Site Sewage code.
Maintains subject matter expertise with OSS technologies and industry practices.
Serve as a technical expert and advisor.
Oversees program appeals, waivers, or other variances.
Provides a high level of customer service to solve challenging land use / OSS problems.
Leads and supervises a team of 8 Health & Environmental Investigator IIIs (Protect 17 represented) in implementing the On-Site Sewage code.
Establishes clear roles and responsibilities, work plan objectives, and performance evaluations for team members.
Coordinates closely with King County Department of Local Services and other jurisdictional building departments on permitting for building and land use applications.
Oversees recruitment and onboarding of new staff and participates in workforce development planning for program and section and conducts annual performance assessments as assigned.
Works with licensed OSS professionals, architects, partner agencies, and staff to troubleshoot challenging issues and identify pathways forward.
Helps develop and actively participates in the use of data systems to plan and track OSS Permitting work.
Oversees program planning, evaluation, and implementation of adaptive management to advance evolving public health needs.
Oversees development and delivery of reports, environmental and public health advisory information, and communications materials for education and dissemination to the public.
Develops and evaluates short and long-range program plans, goals, and objectives.
Leads implementation of programmatic changes.
Ensure agency, division, and department strategic objectives are reflected in program plans and service delivery.
Collaborates with the OSS O&M Team to help ensure systems are operated and maintained following approved designs and helps respond to failing systems in a timely manner.
Coordinates with Washington State Department of Health to ensure King County OSS code is consistent with state code.
Manages and supports organizational change initiatives.
Performs other duties as assigned.