The Environmental Health Services Division, Food & Facilities Section is seeking a skilled, enthusiastic, and dedicated individual to fill an Environmental Health Services Supervisor position.

The Environmental Health Services Division’s mission is to identify and sustain environmental conditions that promote healthy people and healthy communities.  The Food & Facilities Section contributes to healthy communities by permitting, educating and inspecting over 1,800 water recreation facilities, 12,500 permanent food businesses, 40 farmers markets, 3,000 temporary food businesses, and issues over 50,000 food worker cards annually.  In addition, the section is responsible for permitting and inspecting 1,800 water recreational facilities, oversees the safety of fresh and marine water bathing beaches, and provides regulatory oversight of sewage releases and Harmful Algal Blooms affecting swimming beaches.  We serve an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, and culinary innovative communities.  Our incredibly talented and diverse 60 person team operates with a $14 million annual budget.   The Food and Facilities Section strives to provide equitable service and applies an educational approach toward regulatory compliance.

The successful candidate will have a passion for environmental public health and creating heathier lives for all people in King County, enjoy developing people and teams, possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and be effective at developing productive relationships with agency partners and regulated entities.  The successful applicant will work with a team of supervisors in the section, and will directly supervise 10-12 people.

The position supports and advances Environmental Health Services Division’s values for fair and culturally competent service delivery, innovative, effective and efficient application of resources, building a culture of performance and expanding opportunities to seek input, listen and respond to industry and residents.  The position will be located within the Environmental Health Division of Public Health – Seattle & King County.

The Program is committed to the principles of racial equity and social justice and values diverse perspectives and life experiences in its workforce.  People of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DIVISION:
Through the work of over 150 dedicated employees, the Environmental Health Services Division identifies and sustains environmental conditions that promote health equity and healthy people and communities in Seattle and King County.  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.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE:
As the only jurisdiction in the world 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.

We have 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 vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity

Supervision and Workforce Development

• Conduct and facilitate staff development and performance management activities.
• Collaborate with staff, colleagues, Assistant Division Director, Division and program management team; ensure compliance with Department and Division policies and procedures.
• Ensure adequate staff and skills are available to support program needs; anticipate and participate in solving conflicts between other agencies/work groups and resolving labor issues.
• Coach, mentor and train field and senior environmental health investigators.
• Support and develop on-going programs and continuous improvement efforts.

Program and Project Management

• Develop and evaluate performance dashboard to help make data driven decisions.
• Implement program development efforts, such as supporting ongoing QA/QC activities.
• Develop metrics and dashboards to help improve staff performance
• Interpret and apply program guidance in managing projects, programs and services.
• Identify community needs and characteristics to prioritize, influence and improve programs and services.
• Effectively and efficiently manage agency resources including staff, project resources, work plans and service agreements; ensure consistency with Department and Division policies.
• Ensure that services are planned, delivered and evaluated in a culturally appropriate manner that reflects the needs of ratepayers across King County.
• Implement and monitor the food safety rating system, including conducting on-going quality assurance and control, training staff and processing appeals.
• Other duties as assigned by the Food & Facilities Assistant Division Director and other program managers.

• Managerial experience including staff supervision, program management, performance management, and team management.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, including strong and consistent leadership; experience creating and managing effective teams; delegating responsibilities; active listening; facilitation, negotiation, mediation and compromise; managing assignments to meet deadlines; ensuring appropriate transparency; and maintaining effective and positive relationships with peers, subordinates and management.
• Demonstrated ability to apply knowledge of local government program operations; strategic planning; developing and applying internal and external stakeholder strategies; and developing, implementing, monitoring and improving programmatic/strategic outcomes.
• Strong understanding and applied practices of Environmental Public Health fields (i.e., Public Health Preventive Measures, Risk Assessment, Epidemiology, Toxicology, Microbiology, Risk Communication).
• Demonstrated ability to create and using performance metrics, benchmarks, and dashboards.
• Ability to create data and use it to inform decisions on a regular basis.
• Demonstrated cultural competence working with diverse populations including race, ethnicity, gender, ability, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.
• Demonstrated ability to apply principles of equity and social justice in local government programs.
• Ability to create a climate in which people want to do their best; can motivate many kinds of direct report, team or project members; enables co-workers to grow and succeed through feedback, instruction, and encouragement.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Master’s Degree in Public Health, Public Administration, or a closely related field or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience working in a highly collaborative government program or coalition.
• Established effective working relationships with program partner agencies.
• Bilingual in one of the most common non-English languages in King County (such as Spanish, Arabic, Somali, Hindi, Punjabi, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean).

LICENSING/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Within six months of hire, Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) or from the Washington State Board of Registered Sanitarians (WSBRS).  Both NEHA and WSBRS provide applications for REHS/RS credentialing by examination or via reciprocity.

REHS/RS credentialing information is available from NEHA at:
www.neha.org/professional-development/credentials/rehsrs-credential

REHS/RS credentialing information is available from WSBRS at:  www.wsbrs.org 

Valid Washington State driver’s license.

All required licenses and certifications must be maintained in active status without suspension or revocation throughout employment.

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State’s best employers. 

Together, with leadership and our employees, we’re changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation’s best places to live, work and play. 

Guided by our “True North“, we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles–we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply:
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact your recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all qualified candidates. 

Application Process: 
The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• An electronic application through www.kingcounty.gov/jobs or www.governmentjobs.com (use the “Apply” link) including work history and position duties.
• A cover letter describing your interest in this position and how do you meet the required qualifications for this job.
• A current resume
• Responses to supplemental questions.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state “see my resume” or “see my personnel file” are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

• The selection process may include but is not limited to: evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
• Staff may be required to play an active role in the event of a public health emergency, which may include changes in responsibilities, work location, and working hours.

Necessary Special Requirements:

• The selected candidate will be required to submit to a thorough background investigation. Records are not automatically-disqualifying.
• Candidates selected are required to pass a pre-employment physical exam.
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing required training on time.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirement:

• This position requires the ability to perform work duties both indoors in an office environment and in the field in a variety physical and weather conditions that may include walking uneven terrain, working around heavy machinery, strong odors, dusts, animals, and various types of wastes.
• Exposure to individuals from the public who are upset, angry, agitated, and sometimes hostile, requiring the use of conflict management and de-escalation skills.
• This position may require strength enough to lift, push, or pull field equipment weighing between 20-40 pounds.
• Performance of job duties requires driving on a regular basis and a valid Washington State Driver’s license.
• This position may require the incumbent to occasionally access or travel by ferry or boat.

Work Schedule:  This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible.  The regular workweek is 40 hours, Monday to Friday.  Occasional evenings, weekends, on-call work, and some travel are required.

Work Location: 
King County employees are required to telework until July 5, 2021. The home base for this position will be determined upon start and will be at one or more of the following locations:

• Downtown Seattle, Chinook Building, 401 5th Ave., Suite 1100, Seattle
• Eastgate Public Health Center, 14350 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue
• Bothell/North Creek Environmental Health (not a public location).

Temporary Telecommuting Requirement: 
Some of the work associated with this position will be performed remotely, at least through July 5, 2021 in compliance with King County’s telecommuting mandate.  Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.  Employees must reside in WA state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.  There will be situations where the employee is required to report to a County worksite.  Please note that when an employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required by the department in alignment with the Public Health Directive from the Seattle & King County Public Health Officer.

To support employees during this time King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.

Union Affiliation:
This position is represented by Protect Local 17 Union.

Contact:
If you have questions about the position, please contact Eyob Mazengia, PhD at Eyob.Mazengia@kingcounty.gov or (206)263-8437.  If you have questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Nic Horea, Senior Human Resource Analyst at nicolae.horea@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-8736.