Environmental Protection Specialist I

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado. At The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) we are dedicated to the Colorado for All philosophy - working toward a Colorado where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We support the basic human rights of our neighbors regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education level, disability, socio-economic status, or any other visible or invisible identity. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we strongly encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply. Be BOLD.....Make a REAL difference . . . join us in serving our communities advancing Colorado's health and protecting the places we live, work, learn, and play, to create a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations thrive. Mission - To advance Colorado's health and protect the places we live, work, learn, and play. Vision - To create a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations thrive. CDPHE offers: Free parking and access to RTD bus lines. Flexible working arrangements Retirement ( PERA options), Medical and dental health plans Defined Benefit Plan or the PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans Paid life insurance Short- and long-term disability coverage 11 paid holidays per year and generous personal time off Tuition assistance Wellness programs Professional development opportunities on a wide variety of subjects Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. For more information, go to: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/pslfFlow.action#!/pslf/launch The Work Unit: The Institutions Unit is under the direction of the Deputy Division Director and is responsible for assuring compliance with the requirements of the food laws and sanitation regulations of the State for assisted living residences, swimming pools, child care facilities, and schools. These duties are accomplished through inspections, recall coordination, outbreak investigations, compliance assistance, and compliance assurance; by reviewing registration information, plan review submissions, and other field-generated information for assisted living residences (for retail food regulation compliance), swimming pools, child care facilities, and schools within the State. The school and child care programs are delegated through contracts to Local Public Health Agencies (LPHA). LPHAs conduct inspections and day-to-day program functions at the local level. This unit provides direct service for schools and child care facilities in the absence of a local program. The Division performs program audits and inspection standardization exercises with the delegated LPHAs. The unit, in cooperation with LPHAs, is responsible for assuring compliance with the requirements of the institutional environmental health laws and regulations of the State. The Unit determines the appropriate response, which may include informal or formal inquiries, such as embargo, condemnation, seizure, injunctive relief, and recalls, requesting additional field investigations, recommending and subsequently researching and recommending administrative or judicial enforcement actions, and developing and negotiating assessments. The Unit is also responsible for drafting new regulations, completing State Board of Health documents, and coordinating stakeholder meetings. What You Will Do: The purpose of this position is to serve as an environmental protection specialist within the school and childcare programs. This position conducts regulatory inspections; prepares inspection reports, compliance advisories, LPHA assessments, and orders or recommendations for enforcement. Additionally, this position serves as a trainer in school and childcare programs. The position conducts training and joint inspections for LPHA staff and develops guidance materials for the programs. In addition to direct facility inspection oversight, this position provides compliance assistance, guidance, and training to the regulated community and local public health agencies. This position is expected to be a junior-level inspector with the goal of being fully operational as a senior-level inspector. This position requires wide-ranging oversight from the supervisor. Key Responsibilities: Writes technical reports, creates and maintains accurate records, and initiates appropriate enforcement actions such as follow-up inspections, voluntary condemnations, and voluntary closures as necessary when non-compliance is identified within school or childcare operations. Works collaboratively with epidemiologists to investigate illness and outbreak investigations. Through research of technical reports, governing regulations, statutory requirements, and other resource materials, creates and drafts responses to questions and inquiries presented by local public health agencies' staff, school administrators, childcare providers, and the public. Actively monitors progress and reviews reports submitted by LPHAs for completeness and contract requirements. Residency Requirement: This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application. Class Code & Classification Description: I3A2T* Environmental Protection Specialist I Minimum Qualifications: Experience Only: Five (5) years of professional experience working in a field related to the work assigned to the position, such as environmental health inspections or in an occupation directly related to the work assigned in this position. Or Education and Experience: A combination of related education from an accredited college or university in Biology, Environmental Science for a field of study closely related to the work assignment and One (1) year of experience in a field related to the work assigned to the position, such as environmental health inspections or in an occupation directly related to the work assigned in this position to equal five (5) years. NOTE: An applicant may meet the minimum qualifications for this job in one of two ways: They may qualify through their work experience alone or through a combination of education and work experience. This experience must be substantiated within the Work Experience section of your application. "See Resume" will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: In addition to the minimum requirements, the successful candidate in this position will have the following highly desirable experience and competencies: Experience conducting regulatory inspections in child care facilities, schools, retail food establishments or a related industry. Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders including state and local governments, non-profits, community groups, private regulated entities and federal agencies such as EPA. Advanced Interpersonal and conflict management skills e.g. displays understanding, courtesy, tact, empathy and concern. Develops and maintains effective relationships, deals skillfully with people who are difficult, hostile or distressed,effectively manages and resolves conflicts, confrontations and disagreements in a positive and constructive way. Computer literate. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred. Ability to analyze facts, data and evidence to arrive at a logical conclusion. Experience with investigating complaints and outbreak investigations that are received regarding regulated facilities. <span style=