Director of Environmental Health

Full Job Description

The County of Riverside is seeking an innovative, strategic, and experienced leader to serve as its next Director of Environmental Health.

This executive level position oversees a dynamic department dedicated to protecting public health, safety, and the environment through progressive, community focused environmental health programs.

The Department of Environmental Health operates with an annual budget of 40 million and carries out its mission by implementing efficient and effective regulatory services across a broad range of environmental health areas.

The Director provides leadership to three major divisions, District Environmental Services (DES) Division, Environmental Protection & Oversight (EPO), and Business Operations & Finance, each staffed by highly trained professional, technical, and support personnel operating from multiple branch offices countywide.

The DES Division, the largest within the department, administers seven major programs focused on compliance through education and partnership with regulated businesses.

The EPO Division, comprised of the Environmental Resources Management and Hazardous Materials Management Branches, oversees key programs involving hazardous materials, water systems, land use, and emergency response.

The Hazardous Materials Management Branch (HMMB) also serves as the County’s Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA).

The Business Operations & Finance Division provides essential administrative, fiscal, and analytical services that support the entire department’s operations and mission.

The Director will guide these divisions in advancing regulatory compliance, enhancing program effectiveness, and ensuring alignment with State and local environmental health mandates.

This role requires a forward-thinking leader capable of strengthening partnerships, driving innovation, and fostering a culture of service excellence.

The ideal candidate for Director of Environmental Health is a seasoned and forward-thinking executive with a proven record of leadership in a large Environmental Health department, division, or comparable regulatory entity.

This individual brings deep expertise in environmental health operations, land-use development, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory compliance paired with the strategic vision needed to guide a complex, countywide public health organization.

The successful candidate will be an influential leader capable of advancing high-impact initiatives, strengthening regulatory programs, and representing Riverside County with professionalism and authority.

Overseeing large, multi-disciplinary teams and directing professional, technical, and administrative staff across multiple locations.

Meet the team!
The Riverside County Department of Environmental Health (RCDEH) is one of California’s most comprehensive and geographically expansive environmental health agencies, serving a vast and diverse region that includes one of the state’s largest counties. With a broad regulatory portfolio, RCDEH oversees complex programs that protect public health, ensure environmental safety, and support responsible land use and economic development. The department delivers services through multiple divisions, highly specialized program areas, and strategically located branch offices, enabling effective oversight of urban, rural, and remote communities alike. RCDEH’s scale, scope, and regional influence make it a critical leader in advancing environmental health practices across Southern California.

Requirements

• Provide executive leadership in planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating all Environmental Health programs; ensure policies, procedures, and operational methods are effective, consistent with departmental goals, and aligned with countywide public health and environmental standards.

• Direct the development, administration, and oversight of the Environmental Health annual budget and program plan; ensure alignment with strategic priorities, regulatory mandates, and fiscal integrity.

• Represent the County in discussions with state and federal agencies regarding environmental health issues; cultivate cooperative partnerships with internal departments, external agencies, and community stakeholders.

• Represent the County in contacts with state and federal agencies and their staff relative to environmental health concerns; develop and promote contacts, working relationships, and cooperative programs between the environmental health programs, other County departments, and other agencies and organizations involved in environmental health services.

• Negotiate and manage contracts with private organizations for the provision of environmental health services.

• Provide guidance to engineers, developers, subdividers, and contractors on the interpretation and application of environmental health laws, regulations, and standards.

• Oversee and support staff in implementing comprehensive environmental health programs, including inspections and enforcement related to food safety, water quality, sewage disposal, solid waste management, vector control, recreational health, housing and public facilities, nuisance abatement, hazardous materials management, and underground storage tanks.

• Review and interpret laboratory findings; direct the evaluation of subdivision maps, construction plans, and related documents for compliance with environmental health requirements.

• Conduct informal hearings and participate in appeals related to violations of sanitation and environmental health laws.

• Deliver presentations to the public, community groups, and governing bodies; lead staff meetings; and prepare high-quality reports, correspondence, and briefing materials.

Qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree, preferably with major course work in environmental health, public health, planning, public or business administration, engineering, criminal justice, law enforcement or a closely related field.

Experience: Five years of experience in an executive managerial capacity that included strategic decision-making, overseeing major programs, divisions, or departments and policy development, responsibility as an environmental health specialist in a public health agency or recognized environmental health entity as defined by State law.

Other Requirements:

License/Certificate: Possession of a valid California Driver's License is required.

Registration with the State of California as an Environmental Health Specialist is required.

Knowledge of: The principles and practices of environmental quality control, public health, and sanitation; environmental quality control provisions of state and local laws and regulations; principles and practices of organization, administration, and supervision; functions and operations of governmental agencies and community organizations related to environmental health.

Ability to: Plan, organize, and direct the work of an environmental health and quality control program; formulate and interpret policies and procedures; prepare and administer a budget; instruct in the methods and procedures of inspection and correction of unsanitary conditions; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; establish and maintain cooperative relationships with officials, employees, and the public; speak and write effectively, including preparing clear and concise records and reports.

Additional Information

This class has been designated At-Will by the Board of Supervisors, in accordance with the provisions provided under Article 6, Section 601E (1) of the County Management Resolution and serves at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors.

This class has been deemed eligible for the Performance Recognition Plan as set forth under Article 3, Section 311(A) of the County Management Resolution.

Program eligibility requires employees to be in a leadership position, manage other employees or programs, and have significant influence on the achievement of organizational objectives.

This recruitment will be open until filled. The initial review of applications will likely occur January 5, 2025. However, the posting may close at any time. To be considered, please, electronically submit your application, including a resume. Resume should reflect related work experience as well as details of years and months of positions held.

For questions regarding this recruitment, please, contact: Angela Tavaglione at (951) 955-3523 or atavaglione@rivco.org.