Healthy Communities Specialist - Environmental Health (Health Department)

Full Job Description

This position will be opened until the first review and is a bargaining unit represented position.

Why Join Snohomish County?Snohomish County’s commitment to life-work balance and an inclusive culture.

The County offers outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities to our employees, and we also enjoy flexible work schedules, telework options and a convenient downtown Everett, WA.

location. Snohomish County believes in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and is committed to embedding these values into our workplace culture.

Snohomish County is located on the Puget Sound; we are situated near some of the country’s most scenic national parks and is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S.

Definition:
The Healthy Communities Specialist will be primarily responsible for coordinating homeowner septic replacement grant projects and rebate applications. Primary functions will include:

• Processing applications
• Coordinating design and construction contracts
• Tracking and documenting project activity
• Ensuring compliance with various requirements
• Liaising with internal teams, external partners, and the public
• Facilitating payments

The successful candidate will have better than average skills with project coordination, organization, communication & customer service.

They will have a strong ability to work independently and willingness to learn new processes and procedures.The Healthy Communities Specialist will join the Land Use Monitoring & Maintenance team within the Environmental Health division.

This team works collaboratively to improve water quality in Snohomish County by promoting and regulating proper septic system care and maintenance.

Work is performed under general supervision. Program Supervisor, or designee, defines objectives, priorities, and deadlines; and assists incumbent with unusual situations, which may not have clear objectives or precedents. Incumbent plans and carries out assignments and handle problems and deviations in accordance with experienced judgment, instructions, policies, procedures and/or accepted practices. Incumbent is expected to operate with considerable latitude and apply sound judgment and teamwork. Work is evaluated for technical soundness and conformity to practice and policy.

Requirements

Examples of Work Performed:

• Participates as a member of a team(s) in the development of project planning and implementation. Maintains projects throughout implementation and administers project activities.
• Designs and implements public health prevention projects, training, or presentations based on knowledge and theories of behavior change and best practices or proven research, with the goal of policy development or systems change.
• Reviews and reports on county and city level data resulting in action plans that designate high risk populations and makes recommendations on best practice strategies having the most potential to increase prevention and reduce unhealthy behaviors or environmental impacts.
• Provides resources and technical assistance to communities, organizations, and professionals regarding health promotion activities. Assists in developing resources and structures of support so communities can continue interventions in a coordinated manner.
• Participates in the review and synthesis of existing evaluation data to determine the effectiveness of programs and policies; collaborates with epidemiologists to design evaluation tools as appropriate to accurately measure program and/or project success.
• Recruits and supports targeted community members to participate in community-based prevention efforts, such as youth, elderly, and/or disparate population groups.
• Develops, facilitates, and supports community and regional partnerships.
• Assesses, promotes, and supports the implementation of system, policy, and environmental changes where appropriate.
• Promotes inclusive strategies to engage multiple sectors of the community with an emphasis on equity.
• Collaborates with communications team for media coverage, public service announcements, community information meetings, social marketing, public forums, and special events.
• Tracks and reports activities and challenges to Program Supervisor or designee. Provides required agency, funding source, and contract documentation to Program Supervisor or designee as needed.
• Participates in all staff and team meetings; prepares reports as required/requested.
• Responsible for the coordination and preparation of consultant agreements, supplemental and amendments; ensures compliance with state, federal and local regulations.
• Coordinates with other county staff as necessary on final document for approval as to form when applicable; includes project summary documentation; and identifies potential areas of concern.
• Acts as a liaison with county risk management with applicable projects
• Aids sub-agencies, consultants, subcontractors for federal, state, and local guidelines.
• Informs consultants and appropriate officials of non-compliance with established federal, state, and local guidelines.
• Reviews incoming billing for compliance to terms and conditions of the contract and work authorization prior to submission to supervisor.
• Prepares required reports on project status and maintains related records.
• Writes, manages, and ensures compliance with local, state, federal and foundational grants to fund project work.
• Participates in and supports emergency preparedness and response activities, including preparedness for the division, agency, and community.

Programmatic Specifics:
Homeowner Grant Projects & Rebates

1. Coordinates all phases of septic repair construction projects, including project initiation, execution, monitoring and closeout.
2. Effectively establish and communicate timelines to project partners
3. Liaise with contractors to monitor progress, resolve issues and ensure compliance with contract requirements.
4. Conducts procurement processes, including bid solicitations, evaluations, and selection.
5. Process applications for approval or denial based on eligibility requirements
6. Coordinates multiple septic system repair/replacement projects for low-income households in Snohomish County.
7. Follows all processes required by L&I, county finance, and grant funders.
8. Maintain effective communication with project team members and stakeholders to provide project updates and address concerns.
9. Organizes and maintain grant and rebate documentation for reporting and assessment purposes.
10. Tracks and reports activities and challenges to Program Manager and provides required agency, funding source and contract documentation as required.
11. Provides resources and educational materials to target audiences to help sustain long-term septic system maintenance behaviors.

General

1. Participates as a member of a team(s) in the development of program planning and behavior change strategies related to water quality and septic system maintenance.
2. Participate in regular meetings to facilitate communication, address challenges and to meet project objectives.
3. Participates in all staff and team meetings; prepares reports as required/requested.
4. Participates in the review of existing evaluation data to determine the effectiveness of programs and policies and provides feedback on improvement strategies.
5. Communicate and collaborate with multiple internal and external partners (Contractors, Dept of Ecology, WA state dept of health, Tulalip Tribes)

Associated Duties:

• Participates in opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Performs other related duties as requested by the Program Supervisor.
• Protects the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal law.
• Adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines, including timely completion of mandatory trainings.

Qualifications

Qualifications: Skills for the position may be gained through education, certification, relevant job experience or a combination, such as:

• A bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Health Education, or a closely related field.
• Three (3) years of work in project management, community engagement/organizing/mobilization, systems change, policy development, or contract administration.

Licenses, Certifications, and Other Information:

• A master’s degree in public health, health education, or a closely related field, preferred
• One (1) year experience in community organizing, system change work and/or policy development in a public health agency of the three years required, preferred
• Paid or volunteer work in public health, preferred

• Successful completion of a background check pursuant to RCW 43.43.830.

Additional Information

Successful Incumbents for this Position will have the:

• Ability to demonstrate a commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Ability to support the Heath Department and county’s mission, vision, and organizational goals.
• Knowledge of the principles of public health and wellness promotion, including behavior change theory and community-level interventions, necessary to develop and implement population-based prevention strategies and engage communities, organizational partners, and key leaders.
• Knowledge of basic statistics, research methodology and program/project evaluation.
• Knowledge and understanding of policy, system and environmental changes that best promote large-scale population-based changes within systems of care, communities or county-wide.
• Knowledge of social issues, conditions, and trends affecting public health.

Skilled in group facilitation methods and ability to work effectively with a wide range of community members ranging from youth to elected officials.

Able to use tact, discretion, and good judgement in carrying out responsibilities. Work reflects sensitivity to person of various ages, positions, cultures, and backgrounds.

• Skilled in working effectively as a member of other internal and external programs.
• Ability to exercise discretion, tact, and independent judgement in the performance of duties.
• Ability to effectively communicate ideas both orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with Health Department staff, representatives from agencies/organizations, community groups, other professionals, and the public.
• Ability to utilize a variety of computer equipment and software.
• Ability to flex work schedule to accommodate early morning and/or evening meetings.

Job Location and Equipment Utilized:
Work is performed in a variety of settings, such as an office cubicle and various community-based settings utilizing agency vehicles, telephones, audio-visual equipment, and other standard office equipment including a personal computer. The incumbent will generally work in an office setting or out in the community at various settings. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Work may include traveling to community organizations such as schools, hospitals, clinics, and social service agencies; other travel may include local or statewide for meetings and other forums. Travel is required to locations both in and out of the County, including some early morning and evening meetings, with potential for overnight travel for state meetings or conferences.

Physical Demands:

• Requires ability to drive an automobile and/or have sufficient mobility to access various work locations.
• Requires manual and finger dexterity and hand-eye-arm coordination to write and to operate computers and a variety of general office equipment. Requires mobility to accomplish other desktop work, retrieve files, and to move to various locations.

Requires visual acuity to read computer screens, printed materials, and detailed information; specific vision abilities required by this classification include close vision, distance vision and color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Frequently required to talk or hear effectively.

• May involve occasional kneeling, squatting, crouching, stooping, crawling, standing, bending, climbing (to stack, store or retrieve supplies or various office equipment or files).
• Lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds occasionally with or without assistance (example: a box of copy paper).

Snohomish County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer.
Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are provided upon request.
EEO policy and ADA notice