ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST III

Position Overview

The Illinois Department of Public Health is seeking highly motivated individuals to serve as Environmental Health Specialists in our Non-Community Public Water Supply Program.  An Environmental Health Specialist collaborates with stakeholders, conducts regulatory consultations with regulated facilities, prepares reports, leads educational outreach, and coordinates compliance efforts to ensure water system adherence to State and Federal drinking water regulations.

Benefits Statement

As a State of Illinois Employee, you will receive a robust benefit package that includes the following:

• Flexible and hybrid work schedules are available in many program areas (when available and dependent upon position) 
• Competitive Group Insurance benefits including health, life, dental and vision plans.
• Pension plan through the State Employees Retirement System
• Deferred Compensation Program – voluntary supplemental retirement plan
• Optional pre-tax programs -Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP) & Dependent Care Assistant Plan (DCAP)
• 10-25 days of paid vacation time annually (10 days for first year of state employment)
• 12 paid sick days annually which carryover year to year
• 3 paid personal business days per calendar year (pro-rated dependent on start date)
• 13-14 paid holidays per year
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Employee Assistance Program and/or mental health resources

These are just a few of the many perks available to all State employees. For more information about our benefits please follow this link: https://www2.illinois.gov/cms/benefits/Pages/default.aspx.

Essential Functions

• Under direction of the Safe Drinking Water Program Manager, coordinates the water supply operator training and chemical monitoring of non- transient, non-community public water supplies and assures all non-community public water supplies are in compliance with United States Environmental Protection Agency drinking water regulations.
• Audits non-community public water supplies inspections and reports conducted by local health departments and regional offices.
• Prepares and maintains statistical data for routine reporting to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and United States Environmental Protection Agency by running reports through the database, ensuring any errors are fixed and the data is reported electronically.
• Maintain the non-community public water supplies data system and generate inventory action and water sample reports that are forwarded to USEPA. Review and input data from Inventory Violation & Enforcement and Sample data forms.
• Coordinates program activities with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, program staff, local health departments, Department laboratories, county health department laboratories, regional offices and non-community public water supplies to ensure the program is being conducted in accordance with Department rules and program policies.
• Attends continuing education and professional development training.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university or college with at least 30 semester hours in the physical or biological sciences.
• Requires three (3) years of professional experience in environmental health practice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three (3) years of experience in a regulatory, licensing or certification program.
• Three (3) years of experience using database information systems.
• Three (3) years of experience with environmental field sampling equipment and testing techniques.
• Three (3) years of experience providing guidance and support (i.e. customer service) to the public, regulated entities, and/or stakeholder groups.
• Three (3) years of experience conducting training for environmental health staff.
• Three (3) years of work experience using Microsoft software products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires the ability to travel in the performance of duties.
• Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license.

*The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is tasked with the oversight of communities within Illinois to achieve and maintain optimal health and safety. With an annual budget of over $2 billion in state and federal funds, 6 regional offices, 3 laboratories and over 1,200 employees, IDPH is equipped to fulfill its mission of protecting the health and wellness of the people of Illinois through the prevention, health promotion, regulation and control of disease and injury.