Environmental Health & Safety Specialist

With supervisor approval, incumbents may be eligible for intermittent remote work; however, they must physically reside within the Sacramento region or have the ability to regularly report to a City of Sacramento physical worksite with little notice.

The Environmental Health and Safety Unit in the Human Resources Department is seeking an Environmental Health & Safety Specialist to support the Recycling and Solid Waste (RSW) division of Public Works. This position will provide workplace safety consultation and hands-on support, including extensive in-person engagement with equipment operators and field staff. The role also requires delivering in-person training on Cal/OSHA workplace safety standards and programs. Strong record-keeping skills, proficiency with incident management and training systems, and clear verbal and written communication are essential for this position.

IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will have significant experience working with Cal/OSHA regulations, assessment and mitigation strategies of occupational hazards and developing regulatory compliance programs, as well as experience implementing industrial safety programs with a track record of collaborative process improvement, and good problem-solving skills. Experience with environmental regulations including hazardous waste and waste disposal is preferred, but not required.

The Environmental Health and Safety Specialist recommends resolutions to problems of moderate complexity in the environmental, health, and safety discipline which includes developing risk assessments and regulatory compliance programs, monitoring processes; conducting related training activities; and coordinating with consultants and service providers to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This classification is populated with multiple incumbents. The Environmental Health and Safety Specialist performs the entire range of duties that are moderately complex and exercises good judgment and discretion in completing work. This classification is distinguished from the Environmental Health and Safety Officer in that the latter is responsible for planning and administering the Environmental Health and Safety Program while the Environmental Health and Safety Specialist implements the program.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

General supervision is provided by the Environmental Health and Safety Officer and higher-level management staff. Responsibilities may include indirect supervision of other Environmental Health and Safety Specialist positions, as well as indirect supervision of office and clerical personnel.

• Serve as a consultant advocating for the continuous improvement of comprehensive Environmental Health and Safety processes, procedures and programs; effectively communicate challenges, successes, and areas of concern with management when potential hazards and risks are identified.
• Serve as technical expert to advise steering committees, supervisors and management on the best methods to resolve environmental, health and safety concerns including engineering controls, administrative, and personal protective equipment.
• Evaluate and analyze trends, barriers to performance of safe work and root causes of accidents; develop action plans to control or eliminate organizational barriers and/or hazards in the workplace.
• Conducts workplace audits and inspections to identify and alleviate environmental factors and stresses affecting or potentially affecting the health and safety of employees; conducts ergonomic or other specific assessments; recommends equipment, procedures, assignments or other actions to alleviate identified problems or concerns.
• Plans, develops and conducts safety, occupational health and related training activities; attends or facilitates meetings to discuss safety concerns and practices; advises department managers and supervisors on appropriate handling of safety or health situations.
• Monitor compliance with applicable laws and regulations such as Cal/OSHA mandated health and safety programs, injury and illness prevention programs, building, fire, electrical, plumbing, and other codes; conducts routine inspections; may assist in Cal/OSHA inspections.
• Participate with Cal/OSHA reporting and follow-up inspections.
• Interpret new regulations, determine their applicability to City operations and devise strategies and procedures for compliance.
• Develops, implements, and administers city, state, and federal programs related to motor vehicle operation, including DOT drug and alcohol testing program, environmental protection, workplace safety and ergonomics.
• Oversees and administers citywide hazardous waste and storm water management programs; handles environmental health issues within the city that may be referred to the Safety Office by Sacramento County.
• Prepares management reports and correspondence related to program evaluation and performance measures; oversees the maintenance of required records and reports.
• Introduce and effectively implement campaigns for the prevention and reduction of accidents and injuries, as well as for environmental protection.
• Act in the Safety Officer role for emergency field operations and as back up to EH&S Officer in the Emergency Operations Center as required.
• Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual holding this classification.

Knowledge of:
• Principles and practices of public sector management and program administration.
• Federal, state, and local laws, standards, regulations, and policies pertaining to environmental health and safety.
• Methods, techniques, and practices used in workforce training.
• Statistical methods as applied to loss prevention.

Skill in:
• Training.
• Technical writing.
• Use of computers, computer applications, and software and other modern office equipment.
• Effective interviewing.

Ability to:
• Understand and implement the principles of environmental health and occupational safety.
• Identify unsafe working conditions and practices through on-site inspections.
• Conduct accident and injury investigations.
• Conduct environmental health investigations and mitigation programs.
• Research, interpret and apply technical information to prepare clear and concise management reports; apply logical supporting information to justify decisions and recommendations.
• Interpret and apply laws, standards, regulations, and policies relating to occupational health and safety as well as environmental protection.
• Analyze situations accurately and recommend or take effective action.
• Communicate clearly, verbally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relations with others.
• Work with diverse groups to achieve desired results.
• Assemble, arrange, compute, and interpret data.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Experience:

Two years of experience in program administration, employee training, regulatory compliance or evaluating an environmental health or occupational safety program.

-AND-

Education:

Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Substitution:

Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

PROOF OF EDUCATION

Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable. 

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credential's evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.
 
1. Application: (Pass/Fail) – All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application to the Employment Office by the final filing deadline:

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted. 
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified: 
  • If applicants do not list current and past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  • If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section. 

2. Supplemental Questionnaire: (Pass/Fail) – In addition to the City of Sacramento employment application, all applicants must complete and submit online responses to the supplemental questionnaire:

• Responses to the supplemental questionnaire must be submitted online; paper questionnaire will not be accepted. 
• Incomplete supplemental questionnaire will not pass the review process; omitted information cannot be considered or assumed. 
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the supplemental questionnaire.
• Possession of the minimum qualifications is not necessarily a guarantee of further advancement in the selection process.

3. Screening Committee: (Pass/Fail)– All applications received by the final filing deadline will be forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.
 
4. Interview Process: Human Resources will forward applications to the hiring department. Those determined to be the most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an interview process. 

5. Conditional Hire:  Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS:
 
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/Home/ApplicationGuide for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process. 
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627. 
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment; 
• Send an email to employment@cityofsacramento.org; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726