State of Maryland

Employees perform, on a routine basis, inspections and investigations to aid in securing compliance with the health laws and regulations specifically pertaining to control of the public health aspects of the environment.

Employees in this class serve as a program supervisor of a large environmental health program in a county health department or as the chief of a headquarters section with responsibility in a specialized area such as food processing, eating and drinking establishments, milk and dairy products, seafood, or air pollution control.

Work is performed under the general administrative direction of the Health Officer or the Director of the Environmental Health Program. Work effectiveness is determined through conferences, review of written reports and evaluation of program effectiveness. General direction of staff is achieved through program directors.

As a headquarters Section Chief, the employee is responsible for developing a consultative, advisory, and educational program in an area of specialization, such as seafood sanitarian, food processing, pollution control, or milk and dairy products. Work involves stimulating program development through field observation, lectures, demonstrations, and the preparation of guidelines and manuals in the specialty. The employee is responsible for promoting, developing, and coordinating the specialty area with the total environmental health program of the State. The work requires creativity and technical knowledge in the specialty area and the ability to stimulate staff improvement through the promulgation of program standards, the interpretation of regulations and the determination of the best methods to abate unsatisfactory conditions.

Work is performed under the general direction of a Division Chief in Headquarters Operations. Effectiveness is determined through conferences, review of written reports, and evaluation of program effectiveness.

Serves as an information source to local health departments on Statewide regulations and activities in an assigned programmatic specialty, and provides consultation, liaison, and training assistance to environmental health programs which are shared responsibilities of State and local health departments;

Supervises the work of a staff of professional and paraprofessional workers;

Plans, develops, directs, and coordinates an environmental health program;

Develops and formulates program standards and procedures and may make recommendations regarding legislation in environmental health specialty areas;

Assists local health departments in developing public appreciation and acceptance of program activities and in promotion of environmental science training courses;

Assists in coordinating environmental health activities with related activities of other official local agencies, such as police, public works, zoning, and sanitary commissions;

Initiates and directs actions to secure compliance with public health laws and regulations regarding the health aspects of community environment;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of principles, practices, and objectives of public health as related to the control of the human environment;

Knowledge of the objectives, scope and force of laws and regulations of the State pertaining to or relating to public health control of the environment;

Knowledge of environmental control methods and techniques to be utilized by the public in meeting requirements of laws and regulations;

Knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration.

Ability to investigate, evaluate, and interpret findings with respect to maintaining desirable levels of community environmental health sanitation;

Ability to work with counterparts in adjoining states and at the Federal level in promoting public confidence for environmental health programs and in achieving a high level of compliance for the regulatory aspects of environmental health;

Ability to render consultative services to other agencies, communities, and other sanitarians regarding non-engineering activities of a specialized nature in the environmental health program;

Ability to meet and work with the public and promote community understanding and support for the public health program;

Ability to exercise independent judgment, make decisions, and to represent superiors, as directed;

Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely;

Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with health officials, State and community officials, co-workers and the general public.

Education:   Determined by the Maryland State Board of Environmental Health Specialists under the licensing requirements for Environmental Health Specialists.

Experience: Five years of environmental health work experience in the promotion, control, and maintenance of environmental health, two years must have involved direction of an environmental control project and/or the supervision of positions performing environmental health work.

Notes: 

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master’s degree in public health or environmental health sciences from an accredited college or university for one year of the required general experience.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience at a rank of Corporal/Petty Officer or higher as a commissioned officer in Environmental Engineering classifications or Environmental Engineering specialty codes in the Engineering and Science field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Candidates for positions in this classification must possess a current license as an Environmental Health Specialist from the Maryland State Board of Environmental Health Specialists.  A photocopy of current registration must be attached to the application form.

2. Licensure requirements are pursuant to Health Occupations Article, Title 11, Annotated Code of Maryland and COMAR 10.60.01 through 10.60.07.  The Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management cannot accept any substitutions.

3. Further information on eligibility requirements, to include application for license, may be obtained from the Administrative Officer, Maryland State Board of Environmental Health Specialists, 4201 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore, MD  21215.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.