Environmental Health Technician I

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Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees, including:

• Holidays: 14 paid holidays per year, 2 of which are floating holidays*
• Vacation leave: 10 days/year with ability to accrue 25 days/year
• Sick leave: 12 days/year*
• Cafeteria plan: 6% of employee’s salary will be contributed towards employee to use towards 401(k), dependent care, medical co-insurance, or cash
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance available for employees and dependents
• $50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to employee
• CalPERS retirement plans
• Retiree medical insurance
• Deferred compensation
• Education allowance: up to $1,200 per year
• Bilingual incentive: incumbents may be eligible for bilingual incentive pay depending upon operational needs and certification of proficiency.

*Amounts will be prorated for part-time employees and employees hired after the first of the year.

The information above represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire about the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department. For a detailed listing of benefits, please click here to view General benefits.

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

To assist in ensuring compliance with various environmental health regulations as required by federal, state and local statutes and ordinances; conduct routine field inspections to ensure compliance; and perform a variety of research related to environmental health compliance.

This is the entry level class in the Environmental Health Technician series. This class is distinguished from the journey level by the performance of the more routine tasks and duties assigned to positions within the series. Employees at this level are not expected to perform with the same independence of direction and judgment on matters allocated to the journey level. Employees work under immediate supervision while learning job tasks.

Receives supervision from a Supervising Registered Environmental Health Specialist or other professional, supervisory, or management classification. May receive technical or functional supervision from a Senior Environmental Health Technician or other technical or professional personnel.

• Conduct field inspections to assure regulatory compliance and in response to service requests; document inspections or write inspection reports. 
• Receive and process a variety of environmental health permits and applications; review for compliance with standards and regulations. 
• Perform research involving parcel and permit history. 
• Review commercial and home occupation business licenses for compliance with environmental health and/or land use standards and regulations.
• Accept, log, and review commercial and residential plans and associated documents for plan checking as assigned; process, prepare, and issue permits as needed. 
• Prepare correspondence and notifications providing and requesting information to and from customers related to application materials and permits. 
• Receive and log complaints pertaining to environmental health related issues. 
• Log and maintain various data and records and prepare reports; prepare routine notices; research permit and code enforcement issues as necessary.
• Receive and respond to environmental health public records requests.
• Respond by telephone, email, and in person at the front counter to general and specific questions pertaining to environmental heath related issues from the public. 
• Generate and send invoices, process payments, and provide receipts to customers for environmental health permits.
• Prepare and distribute a variety of informational materials pertaining to environmental health issues.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with coworkers, other County employees, and the public using principles of good customer service. 
• Interact with other County departments and/or outside agencies as needed. 
• Performs related duties as assigned.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below. Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: One (1) year experience in an environmental health setting, emphasizing public contact is desirable.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by at least twelve (12) semester units of college level courses in chemistry, biology, physics, toxicology, or a related field.

Relevant, equivalent experience (performing the same or similar job requiring similar knowledge, skills, and abilities) may be substituted for the required education as determined by the Human Resources Department.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of customer service and public contact.
• Basic arithmetic and mathematical calculations.
• Modern office procedures, methods, and computer hardware and software and its applications.
• Methods of filing and tracking information.
• Basic sciences.
• Principles and practices of work safety.
• English usage, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. 

Ability to:

• On a continuous basis, know and understand assigned aspects of the job; identify and interpret technical and numerical information; understand, analyze, recall, interpret, and explain explain environmental procedures and County regulations and requirements; complete tasks with frequent interruptions.
• On a continuous basis, sit at desk and/or stand at a counter for long periods of time; intermittently twist to reach equipment surrounding desk; intermittently walk, stand, bend, stoop, squat, crouch, climb, kneel, reach, and twist when performing field inspections; perform simple and power grasping, pushing, pulling, and fine manipulation; see and hear with sufficient acuity to perform essential job functions; speak, use telephone, write, and use a keyboard to communicate; occasionally lift moderate weight.
• Learn local ordinances and state statutes related to environmental health and land use and permitting process, as needed.
• Learn the policies and procedures of the Environmental Health Division.
• Learn to read and interpret a variety of plans, maps, drawings, and construction documents in the course of conducting research.
• Obtain information through interviews and dialogue; work fairly and courteously with the public.
• Use a variety of modern office equipment, including but not limited to, computer, calculator, telephone, facsimile machine, and photocopy machine.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively and to determine proper course of action.
• Effectively use automated permit systems.

Training & Experience Rating (100%)

Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant’s education, training, and experience will be evaluated using a pre-determined formula. Scores from this evaluation will determine applicant ranking and placement on the eligible list.

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over),  marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making, political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.