Shoreline Survey Assistant – Non-Permanent, WA Dept of Health (Tumwater, WA)
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We are looking for a new team member to fill our Shoreline Survey Assistant (PHA 2) non-permanent position. As a Shoreline Survey Assistant, you’ll work with a talented and engaged team in the Shellfish Growing Area Section to determine if shellfish harvesting areas meet strict national public health requirements. You’ll explore Washington’s marine shorelines, help evaluate potential pollution sources, and determine if it is safe to commercially and recreationally harvest shellfish. Please reach out to me if this sounds like a good fit for you or forward to anyone you think would be a great fit for our program!
Shoreline Survey Assistant – Non-Permanent (PHA 2) DOH5278
EPH/OEHS
Tumwater, WA
Closing: January 10, 2021
As a Shoreline Survey Assistant, you’ll work with a talented and engaged team in the Shellfish Growing Area Section to determine if shellfish harvesting areas meet strict national public health requirements. You’ll explore Washington’s marine shorelines, help evaluate potential pollution sources, and determine if it is safe to commercially and recreationally harvest shellfish.
This is a full-time non-permanent Public Health Advisor 2 (PHA 2) within the Division of Environmental Public Health (EPH), Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS), within Shellfish Program’s Growing Area Section. The duration of this position is anticipated to last through October 31, 2021.
The Shellfish Growing Area Section is an engaged team that monitors the risks associated with point and nonpoint pollution sources near the state’s commercial shellfish harvesting areas and publicly owned recreational shellfish beaches. The team works with local, state, federal, tribal, and shellfish harvesting partners to assure public health is protected and makes public health-related decisions that may impact commercial and recreational shellfish harvesting opportunities. The team works with partners to improve water quality throughout the state’s marine environment.
The mission of OEHS is to improve the health of people in Washington State by reducing and preventing, where possible, human exposures to a variety of environmental hazards and disease pathogens associated with the disposal of wastewater, the food we eat, the schools our children attend, and the places we recreate and overnight.
About the Department of Health
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) works with federal, state, tribal, and local partners to help people in Washington stay healthy and safe. Our programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live and work, provide education to help people make good health decisions, and ensure our state is prepared for emergencies.
Benefits of Working for DOH
Washington is America’s Top State according to U.S. News (2019) and provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.
DOH offers:
- A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for many positions.
- Growth and development opportunities.
- A wellness program that offers education, access to healthy food, and fitness classes.
- Opportunities to serve your community through meaningful work.
- A commitment to diversity and inclusion by fostering an inclusive environment that encourages all employees to bring their authentic selves to work.
- An Infant at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of breastfeeding newborns and infant-parent bonding.
- A modernized workplace.
Duties Include
• Working with the shoreline survey leads to collect water quality data, inspect individual on-site sewage systems, and evaluate other nonpoint pollution sources that could impact Washington’s commercial and recreational shellfish harvesting areas.
• Planning, organizing, and completing follow up water quality sampling and pollution source evaluations based on report recommendations and complaints.
• Reviewing applications for new shellfish harvest sites and completing in-field evaluations when necessary. Making recommendations for approval of these sites.
• Working as part of a team to open and close shellfish harvesting areas based on daily events that include: rainfall, flooding, and spills . Directly communicating with commercial shellfish companies to assure they are notified about closures.
• Assisting one of the OEHS marine water quality leads on board an OEHS boat. Collecting marine water samples at predefined locations throughout the Puget Sound and coastal embayments.
What we’re looking for
Success in this position requires one to be a team player, defined as having a driving passion for the work, bringing humility to their job and people interactions, and understanding how their words and actions affect others.
Required Qualifications
• A Bachelor’s degree or higher in public health, environmental health, natural or physical science or allied field.
• Two (2) or more years of professional experience in an environmental health, public health, natural science, or physical science program which includes experience evaluating nonpoint water pollution sources and knowledge of on-site sewage systems.
Desired Qualifications
• Four (4) or more years of experience in public health or environmental health.
• Three (3) or more years of experience evaluating nonpoint sources.
• Two (2) or more years of experience working at a local health jurisdiction on on-site sewage system issues.