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Job Description
Public Health Specialist III
Recruitment #220523-X17C-09
Department
State Department of Health
County Location
Pottawatomie OK
Date Opened
5/23/2022 08:00:00 AM
Filing Deadline
6/6/2022 11:59:00 PM
Salary
$50,802.08, based on education and experience.
Full or Part Time
Full-Time
INTRODUCTION
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is committed to leading Oklahoma to prosperity through health. Our mission is to protect and promote health, prevent disease and injury, and cultivate conditions by which Oklahomans can thrive. We value respect, collaboration, and service.
OSDH is seeking a full time Public Health Specialist III providing support to Pottawatomie County Health Department. This is a state employee position 34003179. governed by the Civil Service Rules, located in Shawnee, Oklahoma. OSDH offers a comprehensive Benefits Package, including a generous benefit allowance to offset the cost of insurance premiums for employees and their eligible dependents. For more information about the benefit allowance, follow this link Plan Year 2022. The annual salary for this position is $50,802.08 based on education and experience.
Position Summary:
Positions within this job family are assigned responsibilities for planning, performing or supervising technical and professional work involving consumer protection and public health services. This includes performing inspections, surveys, and investigations to identify and eliminate conditions hazardous to life and health, providing consultative services and assistance in assigned areas of responsibility, ensuring corrective actions are taken to eliminate public health or other hazards, and ensuring compliance with applicable statutes and regulations.
Position Responsibilities /Essential Functions:
The functions within this job family will vary by level, but may include the following:
• Conducts inspections, surveys, and investigations of food establishments, lodging facilities, barber shops, public bathing places, schools, day care centers, nursing homes, hospitals, and other regulated facilities to identify public health hazards or environmental conditions which are detrimental to life and health, monitor state food supplies and products, provide training and technical assistance, and ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations; assists in the implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems in food establishments and in verifying implementation.
- Responds to complaints concerning food borne illnesses, adulterated foods, food tampering, recalls, insect or rodent infestation, or other issues related to food establishments or the sale of food and food products.
- Reviews and acts on various epidemiological reports and complaints, including animal bites, rabies, West Vile Virus and other disease outbreaks; conducts environmental assessments and other surveys related to lodging, public bathing, and barber services; prepares specimens for shipment for West Nile testing; performs inspections for lead contamination and other public health hazards or nuisances.
- Provides emergency response services for complaints concerning food borne illnesses, fires in food establishments, accidents involving the transportation of food, incidents concerning food or water contamination, and power outages or natural disasters involving food products; conducts inspections or investigations on an as needed basis including on weekends and at night.
- Conducts field tests for chemical sanitizing agents using thermocouples, thermometers, and other evaluative instruments; collects and transports food samples as required to determine adulteration, contamination, sources of pollution, and/or microbiological quality; maintains legal chain of custody to preserve evidentiary requirements.
- Directs the embargo and disposal of food products found unfit for human consumption; conducts evaluations to determine imminent hazards to life or health which warrant the closure of a facility.
- Prepares records, reports, and correspondence concerning regulatory actions as needed; conducts follow-up inspections and surveys to ensure corrective actions have been taken and that public health hazards are eliminated; testifies at hearings and court proceedings concerning regulatory actions as required.
- Provides assistance with developing and implementing county Emergency Response Plans; Provides assistance with county bioterrorism training exercises and serves as a responder in case of terrorist events.
Level Descriptor:
Level III: This is the advanced level where employees are assigned responsibilities for performing advanced level work involving consumer protection or public health protection. This will involve a high degree of technical and administrative freedom to plan, develop, organize and conduct all phases of the work necessary for completion within broad program guidelines. Some responsibility may also be assigned for providing limited guidance and training to entry-level employees, including Environmental Technicians, in performing various consumer protection program duties.
Valued Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Level l: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of the causes, impact, and prevention of public health problems in regulated establishments; of food microbiology as it applies to preventing food borne illness; of basic epidemiology and chemistry; of mathematical concepts including basic statistical analysis; of food processing techniques such as modified atmospheric packaging; and of rules and regulations governing food establishments; and of public bathing places, nursing homes, schools, day care facilities or other licensed establishments. Ability is required to conduct inspections and investigations of regulated facilities; to identify the causes of food borne illnesses and related health hazards; to analyze and evaluate environmental and sanitary conditions; to organize work and work independently; to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; and to use computers to organize data and generate reports.
- Level II: Those outlined in level I plus to make recommendations concerning the implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HAACP) systems and verify implementation; to conduct pre-operational inspections to determine compliance with approved plans; to assist in planning and presenting education and training programs; and to ensure that corrective actions have been completed to eliminate health hazards.
- Level III: Those outlined in level I and level II PLUS to plan and conduct field investigations; to analyze and interpret engineering plans and specifications; and to assist in developing HACCP plans for the regulated food industry.
Special Requirements:
These positions require eligibility for registration as a Sanitarian-In-Training, or Health Specialist-In-Training, or full registration with the Sanitarian and Environmental Specialist Registration Advisory Council as provided for in Title 59, Oklahoma Statutes, Section 1150.3. Some agencies may have determined positions in this job family to be safety sensitive as defined by 63 O.S. § 427.8.
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
Work is typically performed in an office setting with climate-controlled settings and exposure to moderate noise level. While performing the duties of the job, employee is required to talk, stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms; carry light items; driving an automobile. This position requires long period of sitting and daily use of computer and phone. Applicants must be willing to perform all job-related travel associated with this position. Occasional in state overnight and weekend travel may be required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Level 1: Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of the statutory requirements of Title 59 O.S. Section 1150.7, (A 2): A bachelor’s degree with a major in public health, environmental health, environmental science, physical science, natural science, biological science, agricultural science, or equivalent, from an accredited college or university with at least thirty (30) semester hours of work in physical, natural and biological science, public health and/or environmental health or environmental protection or both environmental health and environmental protection.
Level 2: Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of the statutory requirements of Title 59 O.S. Section 1150.7, (A 2): A bachelor’s degree with a major in public health, environmental health, environmental science, physical science, natural science, biological science, agricultural science, or equivalent, from an accredited college or university with at least thirty (30) semester hours of work in physical, natural and biological science, public health and/or environmental health or environmental protection or both environmental health and environmental protection, plus one year of professional public health or consumer protection and successful completion of state standardization to conduct food establishment inspections; or a master’s degree in a listed field and successful completion of state standardization to conduct food establishment inspections.
Level 3: Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of the statutory requirements of Title 59 O.S. Section 1150.7, (A 2): A bachelor’s degree with a major in public health, environmental health, environmental science, physical science, natural science, biological science, agricultural science, or equivalent, from an accredited college or university with at least thirty (30) semester hours of work in physical, natural and biological science, public health and/or environmental health or environmental protection or both environmental health and environmental protection, plus three years of professional public health or consumer protection and successful completion of state standardization to conduct food establishment inspections; or a master’s degree in a listed field and successful completion of state standardization to conduct food establishment inspections and two years of professional public health or consumer protection.
NOTES
REQUIREMENTS:
If education, certification or licensure is required to meet qualifications, applicants must provide documentation at the time of interview.
All applicants are subject to a background check and must be legally authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT WORKING AT THE OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CLICK HERE
Please read instructions carefully and include all required documents when you submit your application.
No additional information will be accepted after the application has been submitted.
