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Job Title: Environmental Health Specialist
Department: Public Health
Reports To: Deputy Director
Classification: Full-Time, Non-Exempt
Compensation Range: $25-30/hr
Benefits: Employee Benefits | Lake County, CO 
Why join our team?
Join a workplace where public service meets opportunity. At Lake County Government, employees are empowered to grow, collaborate, and make a meaningful impact every day. We offer a supportive environment that values innovation and connection, with reliable compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a commitment to helping you succeed both professionally and personally.
Cultural Expectations

• Assume Good Intent: Approach each interaction with positive mindset and openness to understand others.
• Model Professional: Maintain high standards in behavior and communication that reflects our values.
• Apply County Wide Lens: Consider the broader impact of decisions on our community and organization as a whole.
• Be Solutions-Oriented: Focus on finding constructive solutions rather than dwelling on problems or challenges.
• Practice Servant Leadership: Prioritize the needs of others, fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment.
• Support Meaningful Work-Life Balance: Encourage boundaries that support personal well-being while achieving professional responsibilities.

Position Summary
Lake County Public Health Agency (LCPHA), an EOE employer, seeks a full-time Environmental Health Specialist to join our Consumer Protection (retail food, tobacco, schools and childcare) inspection program. This is either an entry-level inspector position within the Lake County Environmental Health Program where training is provided, or a position for someone with previous experience and training. This employee serves as an inspector, consultant, administrator, program manager, and educator to retail food establishments, tobacco retail establishments, schools and childcares. This employee performs a variety of duties to help prevent the spread of disease, mitigate health risks, and ensure compliance with all rules and regulations in the areas of health and safety for environmental health programming in Lake County. This position will also assist with all additional environmental health programs in the department including but not limited to; radon, vector surveillance, water/air quality, and environmental planning and emergency response. This position requires the ability to speak and write fluent English; a bilingual English/Spanish person is preferred. This position will report to the Deputy Director of Public Health.
This position pays a competitive salary, depending upon experience. This is a full-time, in person position that is eligible for benefits. This position is funded by Lake County, Colorado State, and Federal funds. If the funding is reduced or discontinued, this position may be reduced or discontinued.
We encourage applicants of all levels of experience, skill, and ability to apply to this position. The requirements are a guide, and not wholly inclusive of potential talents the incumbent may be able to bring to Lake County Government.
General Duties and Responsibilities
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Essential Functions

• Conducts retail food, temporary events with food, and retail tobacco compliance inspections in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and ordinances.
• Conducts retail food establishment plan reviews and pre-operational inspections as required.
• Conducts administrative duties related to retail food licensing and utilizes provided software to manage permits.
• Manages administrative duties related to the Tobacco Retail Licensing program.
• Works closely with CDPHE to ensure all regulations are met in Lake County.
• Issues retail food licenses and permit reviews for special events.
• Works with the schools, childcare, retail food industry, and the public to reduce environmental health related health and safety risks.
• Performs investigations of public complaints related to health and safety.
• Conducts epidemiological investigations related to school, childcare, and retail food illness outbreaks and complaints and trains in pandemic or illness related emergency preparedness.
• Actively serves on and participates with various committees and professional groups dealing with environmental health regulations, community safety and emergency preparedness.
• Travel and attend environmental health trainings, meetings, workshops and conferences which may include overnight travel as needed.
• Updates Environmental Health web pages and posts to Public Health social media to provide public information, reduce environmental health-related safety risks, and raise awareness of special health issues.
• Cross trained to work Public Health front desk and assist with administrative duties and Vital Records when necessary.
• Fosters teamwork and open communication among staff; participates in office meetings, team-building activities and trainings.
• Performs other duties, as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Not applicable

Requirements

• Compensation will be determined by the applicant’s full skillset with consideration of the following:Bachelor's degree in public health, environmental health, environmental science, natural sciences, or closely related field. Equivalent experience may be substituted for education.
• Public contact experience in a service-related field with the ability to remain flexible and sensitive to a clientele diverse in age, ethnicity, and maturity.
• Preferred CDPHE Standardized Retail Food Inspector or FDA Standardized Retail Food Inspector
• Preferred NEHA REHS/RS credential or ability to obtain credential.
• Ability to work as part of a team. Effectively communicate and work with co-workers, clients, other agencies, and the public.
• Ability to assess situations and make prudent and appropriate decisions; ability to apply conflict resolution and problem-solving skills to minimize negative personal impact.
• Ability to effectively manage time and maintain organization with keen attention to detail; ability to complete quality work amidst multiple, competing priorities.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills and effective listening skills.
• Any combination of education and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities.
• You will have six (6) months to acquire the necessary experience and certification to obtain the full-title of Environmental Health Specialist – Consumer Protection.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

Hazard Notice
This position requires a majority of time be spent in the field. The Environmental Health Specialist may be exposed to hazards related to restaurant environments including but not limited to chemicals, cooking byproducts, and noise. Occasional work may be performed in an outdoor environment where conditions are variable and dependent on weather. 
Physical Activity & Work Environment

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Prolonged periods of standing or walking.
• Frequent bending, kneeling, reaching, or climbing.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Occasionally pushing, pulling, or moving objects.
• Use of hands for repetitive motions such as typing, writing, or operating equipment.
• Operation of standard office equipment (computers, phones, copiers, etc.).
• Visual acuity to read and produce accurate documents and materials.
• Hearing ability sufficient to respond to spoken communication.
• Ability to climb stairs.
• Ability to operate motor vehicles.
• Standard office environment with controlled temperature and lighting.
• Work performed in a loud, noisy, or distracting environment.
• Exposure to fumes, chemicals, or hazardous materials.
• Interaction with the public, sometimes in high-pressure or emotionally charged situations.
• Travel to offsite locations or satellite facilities.
• Work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, or high-volume environment.
• May be required to work occasional outreach events on weekends or evenings.

Applicant Notice
Lake County Government posts all official employment opportunities on its careers page linked here. Positions may also appear on external job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter through our applicant tracking system.
Please be aware that unauthorized third parties may repost or imitate job listings. The most accurate and up-to-date information will always be available on our official website. Applicants are recommended to apply directly through our career page and should not provide personal information outside of the official application process.

EOE Statement

Lake County is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. Assistance or accommodation during the application process due to a disability is available upon request.

Notice of Work Authorization Requirement

Applicants must be authorized to lawfully work for any employer in the United States. Lake County is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.

Notice of Emergency/Disaster Responsibilities

All Lake County Employees may be required to work as a Disaster Service Worker when a local declaration of emergency or disaster is declared by the Board of County Commissioners. To be prepared for this role, all employees and emergency service function (ESF) leads will attend emergency management trainings and exercises as requested by the Director of Emergency Management. With advanced notification from OEM, employees will make reasonable efforts to attend training events in coordination with other employees and supervisors.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description does not intend to cover or contain a full comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Expected Duration of the Application Process

Due to the nature of the application and selection process for Lake County full-time positions, applicants can reasonably expect the application process to take a significant amount of time to complete before a decision is made to hire or not to hire. Typically, it takes approximately two (2) to four (4) weeks from the date of application to complete the entire selection process. The length of time it takes to complete the process can vary depending on a variety of factors. Please note that this is an estimated duration of the selection process.

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