ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST III

Position Overview

The Illinois Department of Public Health is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as an Environmental Health Specialist 3 in the Division of Environmental Health. The selected candidate will perform investigations of environmental health hazards, including hazardous waste sites, releases of hazardous materials, and contaminants in drinking water, soil, and  fish tissue. The individual in this position will also support other Environmental Health program activities and outbreak Investigations.

Benefits Statement

As a State of Illinois Employee, you will receive a robust benefit package that includes the following:

• Flexible and hybrid work schedules are available in many program areas (when available and dependent upon position)
• Competitive Group Insurance benefits including health, life, dental and vision plans.
• Pension plan through the State Employees Retirement System
• Deferred Compensation Program – voluntary supplemental retirement plan
• Optional pre-tax programs -Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP) & Dependent Care Assistant Plan (DCAP)
• 10-25 days of paid vacation time annually (10 days for first year of state employment)
• 12 paid sick days annually which carryover year to year
• 3 paid personal business days per calendar year (pro-rated dependent on start date)
• 13-14 paid holidays per year
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Employee Assistance Program and/or mental health resources

These are just a few of the many perks available to all State employees. For more information about our benefits please follow this link: https://www2.illinois.gov/cms/benefits/Pages/default.aspx

Essential Functions

• Under direction conducts health risk assessments for chemical exposures from hazardous waste sites or other potentially hazardous exposure conditions following standard health assessment practices.
• Conducts environmental and biological sampling or reviews the results of such analyses to determine contamination and relative degree of hazard.
• Prepares fact sheets, questionnaires, and other outreach materials.
• Participates in the Illinois Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program.
• Participates in community involvement activities at hazardous waste site areas.
• Attends continuing education and professional development training.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college with at least 30 semester hours in the physical or biological sciences.
• Requires three years professional experience in environmental health practice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two years of experience conducting health assessments or consultations.
• Two years of experience conducting exposure investigations and hazard assessments.
• Two years of experience operating environmental monitoring and sampling equipment, analyzing, and interpreting data, and preparing technical reports.
• One year of experience authoring technical guidance documents.
• Two years of work experience using Microsoft software products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires the ability to travel in the performance of duties.
• Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.

*The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is tasked with the oversight of communities within Illinois to achieve and maintain optimal health and safety. With an annual budget of over $1.8 Billion in state and federal funds, 6 regional offices, 3 laboratories and over 1,400 employees, IDPH is equipped to fulfill its mission of protecting the health and wellness of the people of Illinois through the prevention, health promotion, regulation and control of disease and injury.