Job Description

Under supervision, in an assigned district or specialty, conducts investigations, routine inspections and responds to complaints involving vector related issues, hazardous materials, solid waste, massage, and other general unsanitary conditions; may issue notices and citations; recommends corrective action; explains sanitation and/or hazardous materials and public health requirements related to code enforcement to the public, business community, and government agencies; utilizes techniques in effectively controlling vector related hazards; prepares records and reports; and performs related duties as required.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties

1. Investigates complaints involving vector infestation sources, hazardous materials, illicit massage establishments, lack of required refuse collections service, and other general unsanitary conditions; advises the public and permitted businesses on the elimination of unsanitary conditions causing vector infestations, refuse collection service requirement, and hazardous materials storage requirements.
2. Inspects domestic, commercial and industrial properties for presence of vector breeding sources and other general unsanitary conditions; places traps and poisons and obtains specimens for laboratory analysis.
3. Issues notices of violation and citations and recommends corrective action; may issue a municipal citation, which is a summon to appear at administrative hearings; prepares chronologies for the Director’s hearings; performs follow-up inspections to ensure ordered corrections have been made; enforces provisions of health and safety codes such as those relating to the lack of required refuse collection service and/or unlawful disposal of refuse, debris and garbage accumulations; infestations of roaches, fleas, mosquitoes and other insects or vermin; illegal number of animals, or nuisances related to animal waste and odors; overgrown vegetation; and/or any condition which creates a health or safety hazard or constitutes a public nuisance; enforces applicable provisions of the health and safety code pertaining to hazardous materials storage and the management requirements.
4. Informs supervisor of unsanitary and unsafe conditions observed during investigation such as structural defects, fire hazards, inadequate plumbing, and broken sewer pipes; may refer these complaints and code violations to the appropriate departments.
5. May appear as witness in court hearings; attends meetings and educational conferences related to vector control; prepares various reports and performs other duties as assigned.
6. Investigates businesses to determine compliance with the Hazardous Materials & Waste Program or need to subscribe to refuse collection service for residential and commercial properties; inspects the regulated community for compliance of all applicable laws, regulations, and prerequisites for the Green Business Recognition Program.
7. Evaluates documentation and/or reports submitted by businesses for completeness; provides assistance in completing documentation forms and/or reports required for submission.

The Environmental Health Technician I performs other related duties as assigned/required.

Qualifications

_ MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS_

Education:

• Completion of twenty-four (24) semester units from an accredited college or university in engineering, mathematics, physical, natural and/or biological sciences.

Experience :

• Two (2) years, within the last six (6) years, of work experience involving direct public contact.

Substitution:

• Two (2) years of experience in a public health/environmental agency or a related regulatory service agency performing duties similar to those described above may substitute for the required education and experience.
• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with the completion of at least twenty-four (24) semester units in engineering, mathematics, physical, natural and/or biological sciences may substitute for the required experience.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

One-year fulltime employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week).

Important Note: Please make sure it is absolutely clear in your application exactly how you meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. Please be aware that any misrepresentation of this information may disqualify you from this recruitment or future job opportunities.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:

Employee may need to successfully complete and maintain the following for continued employment as an Environmental Health Technician I:

1. As required by the program, successful completion of the vector control exam series given by the State of California within two years of the start date of employment;
2. As required by the program, obtain Lead Inspector/Assessor’s Certification issued by the State of California within one year of the start date of employment;
3. As required by the program, obtain Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Certification (HAZWOPER) as defined by California Code of Regulations Title 8 Section 5192 within one year of the start date of employment.

Additional Information

Selection Procedures:

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Written Examination (Weight: 100%): Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a written multiple-choice examination designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job related areas which may include but is not limited to the following:

• Knowledge of field inspection and enforcement techniques/procedures.
• Ability to: communicate effectively verbally and in writing with the public, building owners, managers, tenants and others; obtain effective cooperation and understanding of requirements to improve the general public health and sanitary conditions; and effectively apply organizational skills

A passing score must be achieved on the examination in order to continue in the selection process. Candidates will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their final score.

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions.

Certification

The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be the Rule of the List.

Eligible List/Score Report:

Once you pass the exam, you will be placed onto an eligible list and given a score and a rank. For more information, visit https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/process/

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be 6 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights:

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.sf.gov/. The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

Additional information regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information about the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Workers
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement
• Veterans Preference

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Stephen Lee at stephen.j.lee@sfdph.org or (628) 271-6838.

We may use text messaging to communicate with you on the phone number provided in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.