Environmental Health Director - Jefferson County Department of Health

TARGET CLOSE DATE:

09/21/2026

PAY GRADE:

Grade 36

TYPE:

Full time

JOB SUMMARY:

The Jefferson County Department of Health is seeking a well-qualified Environmental Health Director to plan, direct, and oversee the personnel, financial, and operational activities of the department. Responsibilities include reviewing and certifying engineering plans, providing technical expertise and recommendations, overseeing projects and staff, assigning and reviewing work, and conducting performance evaluations. The position also manages the departmental budget through expenditure monitoring and financial planning and represents the department in internal and external public relations activities, including media appearances and community events.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

The Jefferson County Department of Health provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more. The pay range for this job is listed below:


$117,145 - $181,729

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications that are required for employment consideration for this position.

• Master's degree in environmental health sciences, natural sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, microbiology), or engineering (e.g., chemical engineering, civil engineering or a related field) or public health sciences (environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences).

• Experience supervising staff by assigning and distributing work, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training, conducting performance appraisals and administering discipline.

• Experience developing and maintaining departmental budgets. 

• Experience obtaining and maintaining state or federal grants.

• Experience with strategic planning in a government, public health, or healthcare setting (e.g., developing or revising policies and procedures, planning and implementing strategic health initiatives, or communicating with executive-level stakeholders).

• Driver’s license.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications deemed desirable by Jefferson County Department of Health. These qualifications may be considered by the hiring agency when reviewing applications and inviting candidates to participate in subsequent steps in the selection processes.

• ​Doctorate in Public Health with a focus in Environmental Health, or a related environmental health field such as biology, chemistry, or physics, from an accredited college or university and/or a Professional Engineer (PE) license.

• Experience in one or more of the following: sanitation, emergency preparedness, quality improvement, health equity, and/or population health management.

• Experience in applying and operationalizing health equity principles within public health frameworks.

• Experience with budget development and fiscal oversight across multiple program areas.

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES:

• Supervises staff by assigning and distributing work, directing staff in their job duties, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training.

• Prepares, monitors, and administers departmental or organizational budget by reviewing spending trends, expenditure reports, analyzing financial data and ensuring expenditures are within annual budgetary limits.

• Procures and/or manages inventory (i.e., supplies and equipment) to ensure the products and services are available to meet the operational needs of each department.

• Develops and implements strategic plans for the department by reviewing personnel and financial data, meeting with department staff, establishing action plans, and measuring the progress and outcome of the action plans in order to align the department goals with the overall mission of the Jefferson County Department of Health. 

• Manages department projects by establishing goals and timelines, working with outside agencies and vendors, delegating responsibilities, reviewing work, and completing various project reports.

• Maintains the standards of department policies and procedures by reviewing them with staff, identifying any changes or additions that need to be made, drafting new policies, ensuring policies and procedures are appropriate and consistently enforced, and communicating new policies and procedures with departmental staff.

• Ensures customer service by investigating complaints made against the department, reviewing and clarifying policies and procedures, and assisting customers with their concerns.

• Conducts various internal and external public relations functions including visiting facilities for various events, making television and radio appearances, serving on boards and committees, attending commission meetings, and meeting with the community to represent and promote Jefferson County Department of Health.

• Provides engineering expertise to permit holders, homeowners, and/or the general public by reviewing permits, offering recommendations for engineering plans and testifying in court in order to ensure compliance with all applicable county, state and federal laws.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Job is primarily sedentary involving sitting for long periods of time, but may involve occasional walking or standing for brief periods. May involve occasional light lifting of items or objects weighing up to 25 lbs.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is conducted primarily in an office setting with occasional field visits to outdoor worksites. Work involves use of standard office equipment, such as computer, phone, copier, etc. Job may also require incumbents to be exposed to inclement weather when working outdoors (e.g., extreme heat, cold, rain, snow, wind, etc.), as well as potentially hazardous fumes and chemicals.

EEO STATEMENT:

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.  Each Merit System member city/agency operates its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

ACCOMMODATION:

NOTE:

This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System. More detail regarding this job is available by clicking Apply.

DISCLAIMER:

This job posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required for this position and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.