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SalaryDepartment of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Environmental Specialist III
Opening Date: March 20, 2024
Closing Date: April 2, 2024
Job Class Code: 9253
Grade: 04-23 (Pro/Tech)
Salary: $47,840.00 - $64,542.40 / yr.
Position Number: 2000-3773
LIMITED PERIOD POSITION (Through June 2025)
This is only open to those with promotional status in the Department of Health and Human Services
Position Location: This is a full-time position located in Augusta. This opportunity allows partial telework with management approval.
The Maine CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Unit is looking for a case investigator to serve as a key player in our team’s efforts to identify and remove sources of lead exposure from children’s home environments. Our unit is dedicated to promoting the long-term health of Maine children and families by preventing, detecting, and eliminating lead exposures. Our multidisciplinary team provides a comprehensive response to lead-exposed children as part of Maine’s goal to eradicate childhood Lead Poisoning.
In this job, you will become an expert on lead in housing (training provided if needed) and make a difference for children’s health by making homes lead safe. When the Maine CDC identifies a child with Lead Poisoning or lead-based substances in a child’s home, you and the interdisciplinary case team will work with the child’s family, property owners, and licensed lead risk assessors to investigate and abate sources of lead exposure. Please note that this position rarely involves field work or travel.
Core Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with staff nurses to identify potential sources of lead exposure in a child’s home;
- Coordinate environmental lead inspections with contracted risk assessors, interpret inspection results, and help families take actions to protect their children from lead exposure;
- Order abatement of lead hazards to ensure identified lead hazards are removed from rental units;
- Monitor compliance with abatement orders and assess administrative fines for non-compliance;
- Collaborate with nurses and social workers on our team to connect families with lead poisoned children to other social services to support health and development.
Minimum Qualifications:
A six (6) year combination of education and/or experience in environmental, biological, physical science, or engineering which includes two (2) years of environmental experience. Qualifying education must include at least 15 credit hours of science or engineering coursework from an accredited educational institution.
- Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills, as well as attention to detail;
- The ability to handle multiple cases simultaneously and prioritize cases when new information becomes available;
- Experience with documenting case management interactions, actions, and documents;
- The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse group of internal and external partners;
- Knowledge of childhood Lead Poisoning, especially sources of lead exposure;
- Knowledge of, or experience with, case investigations, risk assessments, or inspections in home environments;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate complex information to a variety of audiences;
- Experience with regulatory enforcement.
Agency information:
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.
The mission for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), within which this position is located, is to develop and deliver services to preserve, protect, and promote the health and well-being of the citizens of Maine.
For additional information about this positionplease contact Karyn Butts, Manager, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Unit, at (207) 287-6650 or karyn.butts@maine.gov.
Please submit all documents or files in PDF format.
To request a paper application, please contact Ashley.Smith@Maine.gov .
Benefits
No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:
- Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
- Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($10,523.28-$12,380.40 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
- Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
- Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).
- Retirement Plan – The State of Maine contributes 13.41%of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
- Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
- Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
- Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
- Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
- Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
- Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.
- Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.
There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.
As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.
If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.
