Salary : $66,103.84 - $99,155.76 Annually
Location : Monroe, NC
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: 511153
Department: Public Health
Opening Date: 06/30/2026
General Statement
An Environmental Health Specialist, under limited supervision, protects the public's health by performing work within the Environmental Health Division of the Public Health Department. Responsibilities include conducting daily regulatory, inspection, evaluation, education and prevention activities in the Children's Environmental Health, Food Lodging and Institutions or On-Site Water Protection Programs within the Environmental Health Division. Regulatory and enforcement responsibilities are associated with all or a portion of the following: food establishments, lodging, public swimming pools, tattoo parlors, assisted living and nursing homes, residential care facilities, child care facilities, adult day service facilities, schools, camps, child lead poisoning prevention, local confinement facilities, migrant housing, on-site wastewater disposal systems, individual water supplies, communicable disease outbreak investigations, complaint investigations and facility plan review. Other duties may include enforcement of local ordinances and programs related to mass gathering events, vector control, solid waste management and indoor air quality. Employee must utilize excellent written and verbal communication skills. Employee must exercise considerable initiative, tact and courtesy in frequent contact with associated government officials, coworkers and to the general public. Reports to Environmental Health Supervisor.
Essential Functions
Performs duties as an Environmental Health Specialist in the Children's Environmental Health Program, Food, Lodging and Institutions Program and/or the On-site Water Protection Program.
May conduct compliance visits, plan review and mandated inspections of food establishments, public swimming pools, child care facilities, schools, camps, institutions and other regulated establishments and issue enforcement actions for critical violations.
May conduct investigations related to child lead poisoning cases.
Maintains knowledge of current policies, laws, rules and developments in the field and applies pertinent knowledge to performance of job duties.
Prepares and maintains records of inspections conducted.
May respond to any report of a foodborne illness.
Investigates environmental health complaints, documents results using software management system and provides follow-up.
Participates in ongoing Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement programs.
Suspends and revokes permits due to imminent public health hazards or as requested by the state.
May conduct site evaluations to determine suitability for the permitting and installation of on-site wastewater disposal systems and private water supply wells in accordance with North Carolina Laws and Rules. Prepares engineering designs of on-site wastewater disposal systems for the issuance of improvement and construction authorization permits. Conducts installation inspections of new and repaired on-site wastewater disposal and well water systems.
Maintains accurate documentation for possible legal action.
Conducts water quality sampling or wells and reports results verbally and in writing to interested individuals.
Drives a county vehicle to perform job duties and is responsible for ensuring that maintenance schedule for vehicle is performed as required.
Assists in the training of Environmental Health Specialist-Interns or other staff as requested by the Supervisor or Division Manager.
Participates in emergency preparedness and response activities in the event of a natural disaster, disease outbreak and other threats to the health of the public. These activities may require supplemental safety and readiness training and after-hours and weekend work.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
POSITION-SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS:
On-Site Water Protection Program
Evaluates engineering reports, soil scientist design proposals, real property assessments, maps, deeds and surveys.
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree from an accredited university with completion of a minimum of 30 semester hours or its equivalent 45 quarter hours in physical, biological, natural, life or health science or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Licenses or Certifications:
Maintain Registration as an Environmental Health Specialist with the North Carolina Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners. Individuals hired as an Environmental Health Specialist Intern or eligible Intern must meet the requirements for Registration as an Environmental Health Specialist with the North Carolina Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners within two (2) years of date of registration as an Intern.
Must have a valid driver's license and be able to maintain a safe driving history as defined by the Union County Vehicle Use Policy.
Special Requirements:
Must have environmental health experience working in diverse indoor and outdoor environments.
After-hours and/or weekend work may be required.
In order to perform work in this role, within (30) thirty days of employment you must provide immunization records, provide proof of immunity, or receive/start the required vaccination series, as applicable, along with complying with any necessary screenings, as required by the Union County Public Health Department and its Healthcare Personnel Immunization and Tuberculosis Screening Policy, in accordance with applicable law.
Please provide college transcripts.
This position may be subject to a fingerprint background check. Per ), applicants for a position of employment required to work with children in any capacity will be required to electronically submit fingerprints to the NC State Bureau of Investigation for a state and national criminal history record.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Registered as an Environmental Health Specialist with the North Carolina Board of Environmental Health Specialist Examiners.
Licenses or Certifications:
State authorizations or be eligible for authorizations as applicable by program area. Program authorizations may include: Food, Lodging and Institutions, Tattoos, Public Swimming Pools, Migrant Housing, Child Care and School Sanitation, Child Lead Poisoning Prevention, and/or Wells and On-Site Wastewater.
Must have a valid driver's license and be able to maintain a safe driving history as defined by the Union County Vehicle Use Policy.
Special Requirements:
Must have environmental health experience working in diverse indoor and outdoor environments.
Supplemental Information
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Must be physically able to operate a motor vehicle. Must be physically able to operate a vehicle, able to exert up to 30 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Significant degree of walking, standing, and bending required. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for Sedentary Work. Light Work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree. However, if the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires the need to be sensitive to change and responsive to changing goals, priorities, and needs. Approximately 70% of work is performed in the field conducting required activities as identified by program.
Environmental Health staff in the On-Site Water Protection Program work outdoors and are exposed to extreme weather conditions and varying conditions in the environment including construction sites. Employees evaluate properties for on-site wastewater disposal system suitability using soil hand augers or by examining back hoe pits.
Environmental Health staff working in the Children's Environmental Health and Food Lodging and Institutions Programs are exposed to food establishment, institutional, residential, child care, school, local confinement, public swimming pool, lodging and health care facility environments and facility construction sites.
INSURANCE PROGRAMS
HEALTH INSURANCE
All full-time employees and their eligible dependents can participate on the first day of the first full month of employment. You must sign up for coverage within your first 30 days of employment or wait until the annual enrollment period. Preventative Care Coverage Prescription Coverage
Health & Wellness Center available exclusively to Union County employees, spouses and dependents covered under the health plan.
DENTAL INSURANCE
All full-time employees and their eligible dependents can participate on the first day of the first full month of employment. You must sign up for coverage within your first 30 days of employment or wait until the annual enrollment period.
LIFE INSURANCE
Basic Term life Insurance in the amount of one times the annual salary is provided for all full-time and benefitted part-time employees. Additional coverage for Life Insurance (Accident, Cancer, Long Term and Short Term) is available for purchase through payroll deduction for the employee and eligible dependents.
FINANCIAL PROGRAMS
RETIREMENT
Membership in the North Carolina Local Government Employees Retirement System is a requirement for all full-time and benefitted part-time employees. Employees contribute six percent (6%) of their annual compensation before it is taxed. If you leave County service before retirement, you may withdraw your retirement contributions or elect to freeze your contributions in anticipation of future local government employment. If you have five (5) years of service, you are 100% vested in the NCLGERS.
NC401(k)
The NC401(k) supplemental retirement program is available to full-time and benefitted part-time employees. The County establishes this 401(k) account for each eligible employee and makes a five percent (5%) contribution based on biweekly earnings. Employees may elect to make voluntary contributions through payroll deduction.
457 DEFERRED COMPENSATION
The 457 Deferred Compensation program is available to all employees through payroll deduction. Deferred compensation is a voluntary investment plan to supplement retirement income and to defer taxable income.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS
Options are available to regular full-time and benefitted part-time employees who wish to use pre-tax dollars for eligible medical, pharmacy, dental, vision, and daycare expenses. The Flex Debit Card program gives you instant access to your account funds.
Health Care Spending Account -- Section 125 of the IRS Code allows yearly voluntary enrollment to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible health care expenses.
Dependent Care Spending Account -- Section 125 of the IRS Code allows yearly voluntary enrollment to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible dependent care expenses.
DIRECT DEPOSIT
Deposit of your paycheck will be made to checking or savings accounts in a bank of your choice.
TRUIST
No Overdraft Fees
$100 Negative Balance Buffer
Online and Mobile Banking with Bill Pay
LEAVE PROGRAMS
VACATION LEAVE
Vacation leave is accrued based on creditable years of service in the Local Government Employees Retirement System.
SICK LEAVE
For full-time County employees, sick leave accrues at eight (8.0) hours per month. Benefitted part-time employees accrue prorated sick leave based on a percentage of the full-time rate. Your unused sick leave balance can be applied as creditable service toward a service retirement under the guidelines of the NCLGERS.
SICK LEAVE TRANSFER FROM OTHER AGENCIES
Unused sick leave earned from another North Carolina Governmental Agency and/or entity, will be accepted and transferred to the County as follows: twelve (12) sick leave days will be transferred and added to the employees active sick leave balance after completion of six (6) months of employment. The remaining balance of sick leave documented for transfer at the time of employment will be recorded in the employees permanent personnel file. On the fifth anniversary of employment with the County, the remaining balance of transferred sick leave will be added to the employees active sick leave balance.
HOLIDAYS
There are 13 County recognized holidays (includes 3 days for Christmas) per year with 1 floating holiday available.
MILITARY LEAVE
Annual Training - 10 paid workdays granted.
Active Duty - 20 paid workdays granted.
CIVIL LEAVE
Paid leave is provided to full-time or regular part-time County employees called for jury duty or as a witness of the court for the federal or state government, or a subdivision thereof.
FAMILY & MEDICAL LEAVE ACT
Federal law provides job protection and continuation of existing paid health insurance during 12 weeks of leave, paid or unpaid, to an eligible employee for qualifying events. These events can include birth or adoption, and serious illness of an immediate family member, or of the employee.
PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Parental Leave provides the employee paid leave for the first eight weeks of approved FML for the birth of a son or daughter, or placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care.
ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
Educational Leave is available to regular full-time and benefitted part-time employees when participating in a job-related, short course, such as an update, not to exceed ten (10) consecutive working days.
VOLUNTEER TIME OFF
Volunteer Time Off will provide employees with 16 hours of paid time per calendar year to volunteer at approved Union
