Environmental Health Specialist III - Retail Food Specialist

Benefit Eligibility:

The position, Environmental Health Specialist III – Senior Retail Food Specialist   provides advanced technical expertise and program support for the Retail Food Program, with an emphasis on complex inspections and investigations, Retail Food Plan Review, regulatory compliance and enforcement, Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards and quality assurance, specialized food processes including HACCP and variance requirements, and training and technical assistance for retail food staff and regulated establishments.

This position operates on our four-day work week (Monday-Thursday). Please note that this position may require occasional evening and/or weekend work as determined by on-call rotation schedule.

This position will require in-office work during training period as determined by supervisor and business needs.

• Serve as a subject matter expert for the Retail Food Program by providing technical guidance, regulatory interpretation, and consultation to staff, leadership, industry, and community partners.
• Coordinate and implement Retail Food Program initiatives that support departmental priorities, state and federal regulations, evidence-based practices, and continuous quality improvement.
• Conduct and support complex retail food inspections, investigations, plan reviews, HACCP and variance evaluations, enforcement actions, and foodborne illness response. Coordination with other programs in the department may be necessary.
• Lead quality assurance activities that promote consistency in inspections, regulatory interpretation, enforcement, and implementation of the FDA Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.
• Develop, implement, and maintain program policies, standard operating procedures, technical guidance, training materials, and educational resources.
• Coordinate staff onboarding, technical training, mentoring, calibration exercises, and professional development to strengthen workforce competency in the Retail Food program.
• Analyze program data, regulatory trends, and emerging food safety issues to evaluate program performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and recommend operational enhancements.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with regulatory agencies, industry representatives, professional organizations, and community partners, and represent the department on committees, workgroups, and public forums.
• Prepare technical reports, regulatory correspondence, presentations, and other documentation to support program operations, compliance, and decision-making.
• Other duties as assigned.

Research shows that women and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups tend to apply only when they check every box in the posting. If you are reading this and hesitating to click “apply” for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! A true passion and excitement for making an impact is just as important as work experience.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Environmental Health, Public Health, Food Science, Biology, Environmental Science, or a closely related field with a minimum of 30 credit hours of basic or natural sciences.
• Experience: Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in retail food protection or environmental health.
• Compliant immunization with the Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program requirements and Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) policies at the time of hire and on-going throughout employment with JCPH.
• Note an equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable.  

• Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) certification is preferred.Master’s Degree in Environmental Health or Public Health is preferred.

• Driver’s License: Positions that require driving on County business in either a county or personal vehicle require a valid Colorado’s driver’s license within 30-days of hire or beginning to serve as an intern or volunteer.
• Pre-Employment Screening: Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of criminal history, motor vehicle report, education verification, and/or references for all positions.
• Accommodations Statement: We encourage people with disabilities to apply and are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout our hiring process. For assistance with applications, interviews, or other hiring-related accommodations, contact careertalent@jeffco.us. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot provide application status updates. 

We will review applications to make sure applicants meet the minimum qualifications listed in the job posting. If you are selected to move forward, the hiring team will contact you. 

You can check your application status by logging into your candidate portal.   

For more information about the hiring process, visit: https://www.jeffco.us/1860/FAQs