CONSUMER ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION DIRECTOR

PURPOSE

 

DIVISION OVERVIEW:  The Division of Consumer Environmental Health (CEH) utilizes a combination of surveillance, health promotion, enforcement and assessment to prevent disease and injury, to eliminate the disparate impact of environmental health risks and threats on population subgroups, and create health-supportive environments where everyone in the City of Milwaukee has an equal chance to thrive. The Division is currently staffed with 26 environmental health supervisors, coordinators, specialists and administrative support employees.

PURPOSE:  The Consumer Environmental Health Director is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating cost-effective and outcome-based strategies for the Milwaukee Health Department’s (MHD) regulatory food and consumer protection programs. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Leadership, Direction, and Planning

• Oversee the department’s regulatory food and consumer protection inspection and enforcement activities.
• Assure program compliance with all City, state, and federal regulatory requirements relating to food and weights and measures.
• Monitor national best practices for regulatory programs, and use outcomes-based management and proven quality improvement strategies to improve divisional performance and outcomes.
• In coordination with other divisions, departments and agencies, manage the investigation of foodborne illness complaints and outbreak investigations and facilitate product trace-backs and recalls.
• Manage federal and state grants, contracts, and agreements.
• Formulate and recommend City policies, ordinances, resolutions, and legislative positions relative to environmental, communicable disease, and emergency preparedness and response issues.
• Write, update, and amend City ordinances related to food and consumer protection in coordination with other City agencies.
• Generate program summaries, project updates, special reports, technical papers, grant applications, statistical analyses, and other documents to support program goals and monitoring activities.
• Champion grant opportunities within the organization, and play a lead role in writing the grants, developing the budgets, and building new or existing projects through grants.
• Maintain data management systems related to evaluation of outcomes, expenditures, and revenues generated through divisional activities to validate effective and efficient program and project strategies.
• Develop and implement strategies for the integration of technology into public health practice to achieve efficiencies in programmatic activities, including the implementation of the new electronic inspection system.
• Serve as the department’s technical expert on regulatory food, environmental health, and consumer protection issues.

Staff Management and Administration

• Supervise a team of environmental health supervisors, coordinators, specialists, and clerical employees.
• Participate in recruitment, selection, and assignment of CEH personnel.
• Lead efforts to build morale, enforce accountability and discipline, and improve performance; guide and mentor divisional staff.
• Promote an environment of critical thinking, creative thinking, professional growth, adult learning, open communication, and collaborative relationships.
• Develop, implement, and oversee a program for professional development of divisional staff.  
• Develop, implement, and oversee a system for field evaluation of inspectional staff.

Community Leadership

• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with other City departments as well as state and federal regulatory agencies.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with food establishment operators and community-based organizations, representing the department at events as appropriate.
• Act as spokesperson for the department on regulatory food, environmental health, and consumer protection issues, including responding to media requests and appearing before the Common Council.
• Assist Alderpersons and their staff with resolving constituent problems and questions.
• Provide assistance to citizens, the Mayor’s Office, the City Clerk’s Office, and other City departments.

Reasonable accommodations requested by qualified individuals with disabilities will be made in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Must be willing to work beyond standard business hours to accomplish work and meet departmental needs.
• Travel outside the City of Milwaukee, occasionally overnight, may be required.
• The incumbent will be required to carry a mobile device.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental health, public health, epidemiology, science, public administration, business administration, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in program management, administration, and supervision, preferably within a governmental agency, overseeing programs similar to those conducted within Division.
• Registration as a Registered Sanitarian (RS) by the State of Wisconsin OR the Certified Professional–Food Safety (CP–FS) issued by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) at time of appointment and throughout employment. (https://weha.net/registered-sanitarian-info).
• Completion of  Emergency Preparedness Training (ICS 100, 200, 300, and IS-700) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute within 12 months of appointment.
• Possession of a properly insured personal vehicle for use on the job at the time of appointment and throughout employment.  An automobile allowance is provided.

Equivalent combinations of education and experience may also be considered.

IMPORTANT NOTE: College transcripts are required and must be received by the application period closing date. Transcripts should be attached to your online application. Applications without transcripts attached will be considered incomplete and will be rejected. Your transcript must be legible and include your college/university name, your name, the degree completed (if applicable) and the date completed.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduate-level coursework in environmental health, public health, epidemiology, science, public administration or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• Attendance at consumer protection seminars offered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and certification in quality improvement or quality improvement techniques (LEAN, Six Sigma, etc.) are encouraged following appointment.

KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES & OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

Technical Knowledge

• Broad cross-disciplinary knowledge of environmental health, epidemiology; microbiology; health education, communication, and informatics.
• Knowledge of prevention-focused public health practice.
• Ability to apply federal, state and local regulations.
• Knowledge of grant application and monitoring practices.
• Knowledge of emergency preparedness principles.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret work-related documents such as local, state, and federal ordinances, statutes, and regulations, scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.
• Knowledge of mathematics and the ability to make accurate calculations.
• An understanding of the capabilities of information technology, including contact management systems, project management software, epidemiology and data collection tools, and public health related data systems.
• Proficiency using word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and email applications.
• Ability to utilize online resources to conduct research.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

• Written communication skills, including skill in writing correspondence, grant applications, policies, ordinances, resolutions, reports, speeches, and articles for publication.
• Oral communication and presentation skills; skill in presenting information effectively one-on-one and before groups such as top management, boards of directors, media, legislative bodies, and the public.
• Customer focus: dedication to exceptional service delivery and ability to satisfactorily respond to inquiries or escalated complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, other City departments, the media, academics, and members of the business community.
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative partnerships with private providers, community partners, and federal, state and local officials.     
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, elected officials, representatives of City departments, community organizations and other stakeholders in public health, including citizens.    
• Ability to ensure that the MHD has mechanisms for obtaining feedback and input from persons with diverse backgrounds and to ensure the consideration of the role of cultural, social and behavioral factors and in the accessibility, availability, acceptability and delivery of public health services.

Leadership Ability and Supervisory Skills

• Leadership, initiative, and vision: ability to provide operational oversight and expert advice for a diverse staff of environmental health professionals in support of the division’s mission.
• Supervisory skills: ability to set objectives; make assignments and delegate tasks; direct work; measure and evaluate work outcomes; and hire, train, develop, and discipline staff as necessary; ability to build an effective team.

Critical Thinking and Planning Skills

• Ability to analyze and creatively solve complex problems; decision-making skills and sound judgment.
• Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work to achieve objectives within deadlines.
• Ability to be flexible and adjust to changing circumstances.

Professionalism

• Ability to exercise a high degree of independent judgment and manage competing priorities and challenges under pressure.  
• Ability to represent the department with honesty and integrity as well as to maintain confidentiality.
• Commitment to the promotion of health and the prevention of disease; commitment to staying abreast of current best practices in consumer environmental health, management, and quality improvement.

CURRENT SALARY

The current salary range (1 IX) for is $75,478-$105,669 annually and the resident incentive salary range for City of Milwaukee residents is $77,743-$108,839 annually.  Appointment above the minimum is possible based upon level of experience and other qualifications and is subject to approval.  

Benefits

The City of Milwaukee provides a comprehensive benefit program that includes the following:

• Defined Benefit Pension Plan
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Health and Dental Insurance
• Comprehensive Wellness Program
• Onsite Clinic Services
• Onsite Employee Assistance Program
• Alternative Work Schedules
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Group Life Insurance
• Tuition Benefits
• Paid Vacation
• 11 Paid Holidays
• Paid Sick Leave and other paid leaves
• Flexible Spending Arrangement
• Commuter Value Pass

For full details of the benefits offered by the City of Milwaukee, please visit http://city.milwaukee.gov/Benefits2019.

SELECTION PROCESS

THE SELECTION PROCESS will be job related and will consist of one or more of the following: education and experience evaluation; written, oral, or performance tests, or other assessment methods. The Department of Employee Relations and the Milwaukee Health Department reserves the right to call only the most qualified candidates to oral and performance examinations. Oral examinations may include written exercises. Selection process component weights will be determined by further analysis of the job.

INITIAL FILING DATE: The examination will be held as soon as practical after Wednesday, December 11, 2019. Receipt of applications may be discontinued at any time after this date without prior notice. However, recruitment may continue until the needs of the City have been met. Qualified applicants will be notified of the date, time, and place of the examination. Unless otherwise required by law, the City of Milwaukee will not provide alternative test administration. The applicant is responsible for attending all phases of the job selection process at the time and place designated by the City of Milwaukee.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

• Applications can be accessed by visiting www.jobaps.com/MIL.
• If you would like assistance completing an application, please contact the Department of Employee Relations at (414) 286-3751 or staffinginfo@milwaukee.gov.
• The Department of Employee Relations is located in City Hall, 200 E Wells St, Room 706, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

CONCLUSION

EEO 101  

The City of Milwaukee values and encourages diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.

Company Description:

Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is an urban hub bursting with energy. Milwaukee provides a casual sophistication – big city appeal without the big-city hassles. We are accessible and affordable, and our residents are welcoming. Milwaukee brings together its unsurpassed old world charm with a breathtaking art museum, top-flight arts and cultural attractions, professional sports, lakefront festivals, recreational opportunities and great restaurants. Milwaukee provides a casual sophistication – big city appeal without the big-city hassles. We are accessible and affordable, and our residents are welcoming. Milwaukee brings together its unsurpassed old world charm with a breathtaking art museum, top-flight arts and cultural attractions, professional sports, lakefront festivals, recreational opportunities and great restaurants.