Sanitarian I - Land and Water
The Sanitarian I - Land and Water conducts inspections and enforces sanitation and environmental health laws across various commercial, residential, and public sites to protect public health. Responsibilities include evaluating food service establishments, wastewater treatment systems, water wells, and hazardous materials handling, as well as educating the public and coordinating with government agencies. This entry-level role requires fieldwork in diverse environments and contributes to disease prevention and environmental safety within the county.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Scientific & QA.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
What You’ll Do
Under the supervision of an Environmental Health Programs Supervisor, you will perform field and office work to protect public health by enforcing federal, state, and local sanitation and environmental health requirements for a variety of facilities and sites. You will investigate complaints, educate businesses and residents, evaluate permit applications, and document findings.
Key Responsibilities
- Inspect food service establishments, vending operations, public swimming pools, child care facilities, campgrounds, mobile home parks, and similar sites; identify violations and follow up to verify corrective action.
- Review plans and specifications for new or remodeled licensed facilities and recommend changes for environmental health compliance.
- Evaluate and permit on-site wastewater (septic) systems; perform site evaluations and inspect construction for code compliance.
- Evaluate and permit water well drilling; sample and interpret well water analyses and advise on abandoned well plugging.
- Conduct environmental health investigations including food-borne illness outbreaks and hazard/ nuisance complaints.
- Inspect sites that store, handle, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials and recommend compliance steps.
- Provide education to food service managers, residents, and businesses on sanitation, food safety, lead poisoning prevention, and related topics.
- Prepare and submit inspection and investigation reports; may testify or act as a witness in enforcement proceedings.
- Coordinate with other government units and state agencies on abatement orders, emergency preparedness, and public health responses.
- In Disease Control functions: perform lead hazard screenings and inspections, follow-up investigations, family education, reporting, and interagency coordination.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health or a related field.
- Experience: Entry-level position — no prior experience required. Six-month break-in period is expected.
- License: Valid Michigan driver’s license required.
- Skills: Strong written and verbal communication; ability to interact professionally with the public and regulated facilities.
- Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified applicants with disabilities.
Requirements & Working Conditions
- Physical: Ability to walk uneven terrain, climb ladders, enter crawl spaces and basements, bend/stoop/kneel, and carry inspection equipment up to ~30 lbs.
- Work environment: Frequent outdoor work in varying weather, exposure to environmental hazards and household hazardous materials, and occasional interactions with hostile individuals while enforcing regulations.
- Travel: Ability to travel throughout the county to conduct inspections.
- Computer use: Ability to enter and access information using a computer and common office software.
Compensation & Schedule
- Employment type: Full-time.
- Estimated pay: $58,956.70 per year (as reported).
- Schedule: Regular business hours with duties that may require flexible scheduling during incidents or emergency responses.
Why Join
- Make a direct impact on community health and safety.
- Gain broad, hands-on experience across food safety, water/wastewater systems, lead prevention, hazardous materials, and emergency preparedness.
- Work collaboratively with public health professionals and state agencies, with opportunities for training and professional development.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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