Building Water System Specialist, Bureau of Environmental Sciences and Engineering - New York City, NY : Job Details

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.

As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises from New York City's yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others.

Our Agency's five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are:

1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a response-ready organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods

3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness

4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women's health

5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change

Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism's impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.

PROGRAM AND JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Division of Environment Health at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has a mission to prevent and control illness and injury related to environmental and occupational health risks through outreach and education, surveillance and enforcement. Within the division, the Bureau of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (ESE) focuses on identifying and minimizing the risks of environmental and engineered hazards through field inspection, surveillance, scientific and engineering analysis, and data collection. Within ESE, the Technical Team (Tech Team) provides engineering support on a broad variety of systems including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, building premise plumbing, the NYC drinking water supply treatment and distribution, recreational water facilities, and no potable water systems.

The activities performed under this position are mandated under NYC Health Code, NYC Administrative Code, the Rules of the City of New York and New York State Codes, Rules and Regulations including Title 6 and Title 10.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Provide technical subject expertise in a wide variety of systems such as building plumbing systems, cooling towers, evaporative condensers, water tanks, and waste water, as well as emerging technologies.

Manage and coordinate response activities during community investigations and building evaluations based on signals from the Department's Legionnaires' disease surveillance system.

Coordinate with ESE leadership to provide rapid field response and mobilization during Legionella response activities.

Review and evaluate current scientific and policy documents to enhance program development.

Serve as a primary customer service liaison for ESE in corresponding with building owners to address questions and to provide education on our regulatory program and best management practices for building water systems Implement internal and external training and public education efforts in line with our mission.

Work collaboratively and maintain effective lines of communication between Tech Team and other ESE offices as part of ongoing programmatic development and enhancement.

Utilize technical writing and analysis skills to understand and assess water management programs and plans and associated operation records, drawings, and specifications of water treatment systems to establish regulatory compliance.

Take leadership role in identifying and performing actions to identify public health risks and eliminate environmental health hazards promptly in accordance with NYC and NYS regulations.

Assist in the development and evaluation of Request for Proposals (RFPs) and Contract documents for ESE subcontractors including but not limited to environmental consulting and analytical testing services.

Perform performance evaluations of subcontractors, as needed, to meet Agency requirements.

Assist in development of standard operating procedures, guidelines documents and final reports including text, charts and graphs that effectively depict workflow process, programmatic decisions, research findings and investigation conclusions.

Conduct regulatory public health inspections of water tanks, cooling towers and internal premise plumbing system. Inspections include examining building records for regulatory compliance with NYC regulations and following up with building owners for non-compliance and corrective actions.

Inspections include accessing high altitudes (building roofs), basements and other locations where building water systems may be located. Must be able to climb stairways and ladders, carry equipment and work in tight spaces.

Conduct water quality monitoring and sampling and analyze the results to evaluate public health risks.

Address 311 complaints as needed including performing special inspections and environmental investigations and taking appropriate corrective action measures. Issue Notices of Violation for non-compliance with NYC regulations and appear at adjudication hearings to present evidence as needed.

IMPORTANT NOTES TO ALL CANDIDATES:

Please note: If you are called for an interview you will be required to bring to your interview copies of original documentation, such as:

* A document that establishes identity for employment eligibility, such as: A Valid U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card/Green Card, or Driver's license.

* Proof of Education according to the education requirements of the civil service title.

* Current Resume

* Proof of Address/NYC Residency dated within the last 60 days, such as: Recent Utility Bill (i.e. Telephone, Cable, Mobile Phone)

Additional documentation may be required to evaluate your qualification as outlined in this posting's Minimum Qualification Requirements section. Examples of additional documentation may be, but not limited to: college transcript, experience verification or professional trade licenses.

If after your interview you are the selected candidate you will be contacted to schedule an on-boarding appointment. By the time of this appointment you will be asked to produce the originals of the above documents along with your original Social Security card.

LOAN FORGIVENESS

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.

FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL

This position MAY be eligible for remote work up to two days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A masters degree from an accredited college or university in one of the following areas of study: environmental or chemical engineering, limnology, environmental science, marine science, geology, biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, or health science; or

2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with 24 semester credits in one or a combination of the areas of study described in 1 above, at least 12 of which must have been in one of these areas of study; and at least one year of satisfactory full time experience, which may not have been part of graduate or undergraduate course work, working in the field of water quality planning, management or

research or performing environmental laboratory analyses, and/or environmental field sampling of water; or

3. An associate degree from an accredited college or university including or supplemented by 24 semester credits in one or a combination of the areas of study described in 1 above, at least 12 of which must have been in one of these areas of study; and at least three years of satisfactory full time experience as described in 2 above.

Additional Requirements

To be assigned to Assignment Levels II or III, all candidates must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university as described in 2 above and must have one additional year of the experience described in 2 above for a total of two years of experience.

Special Note

A master's degree from an accredited college in one of the areas described in 1 above may be substituted for up to two years of the required experience.

Preferred Skills

The ideal candidate would have the following knowledge or skills: Academic or professional background in mechanical engineering, HVAC systems and/or plumbing systems. Experience in regulatory enforcement, environmental investigation and assessment related to water and/or wastewater treatment. Must pass medical clearance and FIT testing for wearing proper PPE respirators and must be able to climb stairways and ladders, carry equipment, work in tight spaces and at high altitudes (building roofs) to perform inspections and water testing. Possess strong interpersonal and customer service skills, with the ability to interact at all levels in addition to exceptional written and communication skills. Ability to prepare and present scientific and technical materials and correspondences to various audiences. Demonstrate excellent organizational and analytical skills and attention to detail. Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.