Hazardous Materials Program Manager

THE STUNNING SANTA CRUZ COUNTY has approximately 270,000 residents and is situated in the northern area of Monterey Bay, 70 miles south of San Francisco and 35 miles southwest of the Silicon Valley. The County’s natural beauty is apparent in its pristine beaches, lush redwood forests and rich farmland. It has an ideal climate with low humidity and 300 days of sunshine a year.  Its unique shops and restaurants, coupled with a multitude of cultural and recreational activities, including theatre, music, art, as well as golfing, surfing, hiking, and biking offer a wealth of leisure activities. Higher education includes Cabrillo College and the University of California, Santa Cruz, with two additional State Universities less than an hour away. These elements of high-quality living make Santa Cruz one of California’s most desirable areas. live, work, and play!

OVERVIEW

Under general direction, the Hazardous Materials Program Manager is responsible for the overall direction, planning, and organization of the County’s hazardous materials program. Perform related duties as required. The County of Santa Cruz is seeking a dynamic leader to serve as the Hazardous Materials Program Manager for the Health Services Agency Environmental Health Division.  The Hazardous Materials Program Manager, under the direction of the Director of Environmental Health oversees the Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPA), the Environmental Clean-Up (Site Mitigation), and Medical Waste Programs and is responsible for organizing, directing, coordinating, and evaluating these programs.  The incumbent will ensure the programs meet State and County requirements and will provide direct supervision of program staff.  Additional certifications/training for appropriate specialty areas may be required.

• Salary: $9,589 – 13,045 / Month

TYPICAL TASKS

• Implement and manage the design, development, and evaluation of the hazardous materials program which include ordinances, policies, procedures, IT needs, staffing, education, priorities, and outreach;
• Provide day to day management of the County’s Hazardous Materials activities;
• Provide direction and leadership for State certified or mandated programs, such as the Certified Unified
• Program Agency (CUPA) for hazardous materials/waste management, the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program, and the Site Mitigation Program;
• Oversee enforcement and compliance of County, State and Federal hazardous materials/integrated solid waste laws, regulations, ordinances, mandated standards, and codes;
• Establish quality control and quality accountability plans to analyze implementation of various program regulations on an ongoing basis;
• Conduct a variety of specialized, complex, and difficult comprehensive hazardous materials studies and program audits. Generate findings/recommendations for policy consideration and modification;
• Develop and implement a consistent and integrated strategy for hazardous material data collection, software reporting, and storage;
• Educate management of regulated facilities on the handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials;
• Coordinate, manage, and evaluate the work of professional and technical support staff;
• Oversee staff who conduct investigations, and resolves citizen complaints on unauthorized releases of hazardous materials/integrated solid waste;
• Interpret laws, regulations, and codes, and provides advice to government officials, citizen groups, business owners, and others.
• Coordinate assigned division activities with those of other divisions, departments, agencies, and organizations to ensure effective cooperation on all governmental levels.
• Serve and advise as division liaison to legislative bodies, governmental agencies, other departments, and community groups, and establish mechanisms for county-wide interdepartmental and interagency coordination;
• Make presentations to the Board of Supervisors, various advisory boards and commissions, and prospective funding agencies on such matters as program status and direction, program budget issues and project proposals;
• Participate in preparation of and administer the program budget and fee schedules;
• Responsible for writing grant proposals for hazardous materials (projects) and oversee implementation of grants.
• Provide public outreach education, and technical assistance;
  May conduct complex field observations in conjunction with law enforcement and be called to the scene of hazardous material incidents or other emergency situations.
• May represent the Environmental Health Division in the absence of other Program Mangers such as
• Consumer Protection, Land Use, and Water Resources.
• May appear in court as an expert witness to provide testimony in cases of criminal complaints and civil suits.

THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE

• Hazardous materials planning and policies.
• Federal, State, and local laws and regulations applicable to all aspects of hazardous materials/integrated solid waste management and environmental health impacts.

WORKING KNOWLEDGE

• The principles and practices of environmental health, hazardous materials, and education for a public agency.
• Policy formulation and legislative processes for County government and local hazardous material programs, functions, and services.
• Fiscal management and principles of budget preparation in a government agency.
• Public administration principles and practices, including strategic planning, goal setting, program development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Administrative principles and practices, including work organization and planning, employee supervision, performance evaluation and employee training and discipline.
• The principles of statistics as they relate to hazardous materials quality control and assurance.
• Basic organic and inorganic chemistry, with a strong emphasis on chemical characteristics, and hazardous materials and chemical effects on human health and the environment.
• Principles and techniques of problem solving and conflict resolution.
• Concepts, principles and procedures of hazardous materials and waste identification.
• General principles pertaining to hazardous materials response and hazardous materials worker safety.
• Principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

• ·         Skilled and innovative leader who naturally empowers, inspires, and motivates. 
• ·         Thoughtful and trusted decision maker who considers varying perspectives.
• ·         Energetic and approachable leader

QUALIFICATIONS

• Any combination of training and experience which would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain this knowledge would be:
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in natural, physical, or environmental science, planning, geology, or a closely related field.

AND

• Four years of progressively responsible experience conducting investigations and inspections of hazardous materials/waste, or in the enforcement of Federal, State, and local government health/environmental regulations. A master’s degree in natural, physical, or environmental sciences or related field may be substituted for one year of experience.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Possession of an International Code Council (ICC) “California Underground Storage Tank (UST) Inspector” certification within one year of hire.
• Successful completion of a California-approved Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act (APSA) Inspector training and a passing score of the APSA Inspector Exam within one year of hire. 
• Highly Desirable: Possession of a valid certificate of registration as an Environmental Health Specialist issued by the California State Department of Health Services. 

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Describe your experience supervising and training medical practitioners including the evaluation, and review of work for appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and chart documentation.

1. Describe your experience working in CUPA programs. Describe any experience supervising/managing a CUPA program.
2. Describe your experience working with a Site Mitigation/Environmental Cleanup program.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

The application process consists of a review of the required knowledge and abilities as demonstrated on the application and supplemental questionnaire. Apply online at www.santacruzcountyjobs.com or mail/bring an application and supplemental questionnaire to: Santa Cruz County Personnel Department, 701 Ocean Street, Room 510, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. For information, call (831) 454-2600. Hearing Impaired TDD/TTY: 711. 

HIGHLIGHTED BENEFITS OFFERING 

Medical, Dental, and Vision

• Various robust plans are available with the County contributing generously toward the total cost of the plans.

Retirement and Social Security

• Pension formula 2% at age 60 or 2% at age 62 as determined based on provisions of the CA Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 PEPRA (2024 Cap $151,446). Pension benefit is determined by final average compensation of three years. County participates in Social Security.

Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability Plan

• County-paid $50,000 term life insurance policy. Employees may purchase additional life insurance. The County pays for a long-term disability plan that pays 66 2/3% of the first $13,500, up to $9,000 per month maximum benefits.

Administrative Leave

• In addition to competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, the County provides an initial credit of one week of administrative leave at the time of appointment, plus an additional two weeks of administrative leave accrued each year. Administrative leave balance may be cashed out or used as paid time off.