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State of Washington Classified Job Specification

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISOR 4

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PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISOR 4
Class Code: 283Q
Category: Health Care


Definition

In the Department of Health, administers a statewide public health program and supervises five or more lower level professional staff.  Independently plans, develops, organizes, directs and evaluates the program activities; or, is designated as a technical expert and performs all of the following:

  1. Provides consultation, direction and evaluation on technical issues, concerns, policies, regulations and procedures regarding a public health program at the division, bureau, department, State or national level,
  2. Trains the trainers of public health professionals,
  3. Serves as the department representative on department, State and/or national public health committees, and
  4. Designated as a department expert before the legislature, Board of Health, administrative hearings, negotiations with tribal governments and other legal proceedings on public health issues.

Distinguishing Characteristics

For purposes of the class series, a public health program involves those activities oriented toward the protection of citizens by preventing illness or mortality associated with exposure to environmental hazards.

Typical Work

Plans, organizes, coordinates, directs an environmental health program in an area such as air quality, chemical hazards, drinking water, food protection, groundwater protection, hazardous waste, health care facilities, injury control, institutional facilities, noise, personal living environments, shellfish protection, solid waste, toxic substances, vector control, wastewater, and water recreational facilities; establishes, monitors, and evaluates program objectives and priorities;

Provides a continuous review of personnel activity reporting in relation to program goals and objectives;

Provides conceptual guidance and direction to subordinates; allocates workloads and establishes completion dates;

Directs, trains, and evaluates the work of other public health advisors and other professional/technical staff; develops and conducts training of the trainers of public health professionals at the State or local level;

Responsible for implementation of policy, coordination of and allocation of resources within environmental health program;

Evaluates the technical, regulatory, administrative and policy and procedures issues relating to the State's Public Health program responsibilities;

Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with Federal, State and local governmental agencies, academic institutions, industrial organizations, professional societies, and other groups concerned with environmental health programs;

Performs other work as required.

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: principles, practices, techniques, organization and objectives of public health and environmental health programs; State and Federal laws and regulations pertaining to environmental health; developments in public health as related to environmental health; principles of program administration, personnel supervision and training.

Ability to: plan, organize, train and evaluate the work of professional and technical public health personnel; coordinate work with relevant governmental, professional and industrial officials; supervise the enforcement of public regulations; speak and write effectively.

Legal Requirement(s)

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.

Desirable Qualifications

A Master's degree in public health, environmental health, or allied science with a minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours in natural or physical science and six years of professional experience in public health, including four years in a consultative, supervisory, administrative, or advisory capacity. 

OR

A Bachelor's degree in public health, environmental health or allied science with a minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours in natural or physical science and six years of professional experience in public health, including four years in a consultative, supervisory, administrative, or advisory capacity. 

OR

A Doctoral degree in public health, environmental health or allied science and four years of professional experience in public health, in a consultative, supervisory, administrative, or advisory capacity or in post doctoral research in a public health discipline.

Class Specification History

Revised May 1, 1968 General revision
Revised July 15, 1982 Revises definition
Revised January 14, 1983 Deletes Note:
Revised March 3, 1986 Revises definition and distinguishing characteristics
Revised September 18, 1989 Revises definition and minimum qualifications, adds distinguishing characteristics, title change (formerly Advisory Sanitarian 4) and general revision
New class code: (formerly 62260) effective July 1, 2007

Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.