ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST 4, CONSUMER & ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Code: 15874F State Competitive Range: R30 (FY 2027) Work week NL: FLSA exemptOvertime table (4A:3, Appx. A)

Salary: $100,498.48 - $148,186.78/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under administrative direction of a higher level supervisor in the Department of Health, independently administers, develops, promotes and coordinates functional projects in specific professional environmental health fields; develops policies and procedures to protect the public health; provides technical information, and advice; initiates and recommends preventive measures to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness, nosocomial infections, accidents, morbidity and mortality associated with environmental health hazards. Supervises staff and work activities. Prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does related work as required.

Examples of work

• Plans, organizes and assists in executing state and local health departments responses to local and statewide natural and man- made disasters affecting the safety of food, milk and water.
• Provides technical and administrative support to the FDA, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Division of Epidemiology and Disease Control, Emergency Response Unit, Office of Emergency Management and local health agencies during foodborne outbreaks and man-made and natural disasters.
• Supervises and provides technical guidance to Registered Environmental Health Specialists to include the review and approval of technical reports and assignments; participates and contributes to performance evaluations.
• Plans long-range objectives that will aid in effectively controlling foodborne illness, nosocomial infections, accidents, morbidity and mortality associated with environmental health hazards.
• Prepares applications for contracts, partnerships and interagency agreements and other grant funds through the design of technical research projects.
• Provides contracting agency with reports, sample analyses, enforcement actions, progress reports and other documents associated with the contractual agreements(s).
• Administers, plans, supervises and coordinates the collection of revenues for the issuance of licenses and certificates to the regulated industries which fall under the purview of Consumer and Environmental Health Services.
• Coordinates enforcement activities with the FDA, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), EPA, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to ensure uniformity and compliance with national and state standards.
• Develops, reviews, revises and interprets state laws, regulations and codes to provide a basis for control activities and administrative action.
• Plans, organizes and coordinates a plan of label inspection to ensure proper labeling of regulated products.
• Supervises the work operations and / or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending, hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and / or disciplining of employees.
• Develops routine and selective sampling programs that will augment inspectional activities and participates in reciprocity inspection and sampling programs with local boards of health, neighboring states and other state and federal agencies.
• Develops and implements procedures for embargoing food suspected of misbranding and/or adulteration.
• Participates in monitoring unwholesome or unsafe products under recall due to action by FDA, USDA or CPSC and keeps local boards of health advised of such activities.
• Researches and prepares data for the development of annual reports, budget requests, progress reports and other supplemental project documents.
• Develops, maintains and updates the program data progressive system that can be integrated with other program elements and is capable of providing easily retrievable, pertinent information.
• Conducts informal hearings on violations of State statutes and regulations. Reviews inspection reports and sample reports, prepares appropriate warning letters to industry and assembles evidence for prosecution of violators.
• Provide consultation and technical services to federal, state and local health agencies, and others, on consumer and environmental health issues.
• Represents the State of New Jersey and Department on special committees and councils appointed by the Governor or the Commissioner, as well as at national conferences including the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments, National Food Protection Conference, Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference, Association of Practitioners in Infection Control, Governor's Council on Youth Camp Safety and professional organizations which establish uniform regulations, national and state policies and industry standards.
• Responds to the general public in matters relative to program activities and provides for the investigation of consumer complaints.
• Develops, reviews, analyzes and disseminates technical public health related information involving infection control, environmental health, food safety or exposure pathways to state and local health officials, health care providers and the general public.
• Develops and presents technical training courses for the standardization of state and local health officials and regulated industry for public health intervention programs and controlling environmental health hazards.
• Conducts risk assessments of public health data to recommend effective public health interventions.
• Functions as scientific consultant in areas pertaining to specific expertise.
• Develops, cooperates and maintains liaison with federal, state, academic and other individuals including FDA, USDA, CPSC, EPA, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, OSHA, FEMA, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), DEP, DCA, State Department of Agriculture (DOA) to discuss and resolve issues of mutual concerns.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's Degree in biological sciences, chemistry, environmental health, epidemiology, sanitary engineering, public health engineering, public or health administration, environmental management or studies, food technology, or other field related to environmental health.

Experience

Four (4) years of experience in planning, implementing and coordinating a project or program in a specialized field involving environmental sanitation and disease prevention including the assessment of microbiological, chemical, environmental and physical health hazards in one or more of the following program areas; milk, shellfish, seafood, food processing (including pasteurization, acidification, low acid canning, depuration and food irradiation), retail food protection, youth camp safety, public recreational bathing, campgrounds, body piercing, tanning, tattooing, sterile processing, infectious disease control, medical waste and prevention of nosocomial infections; which shall have included regulatory compliance responsibilities and technical consultation.

License

Appointees must acquire a license as a Health Officer issued by the New Jersey Department of Health within 12 months from the appointment.

Applicants must possess a license as Registered Environmental Health Specialist issued by the New Jersey Department of Health.

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of major communicable diseases, epidemiology, causative organisms and agents, sources, reservoirs and vehicles of infection, microbiology, toxicology and environmental health hazards.
• Knowledge of the changing and complex nature of environmental health including both natural and technological hazards.
• Knowledge of the principles of food and milk sanitation and environmental health hazards; including thermal processing, chemical transformations of organic substances and medical terminology.
• Knowledge of available health organizations, community health and professional agencies and programs.
• Knowledge of the technical and administrative aspects of the project activities and policies; including applicable contractual agreements.
• Knowledge of basic engineering principles and plan review associated with regulated industries.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of research methods, evaluation techniques and methodology of technical analyses and interpretation of results and findings.
• Ability to assign and instruct technical and other staff to verify the results of tests, examinations and analyses made by technical staff.
• Ability to plan, organizes and direct the work programs and schedules of staff.
• Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit.
• Ability to exercise good judgement in evaluating situations and in making decisions concerning administrative problems.
• Ability to apply the rules, regulations, policies, procedures, methods and standards of the Department, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Ability to apply the laws of New Jersey relating to environmental health and sanitation, as well as New Jersey Administrative Procedures Act as it relates to the promulgation and enforcement of Department rules.
• Ability to provide professional guidance, give technical assistance and interpret state laws, rules and regulations to local boards of health, Department personnel, regulated industry members and other governmental agencies.
• Ability to work cooperatively with associates, supervisory officers, local health officers, and federal officials and with that portion of the public interested in or concerned with environmental health and sanitary inspection programs and problems.
• Ability to resolve technical and personnel problems through analytical, creative and constructive thinking.
• Ability to assemble, prepare and interpret reports and records on which to base recommendations for correcting problems and improving public health practices.
• Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate and informative reports containing findings, conclusions and recommendations and to supervise the preparation of records and reports by staff members.
• Ability to prepare detailed correspondence using standard and acceptable English and punctuation.
• Ability to represent the Department by giving speeches and presentations at industry and official health agency gatherings, workshops, seminars and conferences.
• Ability to plan, direct and supervise the collection of legal and informational chemical and bacteriological samples and possess knowledge in interpretation of the results with the ability to prepare and present evidence and testify in legal proceedings.
• Ability to establish and maintain essential records, files, reference materials, research materials and equipment.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office and related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position; American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

A Ph.D. in one of the above areas may be substituted for two (2) years of the indicated experience.