Environmental Public Health Scientist

Role Responsibilities

The Environmental Public Health Science (EPHS) Team supports development of environmental public health policies and policy-related strategies to promote and protect health and prevent and control diseases of public health importance; provides planning and project leadership on developing solutions to complex environmental public health issues, setting direction and fulfilling the mandate of the department; provides expert advice, support and assistance to internal and cross-ministry initiatives and external groups; and federal/provincial initiatives to support development of public health science policies and strategies; and provides support and technical advice on environmental public health issues. The team critically supports the Ministry's operations preparing for, responding to and/or recovering from environmental emergencies and localized events (e.g., extreme heat, poor air quality, contaminated sites) that impact the lives of an Albertan at any scale.

As a member of the EPHS Team reporting to the Manager, this position is responsible for: Supporting development and review of policy, legislation, standards, and guidelines to address public health issues particularly related to environmental public health science including soil, water, air, and environmental impacts. 

• Lead projects and programs using human health risk assessment and risk management principles, focusing on:
  • Contaminated sites or initiative and/or chair any associated working group or committee (e.g., Scientific Working Group on Contaminated Sites in Alberta);
    food consumption (e.g., fish consumption advisory); and
  • Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), supporting reviews, as needed.
• Lead statistical analysis and interpretation of results to support environmental public health policy development/program implementation and elements of human health risk assessments, including:
  • Managing datasets, abiding by the principles, procedures and processes specified for the EPHS team; and
  • Conducting quality control and assurance to comply with the requirements necessary to post data or products (e.g., final assessment reports) to the Alberta Open Government Portal. 

Role Responsibilities Cont.

• Provides scientific support in the development of public health policy, which includes:
  • Representing the ministry at the appropriate Federal-Provincial-Territorial committees and/or working groups at any order of government, as needed;
  • Overseeing scientific and literature reviews and reviews of other jurisdictions to provide basis for policy development;
  • Assisting in the initial implementation of policy, as needed;
  • Assisting in the evaluation and monitoring of policy and programs; and
  • Conducting public review and development of final requirements in regulations, standards, and guidelines, in accordance with the regulatory review process of government. 
• Consults with appropriate stakeholders (both internal and external).

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies:
https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

• Creative Problem Solving: The Environment Public Health Scientist engages the community and resources at hand to address issues, engages perspective to seek root causes, finds ways to improve complex systems, employs resources from other areas to solve problems and engages others and encourages debate and idea generation to solve problems while addressing risks.
• Systems Thinking: The Environment Public Health Scientist takes a long-term view towards organization’s objectives and how to achieve them, takes holistic long-term view of challenges and opportunities, anticipates outcomes and potential impacts, seeks stakeholder perspectives, works towards actions and plans aligned with APS values and works with others to identify areas for collaboration.
• Agility: The Environment Public Health Scientist identifies and manages required change and the associated risks, identifies alternative approaches, and supports others to do the same, proactively explains impact of changes, anticipates, and mitigates emotions of others, anticipates obstacles, and stays focused on goals and makes decisions and takes action in uncertain situations and creates a backup plan.
• Build Collaborative Environments: The Environment Public Health Scientist collaborates across functional areas and proactively addresses conflict, encourages broad thinking on projects, and works to eliminate barriers to progress, facilitates communication and collaboration, anticipates, and reduces conflict at the outset, credits others and gets talent recognized and promotes collaboration and commitment.
• Drive for Results: The Environment Public Health Scientist works to remove barriers to outcomes, sticking to principles, forecasts and proactively addresses project challenges, removes barriers to collaboration and achievement of outcomes, upholds principles and confronts problems directly and considers complex factors and aligns solutions with broader organization mission.

Qualifications

Minimum Recruitment Standards
Education and Experience: Ph.D. in a scientific discipline related to the position, plus 5 years progressively responsible related experience; or equivalent as described below.

Equivalency: 

• Masters Degree in a scientific discipline related to the position (biology, environmental chemistry, toxicology), Public Health, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, or DVM or MD, plus 7 years related experience; or
• University graduation in a related field, plus 9 years related experience.

Assets:

• Knowledge of environmental public health, environmental chemistry, and toxicology, which includes an understanding of the broad determinants of health and well-being including behavior, lifestyle, culture, economic and other factors.
• Experience in data collection and management, risk management and human health risk assessment for contaminated sites and/or environmental impact assessment in any environmental media, combined with progressively increasing professional, project management, and scientific roles and responsibilities.
• Experience in practicing project management to meet program goals efficiently and effectively.
• Experience with contaminant specific guidance/guidelines/standards, including measurements of contaminants in environmental media, food consumption and exposure factors from Alberta, other provinces/territories, Canada, and leading health organizations from across the world.

Experience: 

• Knowledge of Alberta's Public Health Act, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and associated environmental regulatory policy, standards, and guidelines.
• Knowledge of government structures, associated roles and responsibilities and legislative processes.
• Familiarity with the work of various stakeholders, including health and non-health sector groups as well as government and non-government stakeholders.

Preference:

• Knowledge in risk communication.
• Working knowledge of the Environmental Impact Assessment process.
• Relevant certification (e.g., P.Biol, P.Chem, P.Eng, P.Ag, DABT) or currently part of a professional society that requires qualification admission or continuing education (e.g., Society of Toxicology, CIPHI).

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. 
Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

This is a full-time position working 36.25 hours per week.

Candidates with lesser qualifications may be considered at a lower classification and salary. This competition may be used to fill future roles at the same or lower classifications.

The final candidates may be required to undergo pre-employment checks (Reference check/Criminal record and/or academic).

In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. Also, please indicate whether your work experience is casual, part-time, or full-time. For example, January 15, 2006 - June 25, 2009: Assistant (PT three 8 hrs. shifts/week).

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool - https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.