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07/15/2026

Director of Environmental Health

Ottawa County Health Department

Position Summary: We are seeking a collaborative and experienced public health leader to serve as our Director of Environmental Health. The Director of Environmental Health provides leadership, oversight, and strategic direction for environmental health programs at the Ottawa County Health Department. This position supervises environmental health staff, manages division operations and budgets, and works closely with OCHD leadership, community partners, and regulatory agencies to ensure the delivery of high-quality environmental health services.

The Director serves as a key member of the agency leadership team and helps identify emerging community environmental health needs while implementing programs aligned with the agency mission. Minimum Qualifications

• Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) licensure required, with a minimum of five years as an REHS.

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental health sciences or related field required.

• Master of Public Health (MPH) preferred.

• Minimum five years of management or supervisory experience in public health is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience with budgeting, cost methodologies, grants, and program management.

• Experience supervising staff and building effective teams.

• Strong communication, leadership, and public speaking skills.

• Ability to collaborate with OCHD team, community partners and stakeholders.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills

• Ability to work autonomously, manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

• Able to provide consistently high levels of customer service.

• Ability to proofread documents for content, grammar, and spelling.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

• Valid driver’s license and auto insurance.

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship for employment visa status now or in the future. Job Description

• Provide leadership and management of environmental health programs in accordance with State of Ohio regulations and public health best practices.

• Supervise environmental health staff including hiring recommendations, training, work assignments, performance evaluations, and professional development.

• Manage division budgets and assist in developing cost methodologies to support program operations.

• Provide technical expertise and guidance to the Health Commissioner, local governments, businesses, and community stakeholders on environmental health issues.

• Identify community environmental health needs and implement data driven programs and solutions.

• Assist staff with inspections and environmental health investigations as needed. • Support and contribute to Ottawa County Health Department initiatives and public health programs and services, including program implementation, compliance, and reporting as applicable.

• Collaborate with the Community Health, Nursing, Administration and Finance Divisions in the planning, development, and implementation of programs, services and initiatives.

• Participate in Board of Health meetings and leadership briefings as needed, preparing and presenting reports, program updates, and recommendations related to environmental health programs, services, and public health priorities.

• Serve in leadership roles supporting emergency preparedness and agency accreditation initiatives.

• Act as a public health liaison to community boards, advisory councils, coalitions, and committees to strengthen partnerships and improve health outcomes.

• Participate in public health emergency response activities as required. All employees of the Ottawa County Health Department have a role in emergency response and may be called upon to assist in response efforts that protect the health of the community.

• Perform other duties as assigned. This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all responsibilities. Duties and responsibilities may change based on organizational needs. Organizational Duties

• Participate in quality improvement team projects and quality improvement training initiatives as applicable/ required and incorporate the principles of quality improvement into daily work activities.

• Participate in public health emergency response activities as needed, including roles within the Incident Command System/National Incident Management System.

• All health district employees have an emergency response role and may be expected to respond to threats to the public’s health in accordance with the County Combined General Health District Emergency Response Plan.

• Attend and participate in agency-sponsored training, events, and activities.

• Gather and organize documents to fulfill public records requests and other reporting obligations.

• Participate in organizational activities that support and enhance agency accreditation.

• Maintain reasonable and reliable attendance to meet organizational needs and objectives.

• Implement performance management and evidenced-based practice evaluations of mandated and non-mandated programs.

• Contributes to the development and implementation of organizational strategic plan.

• Provide and support opportunities for reporting staff to participate in quality improvement team projects and quality improvement training initiatives and ensure incorporation of the principles of quality improvement into their daily work activities.

Job Location

• Travel to off-site locations within Ottawa County and occasionally out of county or state;

• Work a general schedule of 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM, although a flexible schedule may be required, including evening, weekend, and holidays;

• Work in office settings, in home environments, and outdoors. Equipment Used

• General office equipment;

• Any other necessary equipment. Physical Requirements

• Ability to load and unload vehicle with health education materials when needed;

• Light office work.

• Contributes to the development and implementation of organizational strategic plan. Ottawa County Health Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug Free Workplace.

NOTE: while recreational marijuana may be legal in the state of Ohio, the County has elected to prohibit employees or applicants from using or testing positive for marijuana or THC. Any positive drug test will result in a withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Health Department will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Interested applicants should submit a resume to the Ottawa County Health Department, 1856 E. Perry Street, Port Clinton, OH 43452 or by email at info@ottawahealth.org. Please direct any questions to Gerald W. Bingham, Jr., MPH, REHS, Health Commissioner.

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