Job Details

Overview

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare and values diversity in its workforce. All employees work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.

• Application Opening October 10, 2025
• Application Deadline Application filing closes on or after October 20, 2025
• Salary: $35 / hour
• Appointment Type: Temporary Exempt (TEX)
• Recruitment ID: TEX-9910-EXEMPT
• Location: 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA, 94103

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH achieves this through the work of several divisions and facilities across the City, including the San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration. The San Francisco Health Network is the Citys complete system of care with locations across the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, plus numerous primary care health centers. The Population Health Division provides core public health services including health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates with SFHN and provides mental health and substance use treatment services.

Note: The qualified applicant pool may be used to fill various positions located at different locations in the next six months.

Job Description

The San Francisco Department of Public Health is accepting applications for temporary, full-time Environmental Health Specialist (EHS) Trainee positions in class 9910 Public Service Trainee. The 9910 EHS Trainee will receive training required for taking the State of California Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) exam. This trainee program has a maximum duration of 36 months.

The primary program area in the Environmental Health Branch will be the Retail Tobacco and Smoking Program, and the trainee will be provided enough hours to qualify for the REHS exam.

Essential Duties

Under the guidance of Registered Environmental Health Specialists (REHS), including the Program Manager and Environmental Health Staff, the 9910 Environmental Health Specialist Trainee will be trained to perform the following essential duties:

• Conduct surveys and assist with inspections of regulated facilities.
• Participate in projects involving databases used by the State Board of Equalization, permits, local Health Department Permits, and the San Francisco Tax collector.
• Conduct compliance checks and distribute regulatory information to the Department of Public Health permitted facilities.
• Compare data and generate reports.
• Provide office administrative assistance, such as processing permit applications and answering phones.
• Provide information to the public regarding Environmental Health Branch programs.
• Assist in the investigation of public health and safety hazards.
• Provide support for Environmental Health Branch programs as needed.
• The Environmental Health Specialist Trainee Assistant performs other related duties as assigned/required.

Nature of Position: This role may require sustained physical effort involving walking with bending and stooping during inspections, with occasional exposure to health and safety hazards and other conditions.

Qualifications

Education: A bachelors degree (or higher) in Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Ecology, Entomology, Geology, Hydrology, Climatology, Environmental Science (e.g., Food Science, Water Quality/Hydrology), or other related natural sciences.

Letter of Eligibility: Must possess a valid "Letter of Eligibility" issued by CDPH, affirming eligibility to work as an EHS Trainee. A legible copy of the Letter MUST be submitted no later than two months following the hire date. Attach electronic copy to your online application and to the Google Form Questionnaire.

• We may request additional documentation to review degree courses.
• Applicants must meet the minimum qualification by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

* Applicant in their last semester of a qualifying bachelors degree program is encouraged to apply but will not be eligible for hire until degree completion is shown.

Desirable Qualifications

• Possession of a current, valid California drivers license.
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team.
• Bilingual fluency.
• Experience using Microsoft applications including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Word and Excel.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Additional Information

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are accepted online. Visit the careers site at careers.sf.gov to begin the application process. Our email communications may come from multiple departments; ensure your email is set to accept messages from all.

Applicants may be contacted by email; it is their responsibility to update their contact information with the Analyst. A confirmation email will be sent when an online application is received for every announcement filed. Retain this confirmation for your records.

Further information about Employment with the City and County of San Francisco may be found in the following sections: Hiring Process, Conviction History, Employee Benefits Overview, Equal Employment Opportunity, Disaster Service Workers, Reasonable Accommodation, Right to Work, Copies of Application Documents, and Diversity Statement.

Contact: Katrina Navarro at ...@sfdph.org or 628-###-#### for questions regarding this recruitment or application process.