Eat Safe Fish Program Specialist
Agency: Michigan Department of Health & Human Services Division of Environmental Health (DEH)
Location: Lansing, MI
Closing Date: June 28, 2020
Term/Grade: 1 Yr, with option to renew if services are required
Contact: Michelle Bruneau, Division Operations Administrator
Position Summary:
This position will provide support to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Environmental Health (DEH) Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory Program. The person in this position is responsible for supporting the Division and training staff to evaluate environmental fish data from multiple and complex sites of chemical contamination, determining whether a public health hazard exists, making and following up on recommendations to protect public health, and documenting the findings in Health Consultations, Eat Safe Fish Recommendation Sheets, or other reports. The specialist will also collaborate with other federal, state, and local health, as well as regulatory agencies. The specialist will primarily work with staff within DEH but may be asked to interact with the public via meetings, telephone conversations, and field visits, responding to community health concerns and analyzing fish data.
Major Duties:
- Oversight of data quality control and assurance.
- Train staff on utilization of a large database, statistical analysis and interpretation of fish contaminant data, and generating technical reports.
- Provide expert technical support on fish contaminant issues.
- Support the development of recommendations for further investigations when needed to fill fish data gaps.
- Train on the interpretation of data of chemicals where existing studies are not standardized, where results are unclear or controversial, or where fish contaminant evidence must be pieced together to draw appropriate health-protective conclusions.
- Train staff to determine acceptable exposure standards when none exist or modifies existing default standards when site-specific information is available.
- Train staff to determine qualitative and quantitative adequacy of environmental sampling data. If data gaps exist, support the process to request additional information from appropriate governmental agencies.
- Recommend/assist with sampling designs and strategies for interpreting data.
- Reviews Public Health Consultation/Assessment reports, executive summaries, fact sheets, and other documents and presentations related to the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory Program.
- Independently applies considerable scientific judgement to identify and recommend consumption interventions related to the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory Program.
- May be asked to participate in ATSDR and EPA-hosted national and regional workshop meetings and participates in panels and presentations to share knowledge and experience for the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory Program.
- Review scientific literature on related to the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory Program.
- Attend and lead training sessions to increase knowledge of on the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory Program.
- Attend and participate in local, state, and national meetings, conferences, and seminars on related technical topics and issues, as available.
See announcement and apply here.
