Environmental Health Officer

IntelliStaff is recruiting an experienced Regional Environmental Health Officer to deliver environmental public health programs across Nunavut.

The successful candidate will identify, assess and correct environmental hazards; conduct inspections; investigate health concerns; support disease-control programs; and enforce applicable public health legislation.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct risk-based inspections of public facilities, institutions, rental housing and personal-service establishments
• Inspect food-service facilities and investigate suspected foodborne illnesses
• Collect and submit food, water and diagnostic samples for laboratory analysis
• Test drinking water and inspect community and private water systems
• Recommend, issue and rescind boil-water advisories when authorized
• Inspect sewage, waste-management and environmental sanitation systems
• Investigate mould, pests, spills, odours, garbage and housing sanitation concerns
• Support investigations involving communicable diseases, zoonotic illnesses and potential rabies exposure
• Respond to environmental health emergencies and disease outbreaks
• Monitor and enforce territorial tobacco-control requirements
• Provide emergency on-call coverage as assigned
• Travel to communities throughout the assigned region

Regulatory and Enforcement Responsibilities

• Interpret and enforce applicable public health legislation and standards
• Approve or reject applications to operate regulated premises
• Issue directions requiring corrective action
• Order closures, condemn unsafe premises or seize hazardous materials when necessary
• Prepare documentation for legal proceedings
• Work with legal counsel and appear as an expert witness when required
• Exercise enforcement authority impartially and professionally

Community Engagement and Administration

• Advise residents, businesses, health professionals and community organizations
• Explain environmental health risks and required corrective measures
• Deliver food-safety and environmental health education
• Develop culturally relevant public education materials
• Maintain inspection records, case files and water-quality data
• Prepare reports, enforcement documents and program statistics
• Maintain environmental testing equipment and supplies

Education and Experience

• Undergraduate degree from a recognized university in Environmental Health or a related field
• Certification through the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors
• Minimum two years of related environmental health experience
• Valid driver’s licence
• Experience conducting inspections, risk assessments and regulatory investigations
• Experience interpreting and enforcing public health legislation
• Experience working in remote, northern or cross-cultural environments is an asset

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of food safety, drinking-water quality, wastewater management and communicable disease control
• Understanding of epidemiology, microbiology, chemistry and hydrology
• Strong investigation, risk-assessment and decision-making abilities
• Excellent documentation, report-writing and organizational skills
• Ability to operate environmental sampling and testing equipment
• Strong communication, diplomacy and conflict-resolution skills
• Cultural awareness and the ability to work respectfully within Inuit and multicultural communities
• Ability to communicate in more than one of Nunavut’s official languages is an asset

Top 5 Reasons to Work in Nunavut

1. Make a visible difference: Your work directly supports safer water, food, housing and public facilities in northern communities.
2. Gain exceptional professional experience: Handle a wider variety of environmental health responsibilities than you might encounter in a larger urban centre.
3. Experience Inuit culture: Learn from welcoming communities with strong traditions, languages and connections to the land.
4. Explore an unforgettable landscape: Experience Arctic wildlife, wide-open tundra, northern lights and outdoor adventures that are difficult to find anywhere else.
5. Build meaningful relationships: Work closely with community leaders, health professionals and local organizations; in smaller communities, collaboration is not just corporate wallpaper.

Working Conditions

• Regular travel to remote communities
• Emergency and on-call work may be required
• Work in extreme weather and potentially hazardous environments
• Some inspections may involve confined spaces, heavy testing equipment and considerable walking
• Personal protective equipment must be worn when appropriate
• Enforcement duties may involve challenging situations

Qualified environmental public health professionals who enjoy fieldwork, community engagement and meaningful variety are encouraged to apply.