Durational Environmental Health & Drinking Water Chief(Durational Project Manager | Hybrid)

Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health is hiring!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking a qualified individual to join our team as our Durational Environmental Health & Drinking Water Chief. This position will temporarily lead the Environmental Health & Drinking Water (EHDW) Branch and will report to a DPH Deputy Commissioner. In this role you will provide management across key areas such as safe drinking water, toxicology, and lead exposure prevention, ensuring public health protection and program innovation. See below for additional information on this great opportunity!

Please Note: This position is durational with an anticipated end date of June 10, 2026.

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:

• Work Schedule: Typically Monday - Friday
• Work Hours: Full-time, First Shift, 40 hours per week
• Location: 410 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT

There may be opportunities for an alternate work schedule and working remotely in accordance with State policies, following the successful completion of a working test period.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:

• Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company: 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule.
• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING:

• Overseeing a diverse portfolio of mission critical programs including: Drinking Water, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), the Lead Hazard Reduction and Control Section, and the Environmental Health Section.
• Providing management and oversight for the Environmental Health & Drinking Water Branch, ensuring the effective administration of staff and operations.
• Driving the development and implementation of various projects including goals, and objectives, to align public health missions with state regulatory requirements.
• Leading regulatory efforts and strategic initiatives to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and state laws, safeguarding the state's drinking water supply.
• Overseeing the DWSRF program, including financial capacity analysis, loan disbursement, and federal grant funding management for drinking water infrastructure projects.
• Spearheading DPH’s efforts on toxicology and emerging contaminants, particularly in relation to PFAS and other critical environmental health concerns.
• Leading statewide efforts to eliminate lead exposure sources, working proactively to address both prevention and remediation.
• Cultivating and maintaining partnerships with key stakeholders, including federal and state agencies, local health departments, and community organizations.
• Fostering innovation by guiding the modernization of data systems and adoption of forward-thinking environmental health initiatives.
• Promoting continuous improvement and new public health strategies.

MORE ABOUT THE AGENCY AND FACILITIES:

The Mission of the Department of Public Health (DPH) is to protect and improve the health and safety of the people of Connecticut by:

• Assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy
• Preventing disease, injury, and disability
• Promoting the equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, which is a human right and a priority of the state.

DPH accomplishes this through the implementation of its Strategic Plan which outlines the actions that DPH is taking to accomplish its Mission.

Within DPH the Drinking Water Section (DWS) has responsibility for the development, implementation, compliance and enforcement of regulations that ensure the safety, quality, and adequacy of approximately 2,350 public drinking water systems. Since 1977, the DPH has been delegated primacy from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement and enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and since the early 1900s CT DPH has a series of state laws which must be implemented and enforced that concern the preservation and protect of public drinking water quality and quantity.

Selection Plan

This position will be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Sections 5-198 (14) and 5-270 (g) of the Connecticut General Statutes.



FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:

Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!

To Apply:

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
• You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
• In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
• This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.

Important Next Step Information for After You Apply:

• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email and/or phone, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
• This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
• Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position. Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
• Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
• For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

Connect With Us:

• Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
• Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment please contact Joseph K. Fried at Joseph.Fried@ct.gov, 860-924-7053.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state agency this class is accountable for making or conducting a special inquiry, investigation, examination or installation pursuant to Section 5-198(n) of the Connecticut General Statutes.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale environmental health and drinking water programs at a senior level, including policy development, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning.
• Proven experience leading teams and managing operations in complex, evolving environments, with a successful track record of building or scaling programs.
• Experience utilizing conflict resolution, consensus-building, and communication skills, able to engage diverse stakeholders and balance competing interests effectively.
• Experience driving innovation and program improvement through data modernization, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic leadership.
• Experience with managing financial programs and grants, particularly in public health or environmental health settings.
• Experience addressing environmental health challenges through innovative problem-solving and a forward-thinking approach.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.