Environmental Health Program Coordinator

The Environmental Health Program Coordinator will manage or support the management of three US CDC-funded environmental health grants from the National Center for Environmental Health with the following areas of focus:

•  A Climate and Health grant, focused on developing, managing, and evaluating projects that help Mainers and Maine communities build resilience to the health effects of climate change;
• An Environmental Public Health Tracking grant, focused on environmental public health surveillance and on developing accessible web-based environmental and health data displays for public health action; and
• A Strengthening Environmental Health Capacity grant, focused on education and outreach around private well water quality, and the promotion of well water testing for environmental contaminants.

The position will work within the Maine CDC’s Toxicology and Environmental Epidemiology Program (TEEP), a multi-disciplinary group consisting of epidemiologists, toxicologists, physicians, health communication specialists, and environmental health scientists. Work will be performed as part of this highly skilled and collaborative team, under the direction of the Maine CDC Principal Investigator for these grants.

Essential Job Functions:

• Coordinate, oversee, and monitor environmental health-related activities associated with three US CDC-funded environmental health grants within Maine CDC’s Toxicology and Environmental Epidemiology Program.
• Provide task-based oversight of other program staff as needed.
• Engage and work with partners and stakeholders to implement public health interventions to prevent heat- and cold-related illnesses and to help communities build resilience to extreme heat and cold.
• Coordinate and support interagency efforts to establish a pollen monitoring network, including assisting with the review and synthesis of literature and data on the health effects of pollen exposure, and helping to convene and support a pollen stakeholder group.
• Coordinate with and support efforts to administer the Maine Tracking Network, a public-facing data portal featuring environmental health data displays, as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Engage and work with partners and stakeholders to expand and improve the Maine Tracking Network and to evaluate its utility.
• Coordinate and support intra- and inter-agency efforts to provide free well water test kits to low-income Mainers through programs like WIC and MaineCare.
• Convene and support a variety of stakeholder groups, facilitate meetings, gather and summarize stakeholder feedback.
• Prepare and monitor contracts and memoranda of agreement with outside parties and other state agencies to provide services in support of program activities.
• Assist in preparing grant applications and reports.
• Manage grant budgets, monitor program and contractor expenditures, approve invoices.

Knowledge, Qualifications and Skills:

The candidate should have a Master’s Degree in public health, community health, health sciences, health education, nursing, environmental sciences, public or health administration, or a closely related field, and one (1) year of professional experience in the planning, development, coordination, and/or evaluation of health programs or services; or equivalent combination of a Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field and three (3) years of related experience.

Preferred candidates will also have:

• Understanding of how natural and built environments impact public health.
• Knowledge of climate change science and/or of the public health implications of climate change
• Understanding of tools and strategies for improving public health through policy, planning, or program development
• Knowledge or experience related to identifying the social or physical determinants of health.
• Understanding of health equity and the ability to apply an equity lens to all work.
• Experience with grant application, management, and administration processes.
• Experience supervising and managing staff.
• Knowledge of public health program evaluation methods

Additional key considerations:

• To perform the responsibilities required in this position successfully, the employee in this position must be able to demonstrate at least functional proficiency for most of the core competencies.
• Individuals who are energetic self-starters, who are able to function comfortably in a team environment and relate well to co-workers and the public, who are comfortable with change and have a positive “can do” attitude, are well suited to this position.
• This position requires flexibility and the ability to manage time and multiple tasks.

Please note, because this position is embedded at Maine CDC, this position is required to work in-person at a Maine CDC Office at least two days per week and will follow the State of Maine Tele-Work policy.

While this position is embedded at the Maine CDC, you will be a member of MCD Global Health. We are a public health non-profit organization recognized in the United States and internationally as a leader, innovator, and trusted partner in the design, implementation, and assessment of high quality, enduring programs in public health.

Our Vision & Mission:

We envision a world in which all people have access to high-quality and enduring solutions to improve and maintain their health and well-being. MCD aspires to be a premier partner of choice and an internationally recognized leader, innovator, and trusted partner in applied, cross-national public health solutions. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of people worldwide through enduring, high-quality, cost-effective, and universally accessible public health solutions.

MCD Global Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

MCD strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccinations for employees, contractors, and other representatives.