Deputy Director of Environmental Health (0932 Manager IV)–DPH–167383

Reporting directly to the Director of Environmental Health, the Deputy Director of Environmental Health (0932 Manager IV) is responsible for ensuring effective daily operations across the Environmental Health Branch, supporting strategic priorities, and managing regulatory programs that may include Food Safety, Hazardous Materials and Waste, Healthy Housing, Water Quality, Solid Waste, Medical Cannabis Dispensary, Massage and Body Art, Tobacco Sales and Smoking, Site Mitigation and Local Oversight Program, City Hazardous Waste, Cellular Transmitter Site, and Disaster Planning.
The Deputy Director works closely with branch managers, City partners, and community stakeholders to advance environmental health protection, regulatory compliance, public health standards, and service excellence. The Deputy Director supports the Director in building a unified vision, motivating staff, and ensuring programs meet San Francisco’s complex public health and environmental regulatory needs.
The Deputy Director of Environmental Health (0932 Manager IV) performs the following essential job functions:
Develops and implements branch wide policies, procedures, strategic initiatives, and operational priorities
Leads daily operations for major Environmental Health regulatory programs, ensuring compliance, consistent performance, and alignment with public health mandates
Supervises Environmental Health program managers by assigning work and projects, providing operational and policy guidance, and participating in long range program planning, policy development, and the implementation of new environmental health programs
Oversees enforcement actions and serves as the primary hearing officer for abatement conferences, resolving complex, sensitive, or high-profile cases
Ensures quality, consistency, and continuous improvement across all regulatory programs by developing, implementing, and monitoring standard operating procedures, and by supporting environmental health assessments, data driven program development, and analysis of emerging environmental health issues
Leads workforce planning, ensuring appropriate staffing levels, staff development, and effective resolution of personnel and labor relations issues
Supports or leads legislative, regulatory, and policy development in coordination with SFDPH leadership, the Office of Policy and Planning, the Board of Supervisors, and other City partners
Participates in branch budget planning and oversight, monitoring program expenditures and ensuring fees and revenues reflect cost of service requirements
Represents the Environmental Health Branch in coordination with local, state, and federal agencies; engages with community organizations and industry groups; and communicates environmental health information at public meetings, hearings, and media or press events
Produces briefings for SFDPH leadership and serves as Acting Director as needed
The Deputy Director of Environmental Health (0932 Manager IV) may perform other duties as assigned/required.
REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
License: Possession of a valid license as a California Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) OR proof of successfully passing the Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) examination per regulations (see Health and Safety Code Section 106670)*, AND
Experience: Seven (7) years of experience in an environmental health agency of which three (3) years must include supervising environmental health professionals.
*Note: Applicants who do not possess the REHS license but meet all other minimum qualifications may be considered for this recruitment. Applicants selected under this provision must successfully pass the REHS examination and obtain a valid California REHS registration within twelve (12) months of hire.
Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.
One-year full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week).
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.
Experience in a leadership role for local California Environmental Health jurisdiction
Possession of a Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Science, Public Administration, or a related field
Experience managing budgets and developing local ordinances
Experience supervising a large number of staff
Possession of a California Driver’s License
Verification of Education and Experience:
Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Review SF Careers Employment Applications for considerations taken when reviewing applications.
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education or experience verification is required, information on how to verify education and experience requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://careers.sf.gov/knowledge/experience-education/.
Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Employment type
Full-time

Work arrangement
No