Nunavut Regional 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.

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