Built Environment Program Specialist

Current employees: Please apply through the employee portal to be considered for this opportunity.

Pay Range:
$38.00 - $46.70 Hourly

Department:
Health Department

Job Type:
Regular Represented

Exemption Status:
United States of America (Non-Exempt)

Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified):
November 30, 2025

The Opportunity:

THIS WORK MATTERS

Join us at Multnomah County Health Department, where we are seeking individuals who embody leadership, achievement, and action in a dynamic and ever-evolving environment. Our mission is at the heart of everything we do: to collaborate with communities, advance health equity, safeguard the most vulnerable, and foster health and wellness for all. Guided by our core values of Compassion and Care, Empowerment, Racial Equity, Creativity, and Integrity, we strive to create a workplace culture characterized by respect, trust, and understanding for the incredibly diverse populations we serve in our communities.

Multnomah County's Public Health Division is a vital resource for residents, working to promote physical and mental health, prevent disease and injury, and ensure access to essential health services. Some of our key functions and services include: preventing and controlling diseases, supporting maternal and child health, addressing mental health and substance use, ensuring environmental health, and promoting health equity.

The purpose of the Built Environment Program Specialist is to support program and policy development, decision-making and environmental change strategies for improving health equity through built environment interventions, primarily through transportation. The position serves as the subject matter expert on built environment influences on health and provides technical expertise to decision-makers, department leadership, partner organizations, and community groups on environmental health hazards, and strategies to reduce or mitigate related health impacts. The position promotes population health and health equity by identifying opportunities to advance public health and uses an environmental health justice lens to create conditions that support healthy people and healthy communities.

As the Built Environment Program Specialist, you will:

• Provide decision support to leadership regarding impacts on population health from proposed policies
• Track and participate in the development of proposed and current federal, state, regional and local policy, programs and legislation pertaining to transportation and land use
• Prepare science-based issue briefs to educate and empower partners to improve health outcomes within their spheres of influence
• Develop, implement and maintain program and project management and evaluation plans to achieve program goals
• Provide strategic analysis and support to management in recommending and implementing policies, guidelines, and procedures
• Research grants to support program needs, including grant management, execution and reporting, with adherence to a budget, timeline and deliverables.
• Represent the County as a subject matter expert on technical and advisory committees, where the position is responsible for upholding the mission, vision and values of the county among complex interpersonal and interdisciplinary stakeholders
• Develop meaningful partnerships with community groups to ensure that policy recommendations are responsive to community priorities and support improving climate health conditions
• Apply for funding, develop collaborative work plans, and identify training opportunities in collaboration with partners

Salary/Pay: Please be advised that the pay range listed for this position is intended to provide general guidance on the earning potential for the role. However, actual compensation will be determined in accordance with the Oregon Equal Pay Law and will take into account factors such as the candidate's relevant experience and education. Candidates should expect that initial offers will be made within the listed pay range and may not be at or near the top of the range.

Multnomah County offers an exceptional benefits package, including employer-funded retirement savings; health and dental insurance at very low cost to full-time employees and their dependents; paid parental leave; wellness programs; a focus on work-life balance; and much more. Find more details on our benefits website.

Routine Telework:At this time, this position is designated to "routine telework," meaning you will be working remotely (from home) most of the time. As with all telework positions, employees may be required to work in person on occasion. The designation of Routine Telework may be subject to change at a future time. Currently, all employees must reside in Oregon or Washington; the county cannot support ongoing telework from other locations. The onsite work location for this position is Lloyd Corporate Plaza - Environmental Health, 847 NE 19th Ave, Suite 350, Portland, OR 97232.

TO QUALIFY:

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific about how your background is relevant. For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page.

Required Minimum Qualifications/ Transferable Skills*:

• Education/Training:Equivalent to a bachelor's degree AND
• Experience: one (1) to four (4) years of experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position
• Built Environment Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA): Requires knowledge of transportation planning, the roles of each level of government, and common funding sources for transportation infrastructure. Includes familiarity with: travel demand modeling, demand management, capital project planning, environmental impact statements, and transit networks. This is demonstrated by academic training or experience working in built environment fields or areas of public health practice explicitly focused on built environment determinants of health.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA): Requires advanced proficiency in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) demonstrated by graduate level training or similar experience.

*Transferable skills: Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experiences that are relevant for this position. Be sure to describe any transferable skills on your application and clearly explain how they apply to this position.

Preferred Qualifications/ Transferable Skills*: You do not need to have the following preferred qualifications/ transferable skills to qualify. However, keep in mind we may consider some or all of the following when identifying the most qualified candidates. Please clearly explain on your application how you meet any of the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills.

• Training in qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Experience with community outreach
• Promote a culture of respect, inclusiveness, and appreciation of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and values
• Maintain a safe and healthful workplace

SCREENING & EVALUATION:

REQUIRED: You must submit all requested items below. Failure to do so will be deemed as an incomplete application.

1. Submit an online application

2. Attach a resume demonstrating you meeting minimum qualifications; AND

3. Attach a cover letterthat expands on your resume, addressing how you qualify for the position and why you are interested in the role. Please include your experience working in built environment fields or areas of public health practice explicitly focused on built environment determinants of health.

Note: Please be mindful of checking your email inbox for messages upon submitting your application. You may be emailed requesting for additional items from the Recruiter or hiring manager. If a response is not received in a timely manner your application may not be considered.

The Selection Process: For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page. We expect to evaluate candidates for this recruitment as follows:

• Initial review of application/ resume and cover letter for minimum qualifications and all required attachments. If you do not address the minimum qualifications in the application, your application will be considered incomplete and will not move forward in the recruitment process.
• Phone screen
• Supplemental Questionnaire
• Oral exam
• Consideration of top candidates
• Background, reference, and education checks

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Type of Position: This represented position is eligible for overtime.

Type: Represented

FLSA: Non-exempt

Note: The eligible list created from this recruitment may be used to fill regular, full or part time, temporary, and limited duration assignments for other available Program Specialist positions.

Our Commitment to Safety, Trust and Belonging: Multnomah County is committed to developing, nurturing and continually improving workforce equity by identifying and addressing the structural and policy barriers to equal employment opportunity faced by our employees and communities. County employees across the organization have stepped forward to develop a strategic plan and help create a workplace where everyone can reach their full potential. Learn more by reading our Workforce Equity Strategic Plan and exploring our Core Competencies for all County employees

Serving the Public, Even During Disasters: Everyday, Multnomah County staff work together to serve as a safety net for our communities. During a disaster, this safety net becomes even more critical. All County employees have a role in serving the public during inclement weather, natural disaster, or other types of community emergency response. During these emergency responses, while typically there begins with a call for volunteers, county employees may ultimately be reassigned from their current position to a role in the emergency response in order to support the critical needs presented by our communities. For more information, please visit the Disaster Service Worker Information page.

In accordance with Oregon Law, Multnomah County is not collecting school attendance dates in the initial application process; please do not include these dates in your resume, cover letter and other application materials.

Diversity and Inclusion: At Multnomah County, we don't just accept difference; we value it and support it to create a culture of dignity and respect for our employees.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. The EEO Know Your Rights poster is available for your reference. Multnomah County is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We request priority protected veteran referrals.

Veterans' Preference: Under Oregon Law, qualifying veterans may apply for veterans' preference. Review our veterans' preference page for details about eligibility and how to apply.

Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act: We gladly provide reasonable accommodation to anyone whose specific disability prevents them from completing an application or participating in this recruitment process. Please contact the recruiter below in advance to request assistance. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may contact the recruiter through the Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing 711.

Questions?

Recruiter:
Rebecca Richko

Email:
rebecca.richko@multco.us

Phone:
+1 (971) 9971646

Application information may be used throughout the entire selection process. This process is subject to change without notice.

Disclaimer: This announcement is intended as a general descriptive recruitment guide and is subject to change. It does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

Job Profile:
6021 - Program Specialist

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