Job Details

Position Details

Salary: See Position Description

Location : Island of Oahu

Job Type: Various

Job Number: 25-0216

Department: Health

Opening Date: 06/28/2025

Closing Date: Continuous

Duties Summary

Food Safety Specialists promote, protect, and maintain a healthy and safe environment for the public. This is accomplished through inspection, education, and enforcement activities to implement the statutes, rules and regulations relating to environmental sanitation, and/or safety programs concerning foods, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices. Work in this series include identifying, mitigating, and preventing disease transmission through improperly prepared foods, contaminated waters and adulteration and/or misbranding of foods, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.

Food Safety Specialist I: This is an entry level to the Food Safety Specialist series. The trainee receives formal and on-the-job training in field activities such as investigations and inspections to develop an understanding of theories, pertinent law, rules, regulations and precedent cases and practices related to food, drug, cosmetic, medical device and/or environmental sanitation.

Food Safety Specialist II: As an advanced trainee, performs a variety of limited environmental sanitation work such as receiving complaints, doing inspections, issuing of citations for obvious violations, and investigates and recommends measures for corrections and prevention, and performs other related duties.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

To qualify, you must meet all of the following requirements:

Legal Authorization to Work Requirement: The State of Hawaii requires all persons seeking employment with the government of the State shall be citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States, or eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment in the United States.

Education: Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university with a bachelor's degree in one of the physical or biological sciences.
NOTE: You MUST ATTACH a copy of your OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT(S) as verification.

Professional Specialized Experience: No experience required for Level I; for Level II, SIX (6) MONTHS of professional inspectional or investigational work experience involved in the interpretation and application of the laws, regulations in public health. Such experience must show a comprehensive knowledge of principles, practices and objectives of the environmental health programs, a thorough knowledge of pertinent regulations and laws; and a thorough working knowledge of bacteriology, chemistry, physics, vector control methods and social sciences.

Non-Qualifying Experience: Non-professional technical work experience such as in a vector control program involving work in inspection, investigation, education and enforcement activities relating to the control and/or experimentation of mosquitoes, rodents and other small mammals, flies, fleas and other insects performed in support of the Food Safety Specialist series functions described above is not qualifying.

Driver's License: Applicants must possess a valid driver's license at the time of appointment.

Substitution Allowed: Relevant substitutions as described in the Minimum Qualification Requirements will apply.

The information provided above represents a summary of the Minimum Qualification Requirements. To view the Requirements in their entirety, please see the complete job announcement.

Other Information

The State of Hawai'i complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations in completing an application, any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please call 808-###-#### for assistance.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS (PSLF) PROGRAM The PSLF Program is a federal program that is intended to encourage individuals to work in public service by forgiving the balance of their federal student loans. To qualify, the individual must have made 120 qualifying payments while employed by a qualifying employer. For more information, please visit the official PSLF program website.

ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION TO APPLICANTS The Department of Human Resources Development (HRD) will use electronic mail to notify applicants of important information relating to status and processing of their applications as part of our ongoing efforts to increase efficiency.

TESTING INFORMATION The examination for this recruitment will be conducted on an unassembled basis where the examination score is based on evaluation of your education and experience. In-person interviews and/or further testing may be required in Hawaii at the discretion of the hiring agency. Applicants must be available to participate at their own expense if required.

Benefits

• Paid Holidays You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year.


• Paid Vacation 21 days each full year from the first year; up to 90 days total.


• Paid Sick Leave 21 days per year from the first year; no limit on accumulation.


• Health Insurance The State pays a portion of medical, drug, vision, and dental premiums.


• Group Life Insurance The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees.


• Retirement Plan The State contributes to a retirement plan; details vary by plan.


• Other Leaves Leave with pay for jury duty, death in family, military, etc.; leave sharing may be granted.


• Transportation Benefits Pre-tax deductions for parking, public transit, etc.


• Deferred Compensation Voluntary pre-tax retirement savings plan.


• Flexible Spending Accounts Island Flex program for health and dependent care expenses.


• Temporary Disability Insurance Disability benefits for non-work-related illnesses or injuries.


• Social Security State contributes to Social Security.


• Promotions & Transfers Opportunities for civil service employees.


• Training & Continuing Education In-service training opportunities; sabbatical leaves with pay in some departments.


• Travel Expenses Reimbursement for business travel.


• Incentive & Service Awards Recognition and cash awards for service.


• Union & Collective Bargaining Right to join a union; some employees may pay service fees if excluded.