City of Austin - JOB DESCRIPTION

Toxicologist

1. Develop, coordinate, and conduct complex toxicologic evaluations to determine potential health risks associated with exposure to environmental contaminants.
2. Recommend enforcement activities, including revision of ordinances, based on analysis and interpretation of environmental and toxicologic data.
3. Determine appropriate procedures and methodologies to be followed in conducting toxicologic evaluations/risk assessments and produce/review reports concerning the evaluations.
4. Serve as an expert toxicologist/risk assessor in agency hearings, court proceedings, and public meetings.
5. Serve as expert toxicologist consultant for department on syndromic surveillance activities and issues of environmental toxicology.
6. Monitor and distribute new toxicologic information to staff; create and update health effects databases.
7. Assist in data collection, assessment and evaluation process in community health planning for the department's disease surveillance and bioterrorism planning and response activities.
8. Create and implement ongoing in-service training programs for personnel in data management, environmental toxicology, epidemiological methods and bioterrorism preparedness.
9. Collaborate and provide technical assistance to other city departments on environmental health risk assessments, communicating environmental health risk information, and to review consultant's reports and make recommendations on related public health risks.

• May provide leadership, work assignments, evaluation, training, and guidance to others.

• Knowledge of the standard principles and methods of toxicology; of chemical laboratory procedures; and of computer applications.
• Knowledge of the standard principles, methods and practice of epidemiology as applied to environmental toxins, chemicals, and infectious agents.
• Knowledge of current principles and practices of toxicology as applied to environmental toxins and chemicals as well as infectious agents.
• Knowledge of routes of exposure, risk assessment, and risk communication. and operations of interrelating departments and agencies.
• Knowledge of applicable statutes, ordinances, and codes.
• Ability to initiate, plan, develop, interpret, and conduct risk assessments and evaluations of toxicologic information to determine the health risks associated with public/environmental exposure to toxic substances.
• Ability to communicate effectively to produce and present highly technical reports and studies related to toxicology and epidemiology.
• Ability to address audiences, to assemble, summarize, and interpret pertinent technical literature.
• Ability to interact with the public and to represent the department as an expert toxicology witness.
• Ability to work independently to ensure that assessments are consistent with standard principles and methods of toxicology, epidemiology, and department policy.
• Ability to plan, assign, and or supervise the work of technical staff in the performance of complex toxicologic and epidemiologic evaluations and risk assessments.

• Masters degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in in a field related to Science, Natural Science, with an emphasis in toxicology, pharmacology, or chemistry, plus four (4) years of experience in a field related to toxicology, pharmacology, chemistry, risk assessment, or environmental health.
• Doctor of Philosophy from an accredited college or university in a field related to Science, Natural Science, with an emphasis in toxicology, pharmacology, or chemistry may substitute for experience up to a maximum of two (2) years.