Statement of Duties

The Tobacco Control Coordinator enforces tobacco regulations, educates retailers and the public, and leads tobacco control efforts under the Six-City Tobacco Initiative (Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Somerville & Winthrop). This position is funded through the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program (MTCP) grant and is responsible for delivering on all required compliance, enforcement, and reporting components.

The Coordinator conducts inspections, oversees youth participation in compliance checks, engages with business owners and community members, and advises Boards of Health (BOH) on regulatory and policy recommendations. The position requires flexibility for after-hours fieldwork, a high degree of independence, and comfort working with diverse populations, including youth.

This is a safety-sensitive position and is contingent upon successful pre-employment background and screening checks.

Equity Commitment: The City of Somerville Health and Human Services Department is committed to advancing equity, inclusion, and racial and social justice in all aspects of municipal operations. We strive to ensure that our programs, policies, and communications are accessible and culturally responsive to the diverse populations we serve. This role supports that mission through public health enforcement and community engagement efforts that prioritize language access, cultural humility, and equitable outcomes.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Carry out all tobacco control enforcement, education, and documentation activities in accordance with MTCP requirements and Somerville’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
• Complete inspections, compliance checks, Synar operations, and enforcement follow-up across the Six-City Tobacco Initiative region for all stores (approximately 300) as assigned by the Director of Prevention Services.
• Ensure all work meets the standards and protocols of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program (MTCP), and local Board of Health regulations.
• Develop work plans and other activities with funder Massachusetts Tobacco Control (MTCP).
• Participate in meetings/trainings including MTCP Coalition meetings and attend all trainings/meetings required by the MA Department of Public Health.
• Enter data live into the POST system during fieldwork (using City-supplied tablet) and maintain all associated documentation, including internal spreadsheets, letters, violation notices, and entries in CitizenServe for Somerville stores.
• Conduct return inspections, suspension checks, and permit follow-up visits in accordance with the SOP and enforcement timelines.
• Prepare and submit quarterly reports tracking inspections, violations, appeals, complaints, and education.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including City Solicitor, ISD, and Treasury, for enforcement actions and appeals.
• Recruit, train, and supervise youth under the age of 21 for Synar and compliance checks; coordinate scheduling and obtain parental consent as required.
• Conduct practical and policy-focused training for municipal staff in other communities to help integrate tobacco control into local workflows.
• Provide direct education to tobacco retailers during inspections and follow-ups, including signage distribution and best practice guidance.
• Promote equity and inclusion by prioritizing multilingual and culturally competent communication in education, outreach, and policy development efforts.
• Review and disseminate educational materials for retailers, youth, parents, schools and community.
• Coordinate SOP consistency, communication protocols, and cross-municipal enforcement.
• Represent the six communities at Board of Health meetings and legal hearings related to appeals, enforcement actions, or policy changes in all participating municipalities.
• Support policy development by providing data, drafting recommendations, and presenting tobacco control updates to Boards of Health as needed.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned by the Director of Prevention Services.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, Criminal Justice, or a related field.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in public health enforcement, compliance, or youth-focused community health work.
• Experience working in a municipal or inter-municipal enforcement role preferred.
• Non-smoker and have a valid Massachusetts driver’s license and personal vehicle for transportation. This vehicle must be in good working order, be registered and insured.
• Experience supervising or working closely with youth and families
• Bilingual or multilingual skills preferred

An equivalent combination of education and experience which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility listed above may be substituted for the above education and experience preferences.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge:

• Familiarity with Massachusetts tobacco laws, regulations and enforcement procedures applicable to retail establishments and MTCP goals preferred
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and professionally with diverse populations
• Strong record-keeping, data-entry and organizational skills required
• Familiarity with inspection reporting systems such as POST and CitizenServe preferred
• Strong understanding and support of principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion as applied to public health communications and enforcement.
• Public health strategies related to tobacco use prevention, positive youth development and community outreach and engagement
• Use of Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant data management tools

Ability:

• Comfort presenting to regulatory boards and public officials
• Ability to meet specified timelines in an independent manner
• Participate in required and ongoing training
• Ability to work independently or in a team environment as needed
• Ability to supervise youth under the age of 21 performing compliance checks is required
• Enforcing tobacco regulations fairly, professionally, and with cultural sensitivity
• Working independently with minimal supervision and managing inspection schedules
• Prioritizing equity and inclusion in policy implementation and community interactions
• Maintaining composure and professionalism in potentially challenging enforcement situations
• Using inspection software platforms and reporting tools accurately and efficiently

Skill:

• Attention to detail and accuracy are essential.
• Maintaining detailed and accurate inspection records and entering data in real-time.
• Communicating regulatory information clearly and tactfully.
• Creating and prioritizing culturally competent and multilingual communication materials.
• Collaborating effectively with diverse community members, retailers, and stakeholders.
• Analyzing inspection data to identify trends and improve enforcement strategies.
• Time management and multitasking to handle multiple inspections efficiently.

Work Environment

• Field-based role with frequent travel to tobacco retailers across six municipalities
• Schedule flexibility required, including some evenings and weekends
• Office work includes data entry, enforcement letters, policy development, and meeting participation
• Exposure to retail and enforcement environments; training through MTPC provided

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

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The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact the ADA Coordinator at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov.

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union. Public Health Nurses are part of Union A (SMEA).
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Somerville Retirement Pension System
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.