[Hiring] Nutrition Program Consultant @State of North Carolina

Role Description

This position is for a Regional Nutrition Consultant, home-based in a county served by the position including Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey. This position provides consultation and technical assistance to local health agencies on program policy for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and supports quality assurance of nutrition programs through program monitoring and evaluation. Statewide travel and occasional overnight travel are required. This position reports to the Lead Regional Nutrition Consultant.

This position is part of the Division of Child and Family Well-Being (DCFW). DCFW focuses on supporting whole child and family health and well-being for North Carolinians with several sections including nutrition programs (WIC, SNAP and Child and Adult Care Food Program), health & prevention services for children and youth, children’s behavioral health programs, and early intervention programs.

The WIC Nutrition Services Unit oversees and administers the WIC Program by:

• Developing program policy, procedures, and implementation guidance related to participant and clinical services.
• Developing program efforts to promote, protect and support breastfeeding.
• Supporting quality assurance of nutrition programs through policy, monitoring, evaluation, and data analysis.
• Coordinating programmatic and nutrition training for local health agency staff and staff of public and private entities.
• Developing nutrition education and outreach resources that promote breastfeeding, healthful eating and physical activity in women, children, youth, and families.
• Providing consultation, education, and technical assistance to local health agencies and other public and private community agencies.
• Managing the NC Nutrition and Epidemiology Surveillance Systems (NC-NESS) and other surveillance and evaluation efforts.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in nutrition or public health nutrition from an appropriately accredited institution.
• Holds the credential of Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD or RDN) with the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Three years of program administration or supervisory experience.

Requirements

• Thorough knowledge of principles and practices of normal and therapeutic nutrition and its relationship to growth, chronic disease, principles and practices of behavior change, nutrition needs across the lifespan with a special focus on women and children, program planning, implementation and evaluation, and public health service delivery.
• Considerable knowledge of education techniques and the use of media in the delivery of education.
• Experience with interpreting, understanding and translating research findings into education information, communicating clearly and effectively orally and in writing, and preparing and presenting educational and training materials to professional and lay groups.
• Skills in planning, designing and developing educational programs, planning programs and intervention strategies, public speaking, organizing work, working with individuals and on a team.
• Skilled in problem solving techniques. Must analyze, interpret, recommend and implement policy and procedure guidelines. Mastery of the process and practice of consultation. Well-developed skills in education/training techniques as applied to adult education and various group process techniques.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance options.
• Standard and supplemental retirement plans.
• NCFlex program (numerous high-quality, low-cost benefits on a pre-tax basis).
• Paid vacation, sick, and community service leave.
• Paid parental leave available to eligible employees.

Company Description

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is one of the largest, most complex agencies in the state, and has approximately 17,000 employees. It is responsible for ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all North Carolinians, providing human service needs for special populations including individuals who are deaf, blind, developmentally disabled, and mentally ill, and helping poor North Carolinians achieve economic independence.