Manager, National Nutrition Programs

National Pork Board•Des Moines, IA

18h•$90,000 - $115,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The National Pork Board (NPB) is seeking a Manager, National Nutrition Programs to lead execution across U.S. federal feeding programs, with a primary focus on K–12 school meals and additional responsibility for military, hospital, and institutional foodservice programs. This role advances pork as a high-quality, practical protein in child and institutional nutrition settings through education, stakeholder engagement, recipe development, and program innovation.

Requirements

Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) strongly preferred
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred
5–7 years’ experience in school meals, child nutrition, or federal feeding programs
Strong knowledge of USDA regulations and K–12 procurement processes
Experience in menu development, institutional foodservice, or grant initiatives preferred
Valid driver’s license and/or passport required.

Nice To Haves

Strategic yet execution-focused
Confident challenging legacy practices with data and practicality
Strong communicator across nutrition and operational audiences
Collaborative, curious, and impact-driven
Passionate about improving child nutrition while supporting U.S. pork producers

Responsibilities

Federal & Child Nutrition Leadership Serve as subject matter expert in USDA school meal programs (NSLP, SBP, CACFP, Summer Meals).
Guide strategy, compliance, and implementation across federal feeding programs.
Establish KPIs and measure impact (district adoption, menu integrations, training reach, resource utilization).
Partner with public affairs and government relations to support stakeholder education and implementation guidance.
School Meals Strategy & Integration Develop strategies to increase understanding and appropriate use of pork in school meals.
Collaborate with school nutrition leaders, distributors, and operators to support compliant, cost-effective menu integration.
Navigate pork-free district preferences with culturally responsive, practical solutions.
Education & Stakeholder Engagement Design and deliver education for school nutrition directors, dietitians, menu planners, and procurement teams.
Maintain a current resource hub (recipes, toolkits, procurement guides, FAQs).
Represent NPB at conferences and industry meetings.
Build relationships with state agencies, associations, and key influencers.
Recipe Development & Innovation Lead or support development of USDA-compliant, student-approved recipes.
Collaborate with manufacturers and distributors on school-ready pork products.
Identify and support farm-to-school and grant opportunities aligned with NPB priorities.
Cross-Functional Leadership Partner across nutrition, marketing, sustainability, and communications teams.
Contribute strategic insight to long-term nutrition and food systems initiatives.