Nutrition Educator / Nutrition Specialist- WIC

Olmsted County•2100 Building - Olmsted County Campus, MN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Olmsted County is recognized as one of the best places to work in Southeast Minnesota and is seeking a Nutrition Educator / Nutrition Specialist for the WIC program. This role is crucial in fostering a vibrant community where everyone thrives by providing public health nutrition services to individuals and families enrolled in the WIC program. The position involves determining eligibility, conducting health screenings and dietary assessments, providing nutrition counseling and breastfeeding support, and applying evidence-based information to improve health and nutritional status. The role also supports a diverse, respectful, and inclusive workplace and may require non-standard work hours during disease outbreaks or emergency situations. This is a Rochester, MN based position and is not remote eligible.

Requirements

Nutrition Educator: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in nutritional sciences or dietetics.
OR Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in health sciences or family and consumer sciences with applicable coursework in nutrition. Documentation required for minimum coursework evaluation as required by Minnesota WIC Program requirements.
OR Registered Nurse licensed by the Minnesota Board of Nursing and two (2) years of experience in a maternal child health or nutrition program.
OR Nutrition Dietetic Technician, registered (NDTR) registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
Nutrition Specialist: Bachelor's degree or master’s degree from an accredited college or university in nutrition or dietetics.
Current Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credentialed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is required upon employment.
Regular and reliable attendance is a necessary component of job/position.
Individuals required to use County vehicles and equipment must have a valid driver’s license and be free of any major traffic violations for the last three (3) years.
Knowledge of normal and therapeutic nutrition throughout the life cycle.
Knowledge of current and emerging nutrition issues.
Knowledge of education techniques and principles of human motivation for change.
Knowledge of the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals.
Knowledge of blood borne pathogens, universal precautions, and ability to implement them in clinics located in community settings.
Knowledge of community resources.
Skill in the use of computers and technology.
Skill in effective verbal and written communication.
Skill in conducting health and nutrition screening tests and assessments according to standard procedures.
Ability to work with a diverse population.
Ability to work effectively with interpreters.
Ability to establish and maintain professional working relationships with others.
Ability to effectively organize and prioritize work.
Ability to support a quality improvement culture by growing knowledge, identifying performance improvement opportunities, and implementing continuous improvement initiatives.
Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Ability to communicate fluently in Spanish or Somali in addition to English.

Responsibilities

Provides public health nutrition services to individuals and families enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
Determines eligibility of WIC applicants and conducts health screening and dietary assessments.
Provides nutrition counseling and breastfeeding support to improve the health and nutritional status in the WIC population.
Applies evidence-based information and research to advance nutrition practices in WIC.
Supports a diverse, respectful, and inclusive workplace.
Conducts client visits, screens calls, enrolls clients in the WIC program and provides information to clients by phone, email, and text.
Gathers nutrition information from clients and conducts health screening including height, weight, and hemoglobin.
Determines eligibility of clients for WIC program.
Provides nutrition education and breastfeeding support to WIC clients using participant centered counseling.
Documents nutritional services provided according to established guidelines and adheres to federal and state program regulations.
Identifies risk factors for a high-risk care plan.
Assists with the development of care plans for high-risk cases.
Supports the department during disease outbreaks and emergency situations that may require non-standard work hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Performs administrative support duties for the WIC program.
Completes additional tasks as assigned.