SENIOR PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITIONIST SUPV

Senior Public Health Nutritionist Supervisor

Thank you for your interest in career opportunities with the Florida Department of Health in Polk County. If you are looking to establish a successful career in Public Health, you have come to the right place. Many of our innovative and successful health programs are recognized throughout Florida. We hope you decide to join our team!

Applicants will be contacted directly if selected for an interview.

Your specific responsibilities include:

• Responsible for the supervision of staff including appraisals, planning and directing work, approving leave, and having the authority for hiring and taking disciplinary action or effectively recommending such actions.
• The incumbent is part of a global public health organization and is expected to support the Florida Department of Health in Polk County in its mission to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts and its vision to be the Healthiest State in the Nation.
• Furthermore, the incumbent is expected to incorporate the agency values of Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Responsiveness and Excellence in all aspects of their work.
• This is a highly responsible public health nutrition position providing services to clients or the community at any site or location in the geographic area covered by the Polk/Hardee WIC Program.
• The primary work of the position is carrying out WIC Program responsibilities at the Auburndale WIC site.
• This is the most responsible WIC position at this office, providing supervision, coordinating activities, evaluating services, and implementing improvements designed to improve patient care.

Management duties include:

• Supervision of the WIC program in Auburndale.
• Supervision of subordinate staff.
• Interviews potential subordinate employees and recommends their hire.
• Trains new employees according to local, state, and federal rules and guidelines.
• Evaluates employees according to previously determined standards, meeting state-imposed deadlines.
• Plans site schedule of subordinate employees.
• Recognizes and rewards high performing employees; disciplines employees as necessary.
• Communicates with employees on a regular basis and uses team building skills to motivate and guide the team to improved performance.
• Uses time management skills and delegation to stay on track with all assignments and work responsibilities.
• Takes and resolves client complaints, ensuring customer satisfaction as much as possible.
• Ensures the accurate completion of all inventories, purchasing requirements, and p-card transactions according to local, state, and federal guidelines.
• Works closely with health care professionals to provide an integrated approach to nutrition and health care; coordinates nutrition services at the WIC site with other health services.
• Helps to develop quality improvement (QI) tools, participates in quality improvement activities, presents the information to subordinate staff, and makes changes in clinic policies and procedures as appropriate based on QI findings.
• Purchasing Card – Assigned Purchasing Card Responsibilities.
• Complies with all Department of Health and WIC security and confidentiality rules and requirements.
• Information Custodian for the WIC/Nutrition Division.
• Serves as the designated staff person in charge of voter registration activities within their clinic site.

Nutrition education duties include:

• Performs heights, weights, and hemoglobin for potentially eligible WIC participants, documenting these in client records.
• Recommends local policies for the timing of these physical measurements.
• Counsels clients about immunizations, use of car seats and basic health information.
• Refers clients for comprehensive health care as necessary.
• Completes the medical history, nutrition history, and breastfeeding assessment for WIC clients.
• Develops, monitors, evaluates, and revises nutrition care plans for high risk, medically high risk and low risk WIC clients and provides/documents nutrition and breastfeeding counseling according to all local, state and federal guidelines.
• Certifies eligible clients for participation in the WIC program by determining and assigning correct nutrition risk per program policies.
• Assigns/updates client food prescriptions according to program regulations.
• Provides nutrition programs and outreach to health care professionals and members of the community.
• Provides classes and group nutrition education per class lesson plans with appropriate documentation.
• Ensures that clients receive the required number of nutrition education contacts.

Other duties include:

• Completes administrative forms such as EARs, time sheets, and travel per department policies and required deadlines.
• Attends and participates in staff meetings, in-service trainings, and other staff development activities.
• This position may serve clients that speak only Spanish, Creole, or other languages. It may require performance of interpreter duties, if bilingual, or implementation of the Department's Limited English Proficiency Plan.
• Performs other duties as required, including performance of additional interpreter duties, consistent with skill level, and as needed.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities include:

• Knowledge of the science and current practice of nutrition or dietetics.
• Knowledge of the concepts and theories of nutrition or dietetics as it relates to growth, development, health or disease; Knowledge of nutritional and dietary assessment techniques.
• Knowledge of the methods of compiling, organizing and analyzing data.
• Ability to develop educational/training plans and supporting materials.
• Ability to use various communication channels to provide education/training.
• Ability to analyze and interpret anthropometric, biochemical, clinical and dietary data.
• Ability to interview and counsel patients.
• Ability to plan, organize and evaluate a nutrition program or project.
• Ability to supervise people.
• Ability to determine work priorities, assign work, and ensure proper completion of work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.

Qualifications include:

• Minimum - Valid Florida Driver's License or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of employment.
• Bachelor's degree (or a master's degree or higher) from an accredited college or university with the major course of study in Public Health Nutrition, Dietetics, Clinical Nutrition, Community Nutrition, or Nutritional Sciences.
• As required by the Florida state WIC program.
• Licensure as a dietitian/nutritionist (LD/N) with the State of Florida - Dietitians & Nutritionists, Chapter 468, Part X.

Where you will work: Auburndale, FL.