Community Outreach Specialist

Type of Staff Position Staff Time-Limited (STL) Basis 12 months Job Search Category Other About USC About University of South Carolina From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor's degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service - helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond. Benefits for Research Grant or Time-Limited Positions Are Indicated Below The University of South Carolina (UofSC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about UofSC benefits, access the \"Working at USC\" section on the Applicant Portal at Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding. South Carolina Retirement Yes State Insurance Programs Yes Annual Leave Yes Sick Leave Yes Position Description Advertised Job Summary The Community Outreach Specialist will provide support for the implementation of community-based nutrition education programming in Richland County and throughout the Midlands region and will also serve to strengthen FoodShare's outreach to local communities and the teaching kitchen community of practice in South Carolina. Demonstrates commitment to conducting business lawfully and ethically by consistently adhering to compliance policies, procedures and regulations. This position is established in support of expanded research activities. Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 1 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience. Preferred Qualifications Programmanagement experience in a community-based, educational, and/or population health setting. Food service experience in a commercial, institutional, or other setting requiring adherence to SCDA Regulation 61-25 for retail food establishments. ServSafe Food Handler or Food Protection Manager certification. Knowledge/Skills/Abilities Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and possess strong organizational, written, and verbal skills, including attention to detail and a proactive/strategic approach to daily tasks; willingness to work in a dynamic environment and team setting; is a strong public speaker with community engagement skills. Required to conduct business lawfully and ethically by consistently adhering to compliance policies, procedures and regulations. Job Duties Supports the implementation of community-based nutrition and culinary educational programming:

• Supports the development of community-based teaching kitchen programming using evidence-based curricula.
• Engages with community partners to promote programs and recruit participants.
• Supports training and administration of program facilitators in program implementation, ServSafe, kitchen and food safety, and FoodShare's mission and values.
• Coordinates program scheduling and implementation.
• Manages and reconciles procurement of food and supplies for community classes.
• Leads cooking demos at partner sites in Richland & Lexington counties.
• Contributes to the development of community programming expansion pilot across the FoodShare hub network.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 40 Implements nutrition education programs and initiatives for Richland County FoodShare Hub:

• Sources recipes for recipe card(s) (Gordon to continue to handle formatting and printing).
• Monitors and enforces safe food handling practices for Richland Hub staff.
• Supports hub management with procurement of warehouse supplies.
• Administers ServSafe Food Handler training and certification for Richland staff.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 15 Oversees teaching kitchen operations and maintenance:

• Recruits and manages volunteers for kitchen activities including, but not limited to, recipe development, sample production and distribution, and program assistance.
• Daily cleaning and maintenance duties as needed/directed.
• Tracks inventory of food, supplies, and equipment.
• Maintains documentation related to safety protocols and procedures.
• Observes and enforces kitchen policies and procedures for all kitchen activities.
• Builds and maintains relationships with vendors and service providers.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 15 Supports the statewide FoodShare hub network in nutrition education training and best practices:

• Creates and manages the recipe database in Google Drive.
• Trains hubs in recipe sourcing and in utilizing the recipe language guide appropriately.
• Supports hub network with cooking demo facilitation and training when available.
• Supports hub Program Managers with ServSafe Food Handler training and certification.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 10 Supports student-led community initiatives and promote FoodShare activities at the USC /School of Medicine:

• Supports procurement of food and supplies for School of Medicine programming.
• Assists with teaching kitchen programming as needed.
• Gives presentations about FoodShare as needed.
• Engages with and supports community-oriented student initiatives.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 10 Provides additional support to Culinary Medicine:

• Engages with nutrition- and community-related coalitions and advisory committees.
• Participates in state and national conferences pertaining to nutrition, culinary medicine, and public health.
• Contributes to grant research and identify funding opportunities to support community programming.
• Contributes to discussions related to community program strategy and expansion.

Support with management of interns. Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 10 Position Attributes Hazardous weather category Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing. Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing. No Number of Vacancies 1 Desired Start Date Position End Date Job Open Date 09/23/2026 Job Close Date 10/23/2026 Open Until Filled No We are only accepting applications submitted by October 23, 2026. The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. Supplemental Questions * Do you have at least a bachelor's degree in a job related field and 1 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience? Yes No Required Documents Resume List of References and Contact Information Optional Documents Cover Letter #J-18808-Ljbffr University of South Carolina