SENIOR PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITIONIST

Department of Health
Working Title: SENIOR PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITIONIST SUPV - 64005785
Pay Plan: Career Service
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. This includes communicating with, motivating, training, and evaluating employees in addition to planning and directing employees' work. The incumbent will also be required to develop performance expectations, meet with staff regularly to discuss performance, complete performance reviews, maintain vacation and work schedules, ensuring proper coverage, and complete timesheets.
Responsible for the supervision of staff Including appraisals, planning, and directing their work, approving leave, 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.

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 Lakeland Central 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.
Supervision of the WIC program in Lakeland Central. Supervision of subordinate staff.
Trains new employees according to local, state, and federal rules and guidelines
Plans site schedule of subordinate staff.
Communicates with employees on a regular basis and uses team building skills to motivate and guide the team to improved performance
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
Complies with all Department of Health and WIC security and confidentiality rules and requirements
Information Custodian for the WIC/Nutrition Division. Serves as the Information Custodian of assigned Information Sets; maintaining the confidentiality of the information in accordance with state and federal statutes, rules, regulations and Department of Health Information Security Policies, Protocols and Procedures, in accordance with Protocol: Serves as the designated staff person in charge of voter registration activities within their clinic site.
Nutrition Education Duties:
Completes the medical history, nutrition history, and breastfeeding assessment for WIC clients.
Develops, monitors, evaluates, and revises nutrition care plans for high risk, medially 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.
Serves as the lead trainer for all new WIC staff who must complete the "Florida Nutrition Training Guide" (Nutrition Education Series Modules) prior to providing client services
Assists new WIC staff with any questions or difficulties encountered while completing the nutrition module series
Maintains documentation of all related paperwork for the entire Polk/Hardee WIC Agency per program policies (including module workbooks, tests, and certificates of completion)
Submits staff information on monthly NEAR report to WIC Administration by the deadline for those employees who successfully completed the "Florida Nutrition Training Guide" (Nutrition Education Series Modules)
Trains new WIC staff on all "Nutrition Education Kits" and maintains required documentation for each employee
Serves as preceptor for interns/students requesting rotations or learning opportunities with Polk/Hardee WIC
Ensures all necessary paperwork required by DOH and the intern's/student's school is completed prior to and/or following the rotation

Completes administrative forms such as EARs, time sheets, and travel per department policies and required deadlines.
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.
Serves as Building Manager for designated site, carrying out the duties and responsibilities contained in the Department's Building Manager manual.
Performs other duties as required, including performance of additional interpreter duties, consistent with skill level, and as needed.
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 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 plan, organize and evaluate a nutrition program or project
Ability to understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
Dietitians & Nutritionists, Chapter 468, Part X.
Licensure as a dietitian/nutritionist (LD/N) with the State of Florida
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with the major course of study in Public Health Nutrition, Dietetics, Clinical Nutrition, Community Nutrition or Nutritional Science
EMERGENCY DUTY: Incumbent may be required to work before, during and/or beyond normal work hours or days in the event of an emergency. Emergency duty required of the incumbent includes working in special needs or Red Cross shelters, or performing other emergency duties including, but not limited to, responses to or threats involving any disaster or threat of disaster, man-made or natural.
CONFIDENTIALITY: Incumbent may have access to records containing Social Security numbers in the performance of their job duties.
Florida Department of Health Mission, Vision, and Values:
To protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county & community efforts.
We search for creative solutions and manage resources wisely.
We achieve our mission by serving our customers & engaging our partners.
We promote quality outcomes through learning & continuous performance improvement.
Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options;
Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
(Flexible Spending Accounts;
Your responses to qualifying questions for this position must be verifiable by documentation provided through the electronic application process.

This position requires a security background check and/or drug screening and participation in direct deposit. Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion unless they are registered with the Selective Services System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. For more information, please visit the SSS website:

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

E-Verify is operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to verify employment eligibility.

Incumbents may be required to perform emergency duty before, during, and/or beyond normal work hours or days.
All Florida Department of Health positions require the incumbent to be able to learn and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, in English. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center View phone number on click.appcast.io). All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.Florida has the third largest population of veterans in the nation with more than 1.5 million service men and women. The Florida Department of Health (department) is committed to serving members of the United States Armed Forces, veterans and their families by encouraging them to apply for vacancies that fit their area of knowledge and/or expertise. Through the Department's VALOR program, which expedites licensing for military veterans, the Department also waives initial licensing and application fees for military veterans who apply for a health care professional license within 60 months of an honorable discharge. These initiatives help ensure that the transition from military service into the workforce is as smooth as possible and reflects our appreciation for the dedication devoted to protecting our country.

If there are any problems applying online, please call People First Staffing Administration: View phone number on click.appcast.io.
Service Center hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center View phone number on click.appcast.io). All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.VETERANS' PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Candidates claiming Veterans' Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans' Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.