Nutrition Educator

Nutrition Educator (NE) – Office of Family Nutrition Services (OFNS)

This full‑time, 40‑hour per week position is available in the South Dakota Department of Health’s Division of Family and Community Health. The role supports the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program in the South Central Region. The Nutrition Educator works under the supervision of a Dietitian Manager and collaborates with a team to provide nutrition education, health assessments, breastfeeding support, and referrals to community resources.

• Determine participant eligibility, including identity, income, residency, categorical and nutritional risk.
• Provide nutrition support and education.
• Conduct nutrition education and health assessments.
• Offer breastfeeding education and support.
• Link clients to appropriate health and social resources.
• Provide nutrition‑related technical assistance to team members.
• Deliver nutrition education in community settings.
• Collaborate on setting nutrition, outreach, and breastfeeding goals for the population served.
• Provide maternal and child health services, including developmental screenings, infant safe sleep education, and promotion of immunizations, oral health, and other public health initiatives.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with community partners and providers to enhance referrals and explore innovative partnership opportunities.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Nutritional Sciences, Community Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, Dietetics, Public Health Nutrition, Home Economics, Consumer & Family Science (with at least 12 hrs. in science and 12 hrs. in nutrition), or a related field.

• Excellent interpersonal skills that facilitate effective relationships at individual, group, and community levels.
• Organized, proactive, and able to set goals and priorities.
• Commitment to customer service and maintaining a positive work environment.

• Motivational interviewing skills.
• Principles and practices of food and nutrition sciences.
• Breastfeeding education and infant/child developmental milestones.

• Motivate participants to set and pursue nutrition goals.
• Provide nutrition and health information effectively via one‑to‑one, group, virtual, phone, text, or online settings.
• Adjust education to the client’s level of understanding.

• Prioritize and facilitate referrals for complex participant needs.
• Apply federal and state regulations, policies, and procedures to job functions.
• Work autonomously and collaboratively, demonstrating flexibility.
• Communicate effectively across diverse audiences.
• Demonstrate cultural competency with socioeconomically and culturally diverse populations.
• Recognize and facilitate outreach, marketing, and partnership-building opportunities.
• Communicate effectively with interpreters in person, by phone, or virtually.
• Multitask and adapt to rapidly shifting priorities.

Travel, including overnight stays, may be required for service delivery, training, or meetings. Lifting may be required for anthropometric measurements of infants and children.

Veterans’ Preference is available per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

A National Career Readiness Certificate is advantageous but not required.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas. All hires must verify eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I‑9, using E‑Verify at hire.

Benefits: $0 premium employee health insurance, 11 paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits under Class A retirement (SDRS). For more details, view benefits information.

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"An Equal Opportunity Employer"