Nutrition Consultant

The Mission of the Department of Public Instruction: 

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is charged with implementing the state's public school laws for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade public schools at the direction of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Board of Education.

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is seeking applicants for a Nutrition Consultant (Program Coordinator IV) for the Office of School Nutrition.

This position functions in a professional consultative and auditing capacity, ensuring School Food Authorities (SFAs) are informed of all policies, procedures, and laws applicable to the federally assisted and state-administered School Nutrition Programs. This professional serves as the first line of contact for SFA personnel which includes traditional public schools, charter schools, non-public schools, Residential Child Care Institutions, and other institutions where students have access to educational opportunities recognized by the State.

The Nutrition Consultant provides comprehensive technical assistance, consultation, professional development, program assessment/evaluation and compliance monitoring, requiring mastery of complex federal and state regulations and must understand how the regulations are implemented into the local education environment. The consultant must analyze and apply complex regulations and statutes and accompanying guidance to support the successful administration and operation of School Nutrition Programs by local School Nutrition professionals. The consultant must also support SFA personnel in achieving regulatory compliance as well as operational, nutritional, and financial integrity of the respective programs.

The consultant must provide technical assistance, consultation, and resources to assist local program administrators in developing and implementing standard operating procedures that ultimately achieve compliance with regulations and support the highest quality programs with sustainable outcomes. Decisions made by this professional have a direct impact on the financial viability and overall program outcomes of all SFAs within the consultant's geographic region.

Errors made by this professional can adversely impact SFAs including the loss of federal and state School Nutrition funds, decline in student participation, compromise of program integrity and ultimately erosion of public trust in School Nutrition programs. Accuracy is critical in the role of the Nutrition Consultant.

The Nutrition Consultant uses analytical skills to assess compliance with various laws, regulations, policies, and procedures and establish standard operating procedures, corrective actions or other solutions to remedy significant problems that may threaten the viability of the LEA's School Nutrition Program. The consultant synthesizes the regulatory requirements with practical applications and produces a solution that remedies various problems.

In addition, the consultant conducts on-site and off-site Administrative Reviews under the leadership of the Administrative Review Specialists. In this capacity, they are responsible for assessing program operations for compliance with federal and state regulations. This professional's focus during the Administrative Review is largely on school-based operations and program integrity. The Consultant develops and facilitates appropriate corrective action when needed to ensure sub-recipients comply with federal and state regulations, and compiles documentation to report sponsor progress to the Senior Director, Section Chief, local Boards of Education, School District Superintendents, legislative bodies, local program directors, and other

agencies as required by law.

This professional is a member of a team of consultants, each assigned to a specific geographic area in the state. To provide frequent and regular on-site technical assistance, monitoring, and professional development, the Consultant is required to maintain a remote duty station.

Maintaining and working from a remote duty station requires a uniquely qualified individual, one who is self-directed, highly competent, and continuously learning.  It is essential the individual in this position demonstrates a high level of initiative and be judicious in completing assignments without daily direct supervision and have a high proficiency in computer systems, programs and applications. The Nutrition Consultant must be a self-directed learner, capable of independent learning and analysis of content, situations, environments, and conditions under which regulations must be applied with fidelity.

EEO Statement:

The State of North Carolina and the Department of Public Instruction provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

To receive credit for all of your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the application form.

Any information listed under the text resume section or on an attachment will not be considered for qualifying credit. Qualified candidates must document on the application that they possess all of the following:

• Demonstrated knowledge of rules and/or regulations that govern the federally assisted School Nutrition Programs.

• Demonstrated experience working in leadership.

• Demonstrated experience in professional development and/or improvement.

MANAGEMENT PREFERENCES:

• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

• Prior experience in the School Nutrition Programs administered by the NCDPI.

• Public speaking and training of audiences of various educational backgrounds.

• Food Safety Certification or Instructor's Certification.

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an "equivalent combination of education and experience." If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details.

Bachelor's degree from an appropriately accredited institution and three (3) years of experience related to the area of assignment; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

All applicants must complete and submit a state application for employment using the NEOGOV Online Job Application System (Job Opportunities | Sorted by Job Title ascending | Careers (governmentjobs.com) for the State of North Carolina.

Any applications not received by the advertisement closing date and time will not be accepted outside of the portal. To receive credit for work history and credentials, the applicant must list the information on the online application form.

Any information omitted from the application cannot be considered for qualifying credit. NC DPI welcomes attached or incorporated resumes, cover letters and reference information, but these items will not be used for screening for qualifying credit.

Please make sure the application is completed in full. If you put "See Resume" or "See Attachment" on your application instead of a completed application with detailed work duties, your application will NOT be accepted. Other attachments (except a DD-214 copy) will also be accepted, but not used in screening for qualifying credit.

Applicants are required to scan and attach a copy of their DD-214 (Form 4 or Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or discharge orders if they wish to obtain Veteran's preference.

Reference checks will be performed on all selected candidates.  If the position requires a background check and/or drug screening that will also be performed on all selected candidates.

Applicants may be subject to a criminal background check. All candidates selected for positions considered "Positions of Trust" will be subject to a criminal background check.

To check the status of an application, please log in to your NC Government Job Opportunities account and click "Application Status".

For technical issues with your application, please call the NeoGov Help Line at 877-204-4442.   If you have a technical issue with your Government Jobs account, please call their Help Line at 1-855-524-5627.

NOTE:  Applicants will be communicated with via email only for updates on the status of their application or any questions on their application.

If there are any questions about this posting other than your application status, please contact NC Department of Public Instruction Human Resources.

Contact Information

Houston, Agency Recruiter

Email: houston.davis@dpi.nc.gov

Applications for positions requiring specific coursework must be accompanied by a copy of the applicant's transcript. Applicants with degrees not conferred at a United States college or university must attach verification that their degree is equivalent to a similar degree from a U.S. institution.

The Office of State Human Resources uses the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) as a referral resource for applicants who need to have their credentials certified as equivalent. For a list of organizations that perform this specialized service, please visit the NACES membership website at http://www.naces.org/members.htm. Transcripts, degree evaluations and cover letters may be uploaded with your application.