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Public Health Nutritionist (Entry) (#332070)
$35.31-$42.92 Hourly / $6,120.68-$7,439.72 Monthly / $73,448.11-$89,276.65 Yearly
Apply as a Transfer to Comparable Class applicant



CLASS SUMMARY

Under general supervision, incumbents in the class of Public Health Nutritionist (Entry) learn to provide nutrition services for program planning, implementation and evaluation and to provide direct nutrition services for Health and Social Services Department clients participating in various programs. Additionally, incumbents learn to plan, implement, evaluative, and integrate nutrition services within programs and services and learn to provide individualized nutrition assessment, education and counseling to prevent disease, treat disease and to improve the health of individuals, families and the community.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS

This class is the entry level class of the Public Health Nutritionist series.

The class is distinguished from the:

  • Public Health Nutritionist which is the full journey level classification, wherein incumbents work under direction within program parameters. which is the full journey level classification, wherein incumbents work under direction within program parameters.
  • Health Education Specialist which is responsible for development, implementation and evaluation of health promotion and education programs. which is responsible for development, implementation and evaluation of health promotion and education programs.

Supervision Received and Exercised

  • Supervision is provided by Public Health Nutritionist (Supervising), or higher level management staff in the Department of Health and Social Services.
  • No supervision is exercised over others.

    Essential Duties

    This class specification represents the core area of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the needs of the department.  

    • Learns to conduct nutritional assessments on individuals and families using anthropometric, biochemical, clinical and dietary information and develops an individualized nutrition care plan as the basis for counseling;
    • Learns to counsel medically high-risk clients on nutritional needs and dietary modifications with consideration given to the physical, financial, social, emotional and cultural needs and preferences of the individual and family;
    • Learns to evaluate the effectiveness of nutritional care and revises the care plan as necessary;
      • refers clients to appropriate community, health and social services resources.
    • Learns to provide consultation and technical expertise and how to serve as program liaison to County programs, and community agencies in the area of nutrition and health promotion;
      • Interprets and disseminates current information regarding food, nutrition, diet and health.
    • Learns to design and disseminate nutrition and health promotion information through reports, social media, news releases and radio public service announcements to meet the diverse cultural and language needs of County residents;
      • Reviews and evaluates current statistical, epidemiological and demographic data and interprets it findings regarding application to public health nutrition.
    • Learns to develop and implement various health and nutrition related programs;
      • Performs program planning development, marketing and evaluation;
      • Plans and implements related classes and materials;
      • Provides outreach for program participants;
      • Markets programs to community and department clients;
      • Coordinates special events and speaking engagements regarding program topics.
    • Learns to plan, implement, and evaluate nutrition grants;
      • Conducts needs assessments;
      • Develops strategies and materials to implements the grant; Implements strategies utilizing appropriate evaluation techniques;
      • Generates progress reports; ensures compliance with grant requirements.
    • Maintains professional knowledge in applicable areas and keeps abreast of changes in job-related rules, statutes, laws and trends;
      • Makes recommendations for the implementation of changes;
      • Reads and interprets professional literature;
      • Attends training programs, workshops and seminars as appropriate.

    Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

    Knowledge of or ability to learn:

    • Human nutrition and its relationship to health and disease prevention.
    • Nutrition assessment based on individual needs, special food requirements and specific medical condition and nutrition counseling.
    • Principles and methodology of research, statistical analysis, nutrition investigations and dietary studies.
    • Techniques for educating/training the principles of nutrition and its applicability to public health programs.
    • Principles of social marketing and use of media for outreach and marketing.
    • Policy, systems and environmental changes Environmental, sociological, cultural and biological factors influencing food practices.
    • Nutrition and its role in dietary control of disease in public health programs.
    • Principles of planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs.
    • Community health organizations, resources and current social and economic problems related to public health nutrition.
    • Principles of institutional management related to group feeding, food safety and sanitation. Child neglect and abuse laws and reporting requirements.
    • English composition, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation for both written and oral communications.
    • Standard office procedures, practices, equipment, personal computers, and software.

    Skill and/or Ability to:

    • Learn to perform a needs assessment and design, implement and evaluate nutrition program and projects.
    • Learn to integrate the nutrition component into public health program and services Learn to implement policy, systems and environmental changes to improve the community health.
    • Learn to analyze menus and diets for nutritional adequacy.
    • Learn to analyze situations accurately and take effective actions; demonstrate flexibility in solving problems; develop and evaluate alternatives.
    • Learn to develop and utilize available resources.
    • Learn to develop, implement and evaluate nutrition programs.
    • Learn to conduct presentations, conferences, workshops and training programs.
    • Learn to perform statistical analysis using computer programs; calculate nutritional needs.
    • Maintain confidentiality of information.
    • Communicate clearly and concisely with people of diverse socio-economic backgrounds and temperaments, both orally and in writing; speak effectively in giving public
    • Reason logically and creatively. presentations; prepare reports.
    • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.
    • Establish good relationships with the pubic and with customers and provide customer service that meets and exceeds unit goals and expectations.
    • Maintain confidentiality of records and information per pertinent laws/regulations.
    • Use modern office equipment to include computers and related software applications.

    Education and Experience

    Education: Bachelor's degree is required from an accredited college or university, in Nutrition or Dietetics. A Master's degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, Public Health or related field is desirable.

    AND

    Experience : No experience required.

    LICENSING/CERTIFICATION REQ

    • Incumbents must be Registered Dietitian Eligible through the Commission on Dietetic Registration, or possess certification as a Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Incumbents who are Registered Dietitian Eligible must obtain certification as a Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist issued by the Commission on Dietetic Registration as a condition of passing probation.
    • Applicants may be required to possess or have the ability to obtain a valid California Driver's License, Class C.

    SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

    PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

    • Mobility and Dexterity: Positions in this class typically require stooping, kneeling, reaching, occasional standing, occasional walking, pushing, pulling, fingering, grasping, feeling (i.e. sense of touch), and repetitive motion.
      Lifting, Carrying, Pushing and Pulling -- Sedentary Work: Employees in this class exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
    • Vision: Positions in this class require the employee to have close visual acuity, with or without correction, to prepare and analyze data and figures, transcribe, view a computer screen, read, etc.

    WORKING CONDITIONS:

    • Office Work: Employees in this class will most often be working in an office setting; however, some work may be done in a medical clinic setting, and thus may be subject to exposure to chemicals, toxic agents, blood and other bodily fluids, and communicable diseases. There may also be occasional exposure to extreme temperatures, inadequate lighting, and work space that restricts movement.
    • Traffic Hazards: Employees in this class may be required to operate a vehicle and thus will be subject to traffic hazards while driving.
    • Disruptive/Confrontational Human Contacts: Employees in this class may be subject to disruptive and/or confrontational people.

    SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

    • Background Checks: The County may conduct a background check and a reference check on candidates prior to appointment to a position within this class.  The background check may include the State of California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Child Abuse Central Index (CACI), and criminal checks in any City/County where the applicant has lived, worked or gone to school. 
    • Independent Travel:  Incumbents are required to travel independently, for example, to perform work at other work sites, to attend meetings with other County employees, to attend meetings with community organizations, etc. 
    • Hours of Work:  Incumbents may be required to work weekends, holidays, irregular hours, before and after normal business hours. 
    • Drug Testing:  Candidates for positions in this class and employees in this class will be subject to Pre-Employment, Reasonable Suspicion, Post Accident, Return-To-Duty and Follow-Up drug testing in accordance with the Solano County Alcohol and Drug Free Workplace Policy. 
    • Child Abuse Reporting:  Selectees for employment must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Sections 11165.7 and 11166 of the California Penal Code relating to child abuse reporting. 
    • Elder Abuse Reporting: Selectees for employment must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 15630 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code relating to elder abuse reporting.
    • Language Proficiency:  Some positions allocated to this class will require the applicant to speak, read and write in a language other than English. 
    • After 12 months, employees in the Public Health Nutritionist (Entry) classification may be flexibly promoted to the journey level without further examination, upon the approval of the Appointing Authority and the Director of Human Resources.

    CLASS: 332070; EST: 5/8/2019; REV: 5/8/2019;