Community Nutrition Educator - San Diego, CA, Job ID 88795

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources in California is seeking a Community Education Specialist 2 to lead a statewide nutrition education program, coordinating with schools, community organizations, and public health partners to improve dietary habits and health outcomes.

The role includes delivering in-person lessons, training volunteers, collecting enrollment and evaluation data, and reporting results to meet funding requirements.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent experience / training in nutrition or public health.
• Continuing education or professional development in related field.
• Knowledge of community education, engagement, and best practices.
• Bilingual English/Spanish abilities.

Responsibilities

• Deliver in-person nutrition education to adults and youth across locations.
• Recruit, train and support volunteers and partner organizations.
• Collect enrollment and evaluation data; prepare reports for funding requirements.
• Translate materials or provide interpretation as needed; support outreach.

Skills

Bilingual English/Spanish

Experience with community education

Data collection and reporting

Volunteer coordination

Education

Associate degree or equivalent experience in nutrition/public health

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Position Summary:

Join our statewide and national network of nutrition and health educators who receive high-quality training and hands-on support so that together we can make a positive difference in our communities.

This position's primary foci are to conduct, manage, and evaluate a nutrition education program to create a healthier school and community environment.

The Community Education Specialist 2 position will perform the full range of program implementation duties. Incumbent will coordinate, manage, and deliver nutrition education with community-based adults and/or youth in partnership with local public health and community organizations. This includes training, guiding, and supporting schoolteachers who volunteer to support health education in their classes by providing them with education, information and resources; evaluating program implementation; collecting and compiling enrollment information, assuring proper documentation, collecting evaluation data from teachers and participants; performing data entry for reporting; and writing reports in compliance with funding requirements.

The Community Education Specialist 2 will build and maintain an informal network of partners, align nutrition education projects with approved curricula and educational materials, develop news releases and news articles, and maintain knowledge and competence about the subject matter.

Department Summary:

Community Nutrition and Health at UC ANR is a statewide network of researchers and educators promoting healthy and equitable communities for all Californians. Our shared goal is to co-create public education and partner training programming to advance community health across California. We collaborate with local organizations and community leaders who share our goals to advance community health and work to create changes across many areas including individual behavior change, leadership capacity building, organizational policy change, informing public policy, and affecting systems or environmental change such workflows or best practices within an institution. As a result of this work, our vision is for all Californians to have access to live a healthy life, free from chronic disease.

As a core Community Nutrition and Health statewide program, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) provides community education opportunities for eligible youth and adults which promote nutrition and physical activity as a means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle free from chronic disease. By focusing on improving diet quality, increasing physical activity, assuring safe food-handling practices, and strengthening food resource management skills,

EFNEP supports families with children to make meaningful healthy lifestyle changes. EFNEP also partners with community stakeholders to make changes to the surrounding community context known as "policy, system, and environmental change efforts" which result in deeper, long-term positive impact for even more youth and families. EFNEP is federally funded by the United States Department of Agriculture as part of a long-standing network of community-based nutrition education programs across the country.

This position is a career appointment that is 100% fixed.

Pay Scale: $23.37/hour to $31.08/hour

Job Posting Close Date:

This job is open until filled. The first application review date will be 9/28/2026.

Key Responsibilities:

• 50%

  Deliver in-person lessons using adult and/or youth engagement techniques in alignment with the UC-approved curricula and activities at various locations across the county. Lesson delivery includes preparing and implementing activities such as demonstrating food preparation using recipes, physical activity, gardening techniques, and/or other learner-centered activities.

  Extend education to community partners and/or program participants on using the skills and knowledge they gained in class to recommend positive changes within their working and living environments. Advocate for changes in the surrounding community context known as "policy, system, and environmental change efforts" designed to create a healthier community environment.

• 25%

  Recruit, train, and provide support for community organizations and school representatives who act as volunteers to deliver UC approved curricula and activities. May participate in hiring and recruitment for other educator positions.May co-deliver programming with a partner to model class enrollment procedures, lesson delivery, and evaluation activities.

  Review evaluation data when completed by volunteers to ensure minimum evaluation requirements are achieved. Make recommendations to volunteers to ensure participant success. Complete required documentation of enrollment and evaluation for reporting purposes. Prepares all reports as necessary for documenting program accomplishments.

  May provide language translations of class materials and/or simultaneous interpretation during classes into preferred language of participant population, as well as develop and share culturally relevant examples to enhance the effectiveness of the educational experience.

• 15%

  Meet with local partners (i.e., community leaders, school administrators, teachers, parent educators) to discuss the delivery of lessons to their students and clientele. Assists in developing and implementing outreach strategies to ensure educational programs are accessible and welcoming to all Californians, with specific attention to communities that may have been previously underrepresented or unaware of available opportunities.

  Develop collaboration with other programs to coordinate outreach efforts. Attend community events and serve as representative and ambassador for the program. Maintain appropriate records to track the partnership activity, collaboration, and related community events.

• 10%

  Work as a team member to develop annual work plans, manage volunteers, share recommendations for improvement, and coach partner agencies to make healthy changes in their organizations.

  May provide leadership and mentoring to interns, new staff, volunteers, and/or other educators, including working with them to assess the successes and challenges of lesson delivery.

Requirements:

• Associate degree and / or equivalent experience / training in a related area such nutrition, public health, or community health and well-being.
• Continuing education, training, or professional development in a related field.
• Knowledge of community education, community engagement, teaching and/or facilitation best practices.
• Proficient in use of Windows-based computer with knowledge of Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Experience engaging with diverse communities and participants, including those with varied cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to support inclusive and accessible educational programming.
• Experience working with diverse communities in a respectful and responsive way that reflects a commitment to serving everyone.
• Familiarity with schools and community-based agencies in the local area serving program eligible youth and adults.
• Thorough and effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills and presentation skills to work in large and small groups, give presentations and organize activities. Ability to write newsletters, correspondence, and reports.
• Bilingual communication/translation abilities in English and Spanish.

Preferred Skills:

• Knowledge of community education and or teaching practices.
• Working knowledge of conducting needs assessment to understand community strengths, interests, and priorities.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Must comply with regulatory agency reporting requirements (California's Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act).
• Direct responsibility for the care, safety and security of people, including children and minors, or property, including personal and University.
• Must possess valid California Driver's License to drive a County or University vehicle. Ability and means to travel on a flexible schedule as needed, proof of liability damage insurance on vehicle used is required. Reimbursement of job-related travel will be reimbursed according to University policies.
• Travel including travel outside normal business hours may be requested. Reimbursement of job-related travel will be reimbursed according to University policies.
• The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check. This is a designated position requiring a background check and may require fingerprinting due to the nature of the job responsibilities. UC ANR does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities.
• As of January 1, 2014, ANR is a smoke- and tobacco-free environment in which smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes), is strictly prohibited.
• As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs, as may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirement s.
• Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information, and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded.Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.
• Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidatewhoacceptsanofferofemploymentwillberequiredtodisclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; orhave filed an appeal of afinding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

1. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as definedbytheemployer.Forreference,belowareUC'spoliciesaddressingsome forms of misconduct:

• UCSexualViolenceandSexualHarassmentPolicy
• UCAnti-DiscriminationPolicy
• AbusiveConductinthe Workplace

About Us

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) brings the power of University of California research and education to all 58 California counties. Through research and extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition, and youth development, we work to improve the life of every Californian.

Collaborating to solve problems.

Connecting to serve communities.

For over 100 years, our advisors, specialists, faculty and staff have been committed to connecting Californians to their land grant university. We are highly collaborative and mission-driven to promote the health and well-being of people and places across the state. We are also trusted partners with hundreds of community organizations in addressing California's most pressing challenges.

It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.