Dietitian

Marshall University School of Pharmacy; Huntington (WV); On-site; USD 65,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Marshall University School of Pharmacy seeks a registered dietitian to integrate evidence-based clinical nutrition with translational research. The role allocates 30% to clinical care and 70% to research, leading nutrition assessments, MNT, and education while supporting large projects and clinical trials on obesity, diabetes, and cardiometabolic disease.

Responsibilities include comprehensive nutrition assessments, individualized care planning, patient counseling, and collaboration with

Qualifications

• RD/RDN registered with current licensure where required.
• Experience delivering medical nutrition therapy and care planning.
• Experience in clinical research, IRB-approved protocols, data collection.

Responsibilities

• Conduct nutrition assessments and provide MNT for diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic conditions.
• Develop individualized care plans and educate patients and families.
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and researchers to coordinate care.
• Prepare education materials and lead group classes and wellness programs.
• Support translational nutrition research and contribute to study materials.

Skills

Clinical nutrition

MNT

Research coordination

IRB procedures

Data collection

Patient counseling

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Evidence-based practice

Education

Bachelor’s in nutrition/dietetics

RD/RDN credential

Master’s/PhD preferred

Tools

EHR

SPSS/SAS

IRB processes

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking a Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) to integrate evidence-based clinical nutrition care with clinical and translational research at Marshall University and Marshall Health Network. The role devotes 30% of effort to clinical care and 70% to research, with a central role in large projects and clinical trials focused on interventions for obesity, diabetes, and cardiometabolic disease, as well as the development of clinical services.

The dietitian provides nutrition assessment, medical nutrition therapy, counseling, education, and care planning across the continuum of care. Working with clinical and research teams, this individual supports disease prevention, chronic disease management, wellness, and patient self-management while translating research findings into improvements in nutrition care.

Clinical Care Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments using clinical standards and evidence-based guidelines, including medical history, laboratory values, medications, dietary intake, anthropometric measures, and social and behavioral factors.
• Develop individualized care plans and provide medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for diabetes and prediabetes; obesity and weight management; and cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
• Provide individual counseling to patients and families or caregivers. Use culturally responsive, patient-centered education to establish realistic goals, support behavior change, and address health literacy, food access, and other barriers to care.
• Monitor progress, evaluate outcomes, and adjust nutrition interventions to reflect clinical response and treatment goals. Document assessments, interventions, and outcomes accurately and promptly in the electronic health record (EHR).
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, behavioral health providers, and other professionals to coordinate care, referrals, and transitions across care settings.
• Develop education materials and facilitate group classes, workshops, and wellness programs. Contribute to community outreach and population health activities that support prevention, nutrition access, and self-management, including in rural and underserved communities.

Research Responsibilities

• Participate in the development and implementation of clinical, translational, and nutrition research studies, including large projects and clinical trials addressing obesity, diabetes, and cardiometabolic disease.
• Help formulate clinically relevant research questions, review scientific literature, develop study protocols and data-collection procedures, and design and deliver nutrition-related study interventions.
• Recruit, screen, and enroll participants and obtain informed consent as appropriate to training, delegated responsibilities, and Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved procedures. Support participant engagement and follow-up.
• Collect and maintain accurate dietary, clinical, behavioral, and anthropometric data. Administer dietary assessments and validated nutrition research tools consistently with study protocols.
• Maintain research records and databases, perform data-quality checks, resolve discrepancies with the study team, and protect participant confidentiality and data integrity.
• Collaborate with investigators, research coordinators, clinicians, statisticians, and other research personnel to coordinate study activities and meet project milestones.
• Contribute to data analysis and interpretation with investigators and statisticians, including evaluation of nutrition interventions and clinical and research outcomes.
• Contribute to abstracts, posters, manuscripts, reports, presentations, grant applications, and other scholarly products. Present findings internally and, as appropriate, at professional and scientific meetings.
• Conduct research in accordance with approved protocols, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), IRB requirements, human-subjects protections, institutional policies, and applicable regulations. Complete required training and report study concerns through established procedures.
• Translate research findings into clinical protocols, education, and care pathways. Use observations from patient care to identify research questions and evaluate opportunities to improve nutrition services.

Quality and Professional Responsibilities

• Participate in quality-improvement activities, service evaluation, and clinical protocol development to improve nutrition care, patient experience, and health outcomes.
• Follow organizational documentation, privacy, safety, and professional practice requirements in both clinical and research activities.
• Maintain current knowledge of nutrition science, MNT, clinical guidelines, and research methods through continuing professional development.
• Coordinate clinical schedules and study responsibilities with the supervisor and interdisciplinary teams to sustain meaningful direct patient care within the 30% clinical / 70% research allocation.

Ongoing Credentialing Requirements

Throughout employment, the successful candidate must maintain active RD/RDN registration, applicable state licensure or certification, required continuing professional education, and institutional clinical credentialing and research training, as applicable.

Location

MURC - Marshall University Research Corporation

Salary Range

Salary is commensurate with education, experience, and internal equity

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in nutrition, dietetics, nutritional sciences, or a closely related nutrition discipline from an appropriately accredited institution.
• Current Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) registration through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) is required.

Experience

• Completion of the education and supervised practice requirements necessary for professional dietetic registration.
• Current state licensure or certification as a dietitian/nutritionist where required for practice.
• Demonstrated knowledge of evidence-based nutrition practice and medical nutrition therapy, with the ability to assess patient needs and develop individualized care plans.
• Ability to critically evaluate scientific literature, apply findings to clinical practice and contribute to rigorous research and accurate data collection.
• Strong counseling, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills; ability to work effectively with patients, families, and multidisciplinary clinical and research teams.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to balance patient care with research priorities while maintaining confidentiality and research integrity.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Master’s or doctoral degree in nutrition, dietetics, public health, clinical research, epidemiology, or a related field.

Experience

• Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) credential.
• Clinical experience as an RD/RDN, particularly in outpatient, primary care, population health, or community health settings; experience serving rural and underserved populations.
• Experience conducting or supporting clinical, translational, or nutrition research, including study protocols, IRB processes, informed consent, and human-subjects research.
• Experience with dietary assessment methods, nutrition research tools, research databases, EHRs, statistical software, or data-management systems.
• Experience preparing scientific abstracts, manuscripts, posters, presentations, or grant applications; evidence of scholarly activity or quality-improvement work.
• Prior GCP training. Required institutional research training must be completed and maintained as applicable to assigned responsibilities.