Nutritionist Associate-MRX33

Commonwealth of VA Careers; Virginia; On-site; USD 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Wythe County Health Department seeks a Nutritionist Associate to determine nutrition eligibility and assess nutritional status per program guidelines. You will conduct heights, weights, and finger sticks and use the VENA assessment, food histories, and growth patterns to tailor food packages.

The role includes providing patient-centered counseling, setting dietary goals, and guiding clients toward healthier habits, with referrals for high-risk cases when needed.

Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of nutrition and nutritional standards.
• Ability to conduct interviews and collect information.
• Ability to interpret, document, calculate, and compile routine data.
• Experience providing patient education and/or communicating information to individuals.
• Good communication skills, verbally and in writing, to interact with a variety of patients, peers, and supervisors.
• Ability to work effectively individually and as a team member.
• Experience multi-tasking and prioritizing workloads.
• Skills using computer systems.

Responsibilities

• Independently determine nutrition eligibility for applicants and clients per program guidelines.
• Assess nutritional status using heights, weights, finger sticks, and VENA assessment process.
• Provide WIC coverage in Bland County and across the district as needed.
• Offer patient-centered dietary guidance and set individualized goals.
• Refer high‑risk cases to a Nutritionist when specialized care is required.

Skills

Nutrition basics

Interviewing

Data interpretation

Patient education

Communication skills

Teamwork

Multitasking

Computer systems

Job description

Title: Nutritionist Associate-MRX33

State Role Title:Direct Service Associate II

Hiring Range: $15.29-$20.00

Pay Band: 2

Agency: Virginia Department of Health

Location:MT ROGERS-WYTHE

Agency Website:www.vdh.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Wythe County Health Department is seeking a dedicated and motivated Nutritionist Associate to join our team. In this role, the Nutritionist Associate will independently determine nutrition eligibility for applicants and clients in accordance with program guidelines, ensuring individuals receive appropriate and tailored food packages. This position plays an essential part in supporting community health by accurately assessing nutritional status by conducting heights, weights, and finger sticks and using the VENA assessment process, food frequency histories, growth and weight patterns, biochemical values, and medical histories. In addition, this position will also provide WIC coverage in Bland County weekly and as needed in other health departments across the district.

The ideal candidate will be skilled in setting individualized dietary goals and providing meaningful, patient-centered counseling. Using assessment findings, the Nutritionist Associate will guide clients toward improved nutritional habits and overall well-being. When needed, referrals will be made for high risk counseling with a Nutritionist to ensure each client receives the level of care and expertise appropriate to their needs.

Wage employees are subject to the following conditions of employment:

• Wage employees serve at the will and pleasure of the appointing authority.
• Continuing employment is based on available funding and business need.
• Wage employees are not covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act. Therefore, they are not eligible for benefits which are provided to salaried employees, such as leave credits, holiday pay, insurance, access to the grievance procedure, etc.
• Wage employees are paid only for the hours they actually work.
• Virginia state law currently requires that agencies not permit wage employees to work in excess of 29 hours per week on average over the course of a year. Wage employees may not work for VDH beyond 1,500 hours during the period of May 1 – April 30 of the following year (the Standard Measurement Period).
• Once a wage employee works the maximum of 1,500 hours during the Standard Measurement Period, the employee may be rehired as a wage employee of VDH only after the next Standard Measurement Period has begun.
• Wage employees are eligible to apply for all classified positions for which recruitment has been initiated, including those limited to State Employees Only.
• If a wage employee becomes employed in a classified position, he/she will be eligible to purchase retirement credit for the time worked as a wage employee.
• Continuing employment is based on available funding and business need.

Applicants may be required to demonstrate the skills and abilities necessary for satisfactory performance of the work through a simulated exercise.

This is a restricted position, which is solely funded by the USDA/FNS WIC Grant for period ending September 2027. The availability of funding is scheduled for review before the grant expiration date and periodically thereafter. Continued employment is contingent on the continued availability of funds.

Minimum Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of nutrition and nutritional standards
• Ability to conduct interviews and collect information
• Ability to interpret, document, calculate, and compile routine data
• Experience providing patient education and/or communicating information to individuals
• Good communication skills, verbally and in writing, to interact with a variety of patients, peers, and supervisors
• Ability to work effectively individually and as a team member
• Experience multi-tasking and prioritizing workloads
• Skills using computer systems

Additional Considerations

• Training, job experience, or coursework in Nutrition, Dietetics, food services, or a related area preferred
• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred
• Experience obtaining blood samples/finger sticks, and taking heights and weights of individuals

Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a state and federal criminal history background check and the Department of Social Service’s Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry check, U.S. HHSIG Exclusion List check, employment reference check and E-Verify. Other financial, credit, driving, background checks or completion of Statement of Economic Interests may be required for certain positions.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth and VDH that all aspects of human resource management be conducted without regard to race (or traits historically associated with race including hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists); sex; color; national origin; religion; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; age; veteran status; political affiliation; disability; genetic information; and pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. VDH employees have a shared Code of Ethics, which can be found in the bottom banner of our website: www.vdh.virginia.gov.

Note Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.

Contact Information

Name: Jessica Bennett

Phone: N/A

Email: [e-mail]