Program Director, Dietetic Internship - 140639

University of California San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

UC San Diego Health seeks a Program Director, Dietetic Internship to lead the ACEND-accredited internship program, ensuring compliance and delivering high-quality experiential learning for up to 10 interns yearly.

The role provides strategic leadership, curriculum oversight, and collaboration with Food and Nutrition leadership, preceptors, and multidisciplinary teams to foster excellence in nutrition education and internship outcomes.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in Nutrition, Dietetics, Public Health, Education, or related field, and five or more years of relevant experience.
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible clinical nutrition experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of medical nutrition therapy and evidence-based clinical practice.

Responsibilities

• Direct the overall administration, strategic planning, and continuous improvement of the ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship Program.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with ACEND accreditation standards and institutional policies.
• Lead accreditation activities including annual reporting and site visits.
• Conduct comprehensive annual program evaluations using intern and stakeholder feedback.
• Lead recruitment, application review, interview, and onboarding for interns.
• Develop and coordinate marketing, outreach, and recruitment initiatives.

Skills

RDN credential

Leadership

ACEND knowledge

Curriculum development

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Master's degree in Nutrition or related

Job description

Payroll Title: NTRTN AND DIETARY HC SUPV 2

Department: Clinical Nutrition

Hiring Pay Scale: $119,100 - $138,000 / Year

Worksite: Jacobs Medical Center

Appointment Type: Career

Appointment Percent: 100%

Union: Uncovered

Total Openings: 1

Work Schedule: Days, 8-Hour Shifts, Sunday-Saturday

#140639 Program Director, Dietetic Internship

Filing Deadline: Mon 8/17/2026

UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds.

Reassignment Applicants: Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

DESCRIPTION

The Program Director, Dietetic Internship is responsible for the strategic leadership, administration, accreditation, and continuous quality improvement of the UC San Diego Health Dietetic Internship Program. This position provides comprehensive oversight of all aspects of the accredited internship program, ensuring compliance with Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) standards while fostering an exceptional educational experience that prepares interns for entry-level practice as registered dietitians.

The Program Director oversees recruitment, selection, onboarding, curriculum implementation, competency assessment, clinical rotations, and program evaluation for up to 10 dietetic interns annually. This position will collaborate closely with Food and Nutrition leadership, interdisciplinary partners, and a network of inpatient and outpatient preceptors to deliver high-quality experiential learning opportunities.

This position requires advanced clinical nutrition expertise, knowledge of competency-based education, strong leadership and organizational skills, and experience with ACEND accreditation standards. The Program Director also provides direct supervision of 2.0 FTE responsible for administrative and educational support of the internship program and serves as the primary liaison between the interns, preceptors, and institutional stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct the overall administration, strategic planning, and continuous improvement of the ACEND-accredited Dietetic Internship Program. Develop, implement, and evaluate program policies, procedures, curriculum, and competency-based educational experiences.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with all ACEND accreditation standards, institutional policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead accreditation activities including annual reporting, self-study preparation, site visits, and implementation of quality improvement initiatives.
• Conduct comprehensive annual program evaluations using intern, preceptor, graduate, and stakeholder feedback to identify opportunities for program enhancement.
• Lead recruitment, application review, interview, selection, and onboarding processes for incoming dietetic interns.
• Develop and coordinate marketing, outreach, and recruitment initiatives including open houses, informational sessions, and promotional activities.
• Create individualized clinical rotation schedules that meet ACEND competency requirements while maximizing educational experiences. Collaborate with clinical preceptors and interdisciplinary teams to develop and coordinate diverse learning experiences across inpatient, outpatient, community, foodservice, and specialty practice settings.
• Conduct regular intern evaluations, competency assessments, and trimester reviews, providing timely coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback. Ensure interns successfully complete required competencies, supervised practice hours, and educational requirements.
• Recruit, develop, educate, and support preceptors to ensure high-quality learning experiences and consistency in competency evaluation. Partner with preceptors to identify intern learning needs and implement strategies that enhance educational outcomes.
• Maintain and enhance the Canvas Learning Management System and other educational technologies supporting intern learning and program administration.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, professionalism, and evidence-based practice.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree or higher in Nutrition, Dietetics, Public Health, Education, or a closely related field, and five or more years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of experience, education and training.
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible clinical nutrition experience.
• Certification in nutrition specialty area (example: CNSC, CDCES) or ability to obtain at next scheduled examination date, generally within six months.
• Demonstrated knowledge of medical nutrition therapy and evidence-based clinical practice.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, analyze complex issues, implement solutions, and lead quality improvement initiatives.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of ACEND accreditation standards, competency-based education, and dietetic internship program requirements.
• Experience developing curriculum, competency-based educational programs, and preceptor development initiatives.
• Previous supervisory or management experience.
• Clinical training and practice experience in a large academic medical center or teaching hospital.
• Board certification or advanced specialty certification in nutrition practice.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Must be able to work various hours and locations based on business needs.
• Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $100,100 - $187,500 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $47.94 - $89.80

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands‑on practice and in‑person skills assessment; online‑only certification is not acceptable.

UC San Diego Health is the only academic health system in the San Diego region, providing leading-edge care in patient care, biomedical research, education, and community service. Our facilities include two university hospitals, a National Cancer Institute‑designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, the only Burn Center in the county, and dozens of outpatient clinics. We invite you to join our team!

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The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

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UC San Diego Health maintains a marijuana and drug free environment. Employees may be subject to drug screening.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

a. "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 defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace