Newark, the largest municipality in New Jersey with a population of approximately 282,000 residents, is seeking a Senior Dietitian within the Division of Surveillance & Prevention/WIC Unit. Under direction, the Senior Dietitian will plan diets and develops and implements dietary plans based on nutritional assessment and the special nutritional needs of individuals; does related work as required.

Title: Senior Dietitian

35 Hour – Full Time

Salary: $53,517.18

Location: Department of Health and Community Wellness – WIC UNIT

110 William Street, Lower Level, Newark, NJ 07102

Opening Date: February 15, 2023

‍

Submit Resume and Cover Letter to:

Patricia Cummings, Nutrition Program Coordinator, WIC cummings@ci.newark.nj.us

Ngozi Njoku-Obi, Assistant Nutrition njokuobin@ci.newark.nj.us

Sandra Williams, Personnel Officer williamss@ci.newark.nj.us

Kinces Joseph, Supervising Dietitian josephk@ci.newark.nj.us

‍

SENIOR DIETITIAN BI-LINGUAL - Proficient in Spanish (Preferred)

Under direction, takes the lead over Dietitian(s) involved in the planning of diets and in the development and implementation of dietary plans based on nutrition assessment and the special nutrition needs of patients in a hospital, extended care, or long term care facility, or other health care facility; does related work as required.

‍

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

The Dietitian is a member of the health care team and is primarily concerned with therapeutic diets for individuals or groups who are located in hospitals, nursing homes, or other health care facilities. The Dietitian assesses nutrition needs and the nutrition status of individuals through dietary histories of individuals, laboratory values, anthropometric tests, and similar methods. The Dietitian counsels individuals and families on dietary plans, adapting plans to the individuals' therapeutic needs and life style. Dietitians confer with physicians and other members of the health care team and correlate the patients' nutrition care plan with other patient care plans. They serve as advisors on nutrition care to all members of the health care team. They may also counsel individual patients and their families on the requirements and importance of their diets and suggest ways to maintain these diets after being discharged from the institution. The Senior Dietitian performs duties similar in nature to those performed by a Dietitian. The main distinction between this position and the next lower class is that the Senior Dietitian exercises leadership functions over one (1) or more Dietitians as assigned. This responsibility generally entails:

• Distributing and balancing the workload among other Dietitians.
• Passing on to the other Dietitians instructions received from the supervisor.
• Making necessary adjustments in work procedures or the flow of work.
• Demonstrating proper work methods.
• Sees that needed supplies and equipment are available.
• Answering the questions of other Dietitians as to procedures, policies, regulations, and instructions, and instructing them in the performance of specific tasks and job techniques.
• Checking on work in progress and completed to see whether the supervisor's instructions have been carried out properly.
• Giving on the job training to newly hired Dietitians in accordance with established procedures and practices.
• Answering questions of the supervisor regarding overall work operations and problems.
• Informing the supervisor as to the progress and training needs of the other Dietitians, and making suggestions regarding disciplinary matters, promotions, reassignments, dismissals, and other personnel problems.

This responsibility is in contrast to that of a Head Dietitian, the next higher level title in this series, in that the Head Dietitian has overall supervisory and managerial authority in the management of a large scale meal planning and/or preparation program.

‍

EXAMPLES OF WORK:

• Takes the lead over other Dietitians and is involved in the performance of the following duties.
• Plans diets and supervises the preparation and serving of regular and therapeutic diets to patients prescribed by medical staff in order to meet the nutrition needs of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other health care facility.
• Confers with physicians and other members of the health team in order to correlate the patients nutrition care plan with other patient care plans.
• Discusses problems affecting patients’ food habits and needs for special diet requirements.
• Formulates menus for therapeutic diets based on indicated physiologic and psychological needs of patients in order to integrate them with basic institution menus.
• Plans special meals for patients placed on modified diets by taking into consideration the nutritional value of foods, including vitamin and mineral content, and human requirements.
• Gives individual or group instruction to persons on restricted diets, taking into consideration the psychological, social, and economic needs of patients.
• Inspects meals assembly in order to ascertain that each tray conforms to a prescribed diet and meets standards as to quality, quantity, temperature, and appearance.
• Provides dietary counseling to patients and their families while the patient is in the facility and at the time of discharge in order to suggest ways to help them stay on their diets.
• Assesses the nutrition needs of each patient, prepares an individual dietary care plan, and reassesses the patient's response to dietary service in accordance with an alternative schedule which the Senior Dietitian justifies and documents in the patients' medical record.
• Evaluates and follows up on patients' nutrition care program and records all necessary data on patient's medical charts.
• Provides nutrition guidance and consultation to other patient care personnel.
• Reviews medical orders for modified diets required for patients. Instructs personnel regarding type and quantity of food to be prepared and any special techniques to be employed.
• Interviews patients while making ward rounds in order to obtain information regarding food habits, preferences, and acceptability of food served for guidance in planning diets.
• Initiates referral of specific patients to community agencies for follow up with physician's approval.
• Keeps records and compiles reports concerning technical and administrative operations such as number of meals served, analysis of diets, supplies issued, repairs to dietary equipment, and personnel attendance records.
• Assists in selecting for employment, assigning duties, supervising and evaluating dietary personnel.
• Maintains time records of employees on duty and inspects kitchen, pantries, and equipment for cleanliness.
• Schedules hours of duty and work assignments, orients new employees, and grants leave authorizations.
• Requisitions supplies and equipment required by diet kitchen.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION:

Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor's degree with a major concentration in Dietetics, Nutrition, Food, Food Science, or Food Service Management.

EXPERIENCE:

Completion of a dietetic internship and professional experience in nutrition when combined totals two (2) years of professional experience in nutrition, or two (2) years of full-time professional experience in nutrition.

NOTE: A current and valid Certification as a Registered Dietitian issued by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics may be substituted for education and one (1) year of experience. OR Graduation from an accredited college with a Master's degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, Food, Food Science, or Food Service Management may be substituted for one (1) year of experience.

‍

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of dietetics and diet management including food costs and cost fluctuations and similar matters.
• Knowledge of modern diet and food preparation methods and materials used in a large and/or small food service unit.
• Knowledge of health and safety requirements for kitchen personnel, machinery, and equipment.
• Knowledge of sociology or psychology to understand the individual's basic social needs, development processes, and culturally acquired attitudes and habits.
• Knowledge of physiology to understand the functioning of the various systems of the human body, such as the digestion of food, nutrient absorption, transport, and metabolism.
• Knowledge of the interrelationships of chemical organic and inorganic compounds, such as vitamins, enzymes, and hormones, in bodily functions.
• Ability to analyze, comprehend, and interpret dietary problems.
• Ability to develop normal and therapeutic diets.
• Ability to adapt normal and therapeutic diets to the group's and to the individual's cultural, religious, economic needs, and preferences.
• Ability to apply the professional sciences of food, nutrition, and management.
• Ability to organize assigned dietary and supervisory work and develop effective work methods.
• Ability to design dietary plans for meeting the physiological needs of individuals and groups based on a knowledge of food composition and nutrient requirements of individuals.
• Ability to integrate nutrition services into the health delivery system.
• Ability to give suitable assignments and instructions to staff.
• Ability to develop suitable work schedules for assigned employees.
• Ability to work harmoniously with associates.
• Ability to use effective oral communication techniques in persuading and informing individuals and groups.
• Ability to establish and maintain suitable records and files.
• Ability to organize and write technical reports, procedures, pamphlets, and similar documents.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication

‍