ASSOCTIATE DIRECTOR, NUTRITION

**RESUME AND COVER LETTER REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED**

DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION:

The Food Access and Nutrition department is responsible for all aspects of DC Central Kitchen's Food Access programs, services, and activities, including but not limited to menu planning, nutrition education, engagement, and outreach, and program implementation. This department also manages program compliance with relevant federal, state, and local policies, regulations, and procedures; facilitates effective business relationships with clients; and drives value through efficient service operations for contract meal programs including The Community Partnership (TCP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and other programming that provides meals to the community. In addition to nutrition services, this department includes our School Foods program, which provides scratch-cooked, locally sourced nutritious meals to students at multiple schools throughout Washington, D.C., our Community Meals program, which ensures the efficient preparation and distribution of healthy meals to partner agencies (including homeless shelters, rehabilitation clinics, and after-school programs) throughout the region, and our Healthy Corners Program which brings healthful foods to small corner stores in communities with limited access to supermarkets and other robust retail food options.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Under the direction of the Director of Food Access and Nutrition, the Associate Director, Nutrition will provide strategic leadership and oversight for all deliverables for key nutrition programs within the Food Access and Nutrition Department, including menu programming and implementation, and nutrition education, engagement, and outreach, ensuring alignment with DC Central Kitchen's mission and values. The Associate Director, in conjunction with the Director, will also help drive DC Central Kitchen's Food is Medicine initiatives, partnering closely with others cross-organizationally as needed. The Associate Director will play a pivotal role in developing and implementing nutrition outreach events at our headquarters in SW, in the community, and in the schools, and will collaborate closely with other Associate Directors and team members within the department to reach shared goals and program deliverables. Additionally, this role will drive nutrition program excellence, foster innovation, and ensure compliance with all relevant federal, state, and local regulations. This position demands strong program management, delegation skills, and a commitment to mentoring and developing team members, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement and impact. This position will have the opportunity to represent DCCK at various forums around the city, and beyond, regarding our local initiatives with additional opportunities to network directly with local area businesses, nonprofits, and media to foster relationships and further business partnerships.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategic Program Leadership:
  • Provide strategic direction and oversight for nutrition program growth, partner stakeholder engagement, and nutrition thought leadership.
  • Design nutrition-based programming aligned with industry and research proven best practices while also leading organization-wide menu programming and nutrition education, engagement, and outreach, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.
  • Develop and implement research-based program evaluation strategies to measure impact and inform nutrition program improvements.
  • Assist the Director in driving a broader nutrition portfolio, including Food is Medicine initiatives and serving jointly as DCCK's internal resource and nutrition subject matter expert.
  • Represent DC Central Kitchen at relevant forums and events, promoting the organization's mission and programs.
• Menu Development and Nutrition Expertise:
  • Supervise and provide direction on the creation and implementation of nutritious and appealing menus for all programs (K12, adult, senior), ensuring compliance with all USDA program guidelines, contract deliverables, and dietary accommodation requirements.
  • Collaborate with the Culinary Operations leadership team and Procurement team, as well as other relevant staff to develop and test standardized recipes with accurate K12 nutrient equivalents and menus for all programs.
  • Ensure all menus reflect current nutritional guidelines and best practices aligned to the production kitchen's capabilities.
• Program Management and Compliance:
  • Oversee the day-to-day operations of assigned programs and deliverables, ensuring efficient and effective delivery of services.
  • Work closely with Institutional Giving Manager and other departmental Associate Directors on nutrition focused grant deliverables and data for reports.
  • Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations, including all Child Nutrition Programming (CNP) and other partner agency relationships and contracts as applicable.
  • Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation and reporting systems to track program performance and compliance.
  • Delegate responsibilities effectively to team members.
• Team Leadership and Development:
  • Mentor, coach, train, and develop team members across all direct and indirect reports, providing clear direction and performance feedback to team members.
  • Foster a positive and collaborative work environment that promotes professional growth and development.
  • Drive dietetic intern stakeholder relationships, working closely with Nutrition Manager to plan, schedule, and successfully precept dietetic interns from organizationally approved institutions year-round.
• Nutrition Engagement, Education, and Outreach:
  • Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with community and school partners, clients, corner stores, and other external stakeholders.
  • Lead the development and execution of all nutrition activities across the organization including nutrition standards, messaging, outreach, and all deliverables for grants, service contracts, and partner agencies.
  • In partnership with DCCK's Workforce Development leadership team, create nutrition curriculum for the Culinary Job Training classes and develop and delegate nutrition team members to teach on it for each class.
• Financial Management:
  • Manage program budgets effectively, ensuring responsible allocation of resources.
  • Monitor program expenditures and identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
• Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement:
  • Create and implement systems to evaluate program effectiveness.
  • Utilize data to drive program improvements.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS;

• Registered Dietitian (RD) is required.
• Bachelor's degree in nutrition, dietetics, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in food service management, with a focus on K-12 nutrition and nutrition education program development or commensurate experience.
• Demonstrated experience in overseeing and managing USDA programs, including SBP, NSLP, CACFP, SSO, and FSMP. With emphasis in understanding local HSA and OSSE guidelines.
• Proven experience in utilizing K12 menu software, menu development and implementation, particularly for diverse populations.
• Strong program management and evaluation skills, with the ability to analyze data and make informed decisions.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to mentor and motivate team members.
• Ability to leverage AI tools effectively for tasks while exercising strong human judgement to recognize limitations and apply manual effort where nuance, original thinking and emotional intelligence is required.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget development and oversight. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (SharePoint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Current ServSafe® Managers Certification.
• Valid Driver's License.
• Demonstrated cultural competence and a commitment to the mission and values of DC Central Kitchen.
• Strong experience delegating tasks.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in community level nutrition outreach
• Experience in planning, conducting, and evaluating effectiveness nutrition programs and cooking classes
• Knowledgeable about Food is Medicine movement
• Experience in research-based program evaluation.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Must be capable of independent local travel.
• Must be able to attend occasional night and weekend events.
• May occasionally move Audio/Visual and other office equipment or lightweight items weighing up to 20 pounds for various meeting and event needs
• May require moderate physical activity, including transporting, positioning, installing, or removing office equipment items, such as printers, computers, phones, and so on
• May need to occasionally move about inside the office and commercial kitchen space to access supplies, materials, file cabinets, office machinery, etc.; constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer; constantly positions self to access and maintain computer equipment; and must be able to remain in a stationery position for at least 50% of the time.
• Must be able to work in an environment where exposure to unusual elements such as extreme temperatures, fumes, dirt, smoke, loud noise, and a variety of odors is common.

BENEFITS:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance (DCCK pays 100% of employee premiums for individual coverage)
• Flexible Spending Accounts

• Paid Time Off (vacation, sick, and personal leave)
• 11 Company Paid Holidays
• Bonding Leave for new parents
• Commuter Benefits plan
• Matching 401(k) program
• Basic Life & Supplemental Life
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Wellness Reimbursement program

NOTE:

This document is an outline of the primary tasks assigned and may be changed at the discretion of management, formally or informally, either verbally or in writing. All team members are expected to assist DC Central Kitchen in achieving its goals even if such tasks are beyond the scope of this outline. The job description does not constitute an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.