Nutrition Counselor

Full Job Description

New York City is home to approximately 1.64 million older adults, and the Department for the Aging (DFTA) is committed to helping them age in their homes and communities. The mission of DFTA is to eliminate ageism and ensure the dignity and quality of life of diverse older adults. DFTA also works to support caregivers through service, advocacy, and education.

Under general direction, provides individualized nutrition counseling to older adults, and monitors and assesses community-based meal
programs for older adults.

The responsibilities of the Nutrition Counselor include:

Provide individualized nutrition counseling to older adults; interview clients in their homes, on the telephone, and/or at older adult centers to obtain meal patterns, food frequencies, health problems, medications, and other information that may impact nutritional status; evaluate client data and prepare individualized care plans; provide follow-up counseling as needed; complete assessment reports.

Monitor and assess assigned meal programs for contract compliance with nutrition service standards and sanitary codes.

Provide technical assistance and training to program personnel, sponsors and caterers in all aspects of food service management and
nutritional standards including menu planning, food purchasing, preparation and storage; assess proposed new sites and caterers; make
recommendations to achieve compliance with all standards.

Review and approve menus; complete the nutrient analysis for recipes and menus.

Create nutrition education materials and provide nutrition education for assigned programs; participate in community health fairs.

Establish a professional relationship with educational, government, and community agencies and healthcare professionals; work with
the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to ensure annual inspection of meal sites and caterers; interpret mandated nutrition
standards and guidelines for meal preparation.

Prepare reports and corrective action plans when required.

Participates in the reading and evaluations of the Agency’s Request for Proposals (RFP).

Participates in special projects and initiatives as needed.

This position requires extensive field work.
Minimum Qual Requirements

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with a major in foods and nutrition, food service management, food science, or home economics and four years of
full-time satisfactory experience in an institutional, residential, hospital, or community-based program: a) monitoring and assessing or managing all phases of a meal program, or b) providing nutrition counseling or nutrition education. At least two of the four years of experience must have been acquired within the last five years. In addition, at least two years of experience must have been in monitoring and assessing or managing all phases of a meal program in an institutional, residential, hospital, or community-based program; or

2. A master’s degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with a major in foods and nutrition, food service management, food science, or home economics and three years of fulltime
satisfactory experience in an institutional, residential, hospital, or community-based program: a) monitoring and assessing or managing all phases of a meal program, or b) providing nutrition counseling or nutrition education. At least two of the three years of experience must have been acquired within the last five years. In addition, at least two years of experience must have been in monitoring and assessing or managing all phases of a meal program in an institutional, residential, hospital, or community-based program.
Preferred Skills

Registered Dietitian preferred.
Experience providing nutrition counseling; familiarity with the different nutrition analysis software.
Ability to work with diverse populations and communicate with stakeholders of other community-based organizations.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task and prioritize workload; familiarity with the food safety and sanitation standards required by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Serve Safe certified or New York City certificate in food protection is a plus.
Spanish speaking preferred.
Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

As a current or prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs.

Differential of $1,748 for ADA Registration.
To Apply

Please be sure to submit a resume & cover letter when applying.
All current City Employees may apply by going to Employee Self Service (ESS) http://cityshare.nycnet/ess
Click on Recruiting Activities/Careers and Search for Job ID #518422
All other applicants, please go to www.nyc.gov/careers/search and search for Job ID#518422
Please do not email, mail or fax your resume to DFTA directly.
55-a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.
Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.