Culinary Nutritionist

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Sr. Director of Culinary Services, the Culinary Nutritionist creates nutritious recipes in collaboration with culinary team, provides dietary guidance, and educates both clients and our culinary team. The position will be responsible for maintaining the food service software program in order to create efficiencies within the system. This position is ideal for a highly organized, conscientious, and mission driven individual

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

• Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, Culinary Arts, or a related field
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist eligible
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and nutrition analysis software and tools
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with a culturally diverse kitchen team of staff and volunteers
• Must be able to speak, read and write in English to facilitate communications in the kitchen
• Sensitivity to the circumstances and needs of people living with critical illness and Seniors
• Flexible schedule with the ability to work occasional nights, weekends, and holidays to meet demands
• Should be able to work effectively in a traditional kitchen environment that has wet floors, temperature extremes, and loud noise.

QUALIFICATIONS DESIRED:

• 3 years of experience in culinary nutrition, menu planning, or a related field

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Uses available technology to enhance the work of all employees within Nutrition and Culinary Services.
• Manages POH supported software programs and/or commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) to support the effective management of meal production and service.
• Enters and maintains ingredients, recipes, nutritional information and menus.
• Key participant in the department’s menu committee.
• Ensures recipes are standardized.
• Costs out recipes and assures that they are within budgetary constraints.
• In collaboration with the menu committee creates and revises menus, considering POH established guidelines, policy, client preference, and religious and cultural considerations.
• Completes nutrient analyses of regular and modified menus and ensures menu follow required diet guidelines.
• Develops and maintains training and reference materials for the Culinary Services team.
• Completes food safety audits
• Uses client feedback to develop recipes with a focus on plant based offerings
• Coordinates and supports downtime procedures for the Culinary Services team, ensuring procedures remain up to date.
• Coordinates all aspects of training related to computer systems, menus and informatics for Culinary Services team.
• Supports work to improve client satisfaction
• Performs client nutrition assessment, reassessment and education when necessary
• Creates content for nutrition education when necessary

POH COMPETENCIES:

• Team player: Demonstrates cooperative spirit, respects professional boundaries and is successful at sharing responsibilities with others
• Self-led: Knows and completes responsibilities in assigned timelines, asks for clarifications when needed
• Sensitive to the circumstances and needs of the critically ill and seniors, as well as people with mental health and substance abuse issues
• Customer oriented: Works well with all customers (internal staff and external contacts), promotes a positive image of the agency and works diligently to resolve customer issues
• Poised: able to maintain a calm, positive and constructive attitude during interactions with diverse populations, sometimes in challenging situations
• Ethical: Honest, accountable, maintains confidentiality
• Decisive: Thoughtful when considering options, seeks input from others, makes difficult decisions when necessary
• Knowledgeable: Understands facets of job, keeps job knowledge current
• Well organized: Information organized and accessible, maintains efficient work space, manages time well
• Strong communicator: excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Technical savvy: Skilled with computers, proficient with function appropriate technology, learns quickly, uses technology to enhance job performance with the interest and ability to learn new technology
• Leadership I: Completes all assigned tasks in a timely manner and is able to identify projects or work needed for future completion. Anticipates needs before they are assigned. Recognizes themselves as a departmental or function representative
• Agile: Able to move effectively between big-picture thinking and hands-on logistics
• Takes Initiative: Takes action, seeks new opportunities, strives to see projects to completion
• Problem solver: Strong analytical skills and able to creatively address and solve problems
• Leadership II: Is abreast of current projects and actively planning for the future. Leads and gains results through others through example, communication, delegation, and accountability. Is a representative of POH internally and externally
• Motivated: Looks for opportunities to increase knowledge, works to increase responsibility, strives to achieve personal goals
• Creative: Ability to conceptualize fresh, compelling ideas for the department and agency
• Innovative: Creative, offers new ideas, risk taker, amenable to change
• Staff management: Delegates well, defines and enforces responsibilities and motivates staff to progress and succeed

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Physical demands: While performing duties of job, incumbent is occasionally required to stand for long periods of time and move; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear. Employee will must bend, stoop and lift and/or move up to 50 pounds unassisted. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment: The noise level in the work environment will consistently vary from moderate to loud. The work environment will be ever changing with volunteers and staff members all sharing limited space and working together in the Kitchen. The work environment will consistently have wet floors, temperature extremes, moving objects and loud noises

Project Open Hand offers a generous employee benefit and wellness package. Eligibility for different programs is determined by the role and employment statuses but may include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage, and Flexible Spending Account
• Long Term Disability, Life/AD&D, and Supplemental Life Insurance
• Retirement Savings Plan 403(b), Commuter Check Subsidy
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Financial Counseling, Cell Phone Discounts, and additional discounts
• Holidays (13 per year), generous vacation and sick leave, and complimentary lunch