WIC Director

The WIC Director, develops, implements and evaluates a comprehensive Women, Infant and Children (WIC) nutrition program and directs staff accordingly to WIC Policy/Procedures. The Project Nutritionist is responsible for assuring quality nutrition services, as described in the USDA Nutrition Services Standards. This includes compliance with nutrition policies and procedures in the Wisconsin WIC Operations Manual.

The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Employee Relations

• Ensure that the regular formal (e.g., performance evaluations) and information (e.g., staff observation, random file review, etc.) activities are performed to make sure staff perform according to their assigned roles and responsibilities and that they operate with their respective scope of practice (including students and volunteers).
• Monitors staff to ensure nutrition and breastfeeding education and documentation is based on identified risks, participant concerns, and WIC policy, and maintain evaluation documentation.
• Conduct evaluation of health screeners, to assess technique and documentation.
• Incorporate person-centered principles in to the WIC Project recruitment and selection processes (as allowed). Recruit, hire and train WIC staff, especially members of special population groups. Assure competence of interpreters before hiring.
• Model Be-PC (Being Person-Centered) skills across all aspects of WIC service delivery.
• Supervise, direct and evaluate the performance of staff working in WIC, including volunteers and interns. If the WIC Director does not directly supervise all staff, he/she must communicate performance issues to the direct supervisor for resolution.
• Establish position descriptions that clearly delineate supervision, skills and knowledge.
• Collaborate with the Public Health Officer regarding nutrition staffing needed to accomplish the goals of the Program, comply with WIC policies and procedures, and continually improve WIC nutrition services

Trainings

• Ensure all WIC staff have opportunities and budget financial resources to participate in meaningful and required continuing education activities and that all CPAs, breastfeeding peers, and bilingual certifiers meet the requirement for continuing education units (see Policy 10.21 and 10.23).
• Coordinate regular meetings and required annual trainings with WIC and agency staff to review policies and procedures, and share other program information.
• Observations and nutrition care reviews of nutrition staff to determine training needs.
• Develops training plans for the project and individual staff, which includes procedure for providing and approving training.
• Maintains documentation of nutrition staff training needs and education received.
• Keeps training and orientation materials updated.
• Provides nutrition content oversight to WIC staff, which may include, but is not limited to, CPAs, bilingual certifiers, breastfeeding coordinator, peer counselors, and support staff in their nutrition services delivery.

Overall Administration

• Assess local WIC project’s needs and participants’ health and nutrition status. Use information collected to improve WIC services.
• Assure the timely and accurate implementation of all policies and procedures in the Wisconsin WIC Operations Manual. Develops and implements written project policies and procedures in order to ensure consistency among staff in the following areas: Referrals internal and External, Protocol for assigning and changing food benefits issuance.
• Develop, review and maintain the local policy and procedure manual to assure compliance with the state WIC Program.
• Assure that Civil Rights and Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity policies are practiced with respect to hiring staff and treatment of participants. Assure annual staff training.
• Responsible for caseload management, clinic flow, clinic schedules to serve participant needs and client services.
• Communicate with agency management regarding WIC services and needs.
• Communicate and collaborate with key community partners, advisory boards, committees to advocate access and participation in WIC nutrition services.
• Institute quality assurance measures within the project to assure quality and consistency of services.
• Assure timely completion and submission of reports and surveys (as requested) to the State WIC Office.
• Analyzes and evaluates results of Management Evaluations (ME).
• Participates in and/or writes grants for providing population-based services to the WIC population or to a broader population that includes the WIC population.

Financial

• Assists in preparation and justification of the annual program budget, ensuring staffing and resources to meet the Program goals and objectives.
• Assists in tracking monthly fiscal expenditures and submit reports in a timely manner. Revise the budget and narrative as needed.
• Decided on budget needs for nutrition staffing, nutrition assessment equipment, nutrition education materials; time for policy development, materials development, planning, implementation, evaluation, staff development, and coordination of services.
• Assure funds are allocated properly and claimed according to WIC policy. The Project Director must have access to agency fiscal management documents to meet the fiscal responsibilities in Policy 11.3 Budget Tracking.
• Assists in negotiation and monitoring subcontracts and other agreements for provision of WIC services as needed, per Policy 10.2 Subcontracts for WIC Services.

Program Planning and Evaluation

• Assess the local project needs; routinely review and update to reflect current data, information and trends.
• Evaluate WIC data, for program evaluation, quality assurance, needs assessment, coordination/ integration and other management purposes.
• Develop, implement and evaluate annual WIC objectives, as directed by the State WIC Office, in the DPH Application and Reporting Tool.
• Develops/Implements the Project’s Nutrition Education Plan/Work Plan.
• Develop/ Implement the Project’s Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program working with participants and Farmers Market vendors and the Market Manager to ensure understanding of program regulations and operation

Confidentiality and Security

• Responsible for security of computer hardware and the ROSIE data collection system, per Policy 11.11 Security of WIC Data. Inactivate user rights immediately upon staff leaving WIC.
• Preserve program integrity and prevent program abuse and fraud per Policy 10.26 Prevention of Employee Fraud and Abuse.
• Ensure all staff are adequately trained and annually monitored for compliance with Policy 10.41Confidentiality of WIC Participant/Applicant Information and 10.26 Prevention of Employee Fraud and Abuse.
• Understand Civil Rights regulations related to WIC, provide customer service that complies with Civil Rights policies, and document Civil Rights related data in ROSIE.
• Follow up on reports of program fraud and unauthorized use of WIC benefits.

Certification

• Ensure WIC staff correctly issue WIC food benefits and enter certification and benefit issuance data/information into ROSIE.
• Ensure that participation counts are accurate and that discrepancies are reported to the State WIC Office. Monitors project caseload and clinic flow to ensure staff schedules adequately.
• Ensure that health screening staff utilize state approved anthropometric and hematological screening equipment and techniques and that equipment is properly maintained.
• Ensure that all project staff and the clinic environment are supportive of nutrition and breastfeeding education as a primary focus of WIC.
• Assure accurate scheduling and documentation procedures for non-certification nutrition education contacts and high-risk follow-up contacts per state policy.
• Ensures remaining ROSIE screens are completed according to Policy 3.10 – Nutrition Assessment at Certification.

Nutrition Education and Breastfeeding Promotion and Support

• Demonstrate the nutrition knowledge and skills to screen and assess, counseling and educate, and make appropriate referrals, as appropriate for the WIC position.
• Promote and provide support for successful initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.
• Ensure adequate resources for staff to accomplish nutrition and breastfeeding goals and objectives as specified in Policy 10.21 Nutrition Staff and Policy 10.23 Breastfeeding and BFPC Coordinator.
• Provide oversight to assure nutrition integrity for all nutrition related activities in the WIC Project.
• Ensures all nutrition services and breastfeeding services are provided by competent staff as defined by Policies 10.23 – Breastfeeding Coordinator, 3.40 – Breastfeeding Plan, 10.22 – Nutrition Staff, and 3.42 – Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program.
• Ensures accurate risk identification and assignment.
• Ensures counseling is goal-oriented and based on identified risks and participant concerns.
• Ensures all participants are offered relevant, evidenced-based nutrition education during their certification period that emphasizes the relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and health; and assists in moving toward positive change.
• Ensures that documentation facilitates clear communication between staff as well as a seamless continuum of care for participants.
• Ensures quality, culturally appropriate, current, and evidence-based nutrition services.

Vendor Management

• Direct vendor management, monitoring and training activities for the vendors in the project service area, per instructions from the State WIC Vendor Management Unit.
• Assure that a vendor and participant complaint procedure is in place and complaints are followed up.
• Assures that vendor management reports are reviewed periodically and followed up as directed.

Integration and Coordination with Other Local Providers

• Assure the development of referral criteria and procedures from WIC to other nutrition staff or health care providers for further diagnosis or nutrition related care.
• Maintain contacts and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Health Department programs and other agencies per policy to establish and maintain an effective referral system and confidentiality of participant information.
• Assure the development of referral criteria and procedures to other community food and nutrition resources. Is aware of health, nutrition, breastfeeding, and social services for WIC population in the agency’s area and DPH region. Provides resources to CPA staff for purposes of making referrals
• Promote the use of Division of Public Health/WIC Program nutrition standards and protocols by health care providers within the agency and community.
• Participate in community coalitions, task forces, advisory committees that affect services to WIC eligible families; and child death reviews, as requested.
• Participate in community and nutrition needs assessments; share demographic, nutrition, and breastfeeding data.
• Assure nutrition services are available to WIC participants through the coordination and integration of other programs (i.e. Birth to 3, Prenatal Care Coordination, HealthCheck, etc.).
• Assess the impact on nutrition services when integrating other health services in order to maintain the integrity of WIC nutrition services.
• Promote and support breastfeeding as the norm in the agency, the WIC project and the community.

Customer Relations

• Build and maintain effective community relations while maintaining the core mission of WIC.
• Ensure that WIC staff functions effectively within the Public Health system. Work cooperatively with public health nurses in the provision of nutrition services to clients and other interested parties.
• Develop, implement, and/or ensure compliance with local and state policies and procedures such as: participant eligibility/ineligibility determination and notification, documentation of nutrition education and counseling provided, food package tailoring and issuance requirements, referrals, anthropometric and hematological measurement and documentation, etc.
• Work effectively with persons from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, and professional backgrounds, and with persons of all ages.
• Understand cultural knowledge and awareness to understand nutrition and breastfeeding related behaviors.
• Use a variety of strategies for communicating with participants for whom English is not their first language, including using an interpreter/ translator.

1. The Project Director must be an employee of the agency, and may not be obtained through a subcontract.
2. At a minimum, the Project Director must have a four-year degree. WIC is a nutrition program; it is highly recommended that the Director be a qualified nutrition professional. For purposes of the WIC Program, a qualified nutrition professional is a person with a four-year degree in nutrition.
3. The Project Nutritionist must be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who is registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) or who within 6 months of hire passes the CDR examination, and is also a Certified Dietitian (CD) in the State of Wisconsin.
4. No previous experience required but it is also recommended to have two years job-related experience and/or coursework in program management and public health nutrition.
5. Valid Wisconsin Driver’s License.

Physical Requirements

This job entails minimal physical demands, typically found in an office environment, with very limited exposure to workplace hazards. Some lifting, moving, bending, and twisting.

Work Environment

Usual office working conditions – comfortable work environment.

EOE / ADA Statement

Rusk County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rusk County will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Selection Guidelines

Formal application, rating of education and experience; oral interview and reference check; job related tests may be required.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.