Head Start Nutrition Specialist

Responsibilities and Duties

• Ensures children receive meals and snacks according to USDA and performance standards.
• Communicates effectively and to appropriate staff and parents regarding meal service.
• Orders and maintains supplies needed for meal service.
• Adheres to classroom meal schedules and routines.
• Maintains a clean kitchen/cafeteria area and ensures facility is clean and well maintained.
• Makes sure kitchen/cafeteria is free of needed repairs and requests work orders.
• Timely and accurately completes and maintains USDA documentation and records as required by all applicable regulations.
• Responsible for transporting and/or receiving meals from food service providers.
• Aids children in setting the tables, serving the food, and disposing of unused meals.
• Performs cleaning and sanitizing duties such as washing dishes, utensils, equipment, counters, cabinets, chairs, and tables; along with trash removal, food preparation surfaces sanitation, and food storage appliances and equipment cleansing.
• Oversees and maintains inventory of food items, supplies, and materials.
• Maintains appropriate temperatures of cold and hot food items to ensure they are served at acceptable temperatures.
• Prepares food with attention to detail, especially for children with modified diets and appropriate portion sizes.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work well with individuals of all cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.

Requirements and Education

• High school diploma or equivalent.

Qualifications

• A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
• a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
• a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
• A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
• An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
• An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.