Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Location: Rapid City, SD
Salary: $28.73–$33.28 hourly, depending on qualifications

About the role

The South Dakota Department of Health’s Office of Family Nutrition Services (OFNS) is seeking a full-time Registered Dietitian/Licensed Nutritionist (RD/LN) to support the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Food Program in the west region of the state. This position works under the supervision of the Dietitian Manager to deliver vital nutrition services that directly impact family and community health.

Work is a combination of in-person and remote, with virtual services provided from a state office location. Travel to satellite sites, meetings, and trainings is required; occasional overnight stays and weekend hours may be needed. Lifting may be required for anthropometric measurements of infants and children.

Responsibilities

• Provide participant case management, approve special formula requests, and consult with healthcare providers
• Conduct quality assurance reviews for high-risk nutrition cases
• Determine participant eligibility (identity, income, residency, categorical and nutritional risk)
• Deliver nutrition support, education, and health assessments
• Provide breastfeeding education and support
• Link clients to appropriate health and social resources
• Offer nutrition-related technical assistance to team members
• Deliver nutrition education in community settings
• Collaborate on setting nutrition, outreach, and breastfeeding goals for the served population
• Provide maternal and child health services, including developmental screenings, infant safe sleep education, and promotion of immunizations, oral health, and other public health initiatives
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with community partners and providers to enhance referrals and explore innovative partnership opportunities

Requirements

• Must be licensed as a Nutritionist in South Dakota or eligible for licensure within one year of employment
• Master’s degree in human nutrition, public health nutrition, clinical nutrition, nutrition education, community education, or foods and nutrition
• Dietetic internship or similar Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics approval required
• Must be a Registered Dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) or obtain registration within 365 days of hire

Skills & Knowledge

• Motivational interviewing skills
• Principles and practices of food and nutrition sciences
• Breastfeeding education
• Infant/child developmental milestones
• Ability to provide nutrition and health information effectively one-on-one, in groups, virtually (Zoom, Teams, telemedicine), by phone, text, and online
• Skill in sharing education at the client’s level of understanding
• Knowledge of federal and state regulations, policies, and procedures
• Effective communication with interpreters in person, by phone, or during virtual service delivery
• Cultural competency when working with socioeconomically and culturally diverse populations
• Ability to motivate participants to make decisions and set goals to improve their nutritional status
• Ability to prioritize and facilitate referrals within the context of multiple and complicated participant needs
• Ability to work autonomously and in a team environment
• Ability to recognize and facilitate opportunities for outreach, marketing, and partnership building
• Ability to multitask, prioritize complex situations, and adapt to quickly shifting priorities

Benefits

• $0 premium employee health insurance option
• Eleven paid holidays
• Generous vacation and sick leave accrual
• Dental, vision, and other insurance options
• Retirement benefits (Class A retirement under SDRS)