07/08/1999 21260

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES ADVISER 2

DEFINITION: This is advanced professional and supervisory work directing a staff of Food and Nutrition Services Adviser 1's (field advisors) responsible for the review food and nutrition programs in facilities such as schools, institutions, child and adult care centers and day care home sponsor organizations to ensure compliance with federal regulations and adherence to state policies.

Employees in this class are responsible for supervising field staff in the review and evaluation of child and adult care food and nutrition programs to ensure that programs at the local level are operated in conformance with federal regulations. Work involves scheduling personnel to ensure that the required number of USDA mandated reviews of child and adult care food sponsors are performed, reviewing corrective action plans prepared by field advisers, and reviewing and approving responses submitted from sponsors on corrective action plans. The work also involves coordinating training and technical assistance activities, developing training materials, and doing presentations at workshops and training sessions. Work is performed with considerable independence under the general supervision of the Supervisor of Field Services and is reviewed through conferences and analysis of written reports.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Coordinates and supervises a staff of field advisors who are involved in reviewing and evaluating child and adult care nutrition programs at schools, institutions, and child and adult care centers in an assigned region of the Commonwealth. This includes assigning personnel to ensure the required number of reviews is completed.

Reviews administrative review forms prepared by field advisors for completeness and accuracy.

Reviews corrective action plans prepared by field advisors to ensure that non-compliance issues found during reviews are described accurately and consistently and that the correction action suggested by the field advisors is appropriate and consistent.

Reviews and approves responses to corrective action plans that are submitted by program sponsors. This involves determining if the response is appropriate and if the action taken by the sponsor will resolve the problem cited during the review.

Ensures that adequate training and technical assistance is provided to program sponsors. This includes developing and conducting training sessions for school superintendents, business managers, school food administrators, dietitians and  other food service personnel. This also involves assigning field advisors to visit local sponsors to provide training and technical assistance for them.

Provides training for field advisors during in-service sessions. Also provides training in Harrisburg and in the field for new employees.

Attends meetings of governmental agencies and other organizations involved in child and adult nutrition programs to provide workshops and presentations when requested. Attend hearings requested by sponsors who may disagree with program review findings.

Promotes/advocates the importance of child and adult nutrition programs to local administrators and food service personnel.

Recommends changes in state policies and procedures and develops and revises forms to enhance field service operations.

Delegates and supervises work, evaluates employee performance and approve or disapprove leave requests.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the principles and practices of nutrition and large-scale food preparation and service.

Knowledge of federal regulations related to various child and adult care nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Special Milk Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Ability to apply nutrition principles and practices to food service programs in schools and child and adult care facilities.

Ability to use a computer, including software, to conduct mandated reviews and nutrient analysis of menus and to analyze information submitted by sponsors.

Ability to train and instruct food service personnel in program requirements.

Ability to supervise a staff of field advisors.

Ability to develop basic training materials and to evaluate training materials developed by others.

Ability to lead conferences and workshops with professional personnel.

Ability to communicate effectively to individuals and groups of people, both orally and in writing.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Division of Food and Nutrition program staff and local school officials.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: Two years experience as a Food and Nutrition Services Adviser 1;

                                                                                                                                                              or

Four years of professional experience in nutrition services or school food service management and a bachelor's degree in dietetics, nutrition, food service administration, or hotel and restaurant management.

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Any equivalent combination of experience and training.