Staff whose work requires or potentially could require any in-person interaction with Save the Children colleagues, partners, or beneficiaries must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless otherwise required by law. Save the Children complies with federal, state, and local laws with regard to accommodations related to this policy.

Summary

The Manager of Health & Nutrition supports the health and nutrition systems and services within a program, guiding the health and wellness curricula, program planning, policy development and training. You will provide technical and management support to the Head Start /Early Head Start programs to ensure effective coordination, implementation and monitoring of the health and nutrition services.

Under the supervision of the Program Director, you will contribute to program improvement through evaluation, self-assessment and other development efforts, and will also establish and maintain a Health Services Advisory Committee (HSAC) to support children’s healthy development.

As a frontline representative of Save the Children, the Manager of Health & Nutrition is required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that he/she comes in contact with and adhere to the agency’s values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity.

As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, the position is expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice and training to minimize risk to children. The position must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report, respond to any instance of child abuse, and promote training and awareness around all child-safeguarding obligations.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Develop, implement and evaluate systems for the delivery of health, nutrition and safety services. Includes center and, where applicable, home based services.
• Meet federal, state, and program documentation requirements by maintaining accurate, objective, complete, timely, and well-organized child records as it relates to health and nutrition, both on paper and in designated online systems.
• In collaboration with education staff, research, evaluate and prepare recommendations on health, nutrition and safety curricula to ensure compliance with Performance Standards and monitor for fidelity in implementation.
• Monitor health and nutrition services throughout program. Collect and use quality data to support the use of effective practices that have a positive impact on family and child outcomes, including school readiness.
• Participate in the development of integrated school readiness plans.
• Assist in development of program training plan. Facilitate and provide training, coaching and technical assistance to staff, parents and volunteers.
• Assist in developing and monitoring of health and nutrition budgets. In coordination with supervisor who has responsibility for procurement of materials, identify and prioritize materials and equipment needed.
• Work cooperatively with staff to integrate health and nutrition services with education, disability, parent engagement, and family services.
• Secure contracts and interagency agreements with community service providers to enhance local delivery of comprehensive services to children and families.

• Analyze information and then create and submit required reports.

• Responsible for the implementation of health services advisory committee in collaboration with a range of community specialists (e.g., medical, dental, speech, nutrition, mental health).
• Oversee Child Care Food Program and staff, planning menus in coordination with Food Service Manager and Nutritionist. Supervise and ensure that USDA records and reports are maintained and submitted, including funding applications.
• Protect the safety of children by ensuring the implementation of active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time.

• Work with other members of Management Team to ensure comprehensive and integrated child and family services in the areas of health.
• Attend home visits, parent conferences or health when requested or as necessary.
• Visit each site and classrooms on a regular basis (4-6 hours per month per site) to conduct observations, provide training and technical assistance, coaching and mentoring.
• Oversee tracking of all related health and nutrition screenings and assessments and participate in local evaluation activities, when applicable.
• Ensure the mobilization and documentation of matching/in-kind funds.

• Maintain confidentiality regarding children and families.
• Perform other related tasks as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor Degree in health related field; early childhood development, social work adult learning; plus at least three years of relevant work experience related to the provision and management of health and nutrition services for young children and their families

• Demonstrated knowledge of Heat Start Program Performance Standards as well as health and nutrition services for infant, toddler and preschool programs.

• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English
• Demonstrated knowledge of administration, budgeting, purchasing systems management, and public relations skills.
• Knowledge of facilities, technology and food service management.
• Demonstrated experience developing consistent, stable and supportive relationships with young children.
• Proven ability to exercise professional judgment and evaluation before making decisions.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, children, parents and outside agencies.
• Demonstrated successful ability to communicate and collaborate with individuals and teams and atll levels—both internal and external
• Proven successful problem solving and time management skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Physical Requirements related to essential functions: Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting and grasping. This also includes some duties that require repetitive action and motion skills, keyboarding and computer use.

Clear pre-employment background check requirements, including local, state, and national criminal records check, sex offender registries, employment, and education verifications (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and pass all state and local health requirements required post job offer and prior to employment.

This position may require the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle to fulfill certain essential functions of the job. The incumbent should maintain a valid driver’s license and remain in compliance with any Save the Children policies pertaining to the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish or English and other languages used by children and families).
• If in North Carolina, holding a Birth-Kindergarten (B-K) Licensure preferred.

Why you should join the Save the Children Team…

Save the Children US offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, pet insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, 403(b), generous vacation, personal sick leave, family leave, parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, dress for your day, and much more.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.