Job Description:

MAKE A DIFFERENCE with us. 

Put your management skills to work in a mission-driven environment.

Northwest Senior and Disability Services is seeking an exceptional individual who exemplifies leadership, has solid management skills, and can think critically to manage teams of social services workers.

Recruitment #:    077-03-24

Closes:                 Open Until Filled (Last day for internal lateral transfer: 3/25/24)

Location:              Salem, OR

Salary range:       Starting at $5,656 per month with excellent benefits (see below)

Benefits: Agency Sponsored: Medical/Dental 100% paid for employee and 90-98% for dependents, generous Paid-time off, Public Employee Retirement (PERS), Employee Assistance Plan, Long Term Disability, great culture. Employee paid: Deferred Compensation, Life Insurance, Short Term Disability, Colonial Life Supplemental Plans, Legal Shield.

General Description

Responsible for leading the nutrition program and supervising meal sites and staff throughout the Agency’s service delivery area. 

Essential Functions

1. Manage the Nutrition Program
2. Coordinate Meal Site Operations
3. Manage Nutrition Staff
4. Reduce Agency Risk
5. Lead others professionally
6. Promote Person-Centered Services
7. Provide Excellent Customer Service

1. Manage the Nutrition Program

• Work with the Community Programs manager on implementation of Agency guidelines and procedures
• Assist in the preparation of the Nutrition Program budget and make recommendations for allocation changes
• Preparation of Requests for Proposals and make appropriate recommendation for selection
• Verify Title XIX billings and payments
• Verify contractor billings for central kitchen facilities; prepare billing for subcontract agencies, and resolve billing discrepancies
• Coordinate with Consortium Program Managers, other NWSDS managers, and community organizations to implement and promote the Nutrition Program
• Serve as liaison between the community, meal site, and Agency
• Identify community needs, resources and contacts, and present information regarding the Nutrition Program to various community groups
• Contract oversight and negotiation. Nutrition Program Manager will be primary for negotiating all valley nutrition contracts.

 2. Coordinate Meal Site Operations

• Monitor meal sites and conduct site evaluations on a monthly basis to ensure that policies and procedures are implemented and properly followed
• Monitor food quality, menu plan, and sanitary procedures
• Coordinate with food service providers to ensure proper meal preparation and delivery
• Approve and arrange for repair of meal site equipment
• Compile information from Nutrition Site Coordinators and complete monthly, quarterly, and annual meal site records and reports
• Manage petty cash account
• Arrange for meal site space in communities, purchase supplies and small equipment as needed, and approve meal site phone bills for payment

3. Manage Nutrition Staff

• Supervise subordinate staff including the assigning and reviewing of work, training, performance evaluation, scheduling and approving time off, taking necessary disciplinary action, and making hiring and termination recommendations
• Assist Nutrition Site Coordinators with the recruitment, training, and evaluation of volunteers
• Establish work plans and goals for meal sites and Coordinators
• Conduct regular staff meetings to distribute information and discuss issues

4. Reduce Agency Risk

• Demonstrate excellent decision making and problem solving, especially when overseeing and guiding decisions on difficult and ambiguous situations
• Maintain a general knowledge of agency programs
• Comply with ethical and professional standards; follow policies, regulations, and requirements of a program and document plans and progress as required
• Follow privacy regulations when maintain and share consumer information
• Serve as a mandatory reporter of suspected abuse of vulnerable populations as required by policy and regulation

5.  Lead Others Professionally

• Embrace and exhibit agency mission and core values of integrity, professionalism, service, and compassion  
• Promote two-way communication by engaging others, listening, providing feedback, and expressing appreciation and praise
• Collaborate with individuals, teams, and others
• Maintain ethical standards

6.  Promote Person-Centered Services

• Interact with the public, consumers, co-workers and others in a patient, respectful and culturally appropriate manner, and ensure employees exhibit the same behaviors
• Understand the role of consumer choice and how that translates to direct services, or support of direct service units
• Educate self and others of resources available for populations served
• Understand other agency resources and access resources and assistance as needed to assist consumers and other members of the public

7.  Provide Excellent Customer Service

• Consider the consumer’s needs first
• Perform the job well by providing excellent customer service, follow through, meeting deadlines, and interacting with others in a transparent, respectful, and culturally appropriate manner
• Exhibit good judgment, critical thinking, decision making, and problem solving skills
• Represent agency interests and needs professionally when dealing with outside entities
• Perform technical skills related to the work need to be done
• Exhibit good work habits, including organizational skills, regular attendance, working independently, seek and offer assistance when needed

Job-Specific Skills Required

• Demonstrate exemplary management and leadership expertise
• Demonstrate considerable skill in budgeting and strong knowledge of funding sources
• Ability to forecast, plan and implement program adjustment as required by changing conditions
• Knowledge of, or the ability to learn the Older Americans Act and Agency policies
• Ability to understand, interpret and explain rules, policies and procedures
• Knowledge of food preparation and delivery methods, and the nutritional needs of the elderly population
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, and complete accurate reports and documents
• Develop relationships with and knowledge of available social services and community resources that assist staff to meet consumers’ needs
• Communicate with and influence staff from outside the agency and make the best use of each group’s strengths to benefit all involved
• Coordinate employee coaching, mentoring, and training to assure program goals are met
• Maintain a current knowledge of NWSDS Community Services Programs
• Train and coach staff to follow procedures to meet regulations and agency policies
• Interpret regulations, articulate them to staff, and assure systems are in place to comply with rules and policies around mandatory reporting, privacy, and confidentiality
• Handle and coach others on dealing with potentially frustrated and upset consumers
• Lead a team of diverse employees and volunteers
• Be an effective facilitator between employee, management, and consumer needs
• Build relationships and network in the community
• Use many computer programs including Microsoft Office and programs associated with state social services assessment programs

General Skills Required

• Strong interpersonal communication skills, including effective listening
• Use of good judgment, courtesy and tact, as well as the ability to understand and respond to requests from internal and external constituents, social service professionals, and the general public
• Ability to remain calm in potentially tense and/or adversarial situations
• Ability to speak, read, write and understand English
• Ability to understand, follow, and provide verbal and written instructions
• Ability to facilitate groups, build consensus, and get diverse individuals to work together
• Work effectively and competently with individuals, or independently as needed
• Source information with regard to other available services
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to allocate and use resources wisely

Supervisory Responsibilities

Nutrition Site Coordinators, Administrative Assistant II, volunteers

Experience and Skills:

Minimum Qualifications - Experience and Education

A qualified applicant will have a minimum of seven (7) years of equivalent combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities required. The following qualifications meeting the minimum requirements will be considered:

• Bachelor’s degree in food services, business management, or related field
• Three years of experience managing a community program/service which includes nutrition and/or meal preparation, and supervisory responsibility 

Work Environment and Physical Demands

This job is performed in the office and in the field.  Office work will be conducted using general office equipment and includes substantial sitting.  Office work is performed primarily in a cubicle environment, with noise and interruptions.  Field work requires travel to meal sites and central kitchens.  It may also include visits to clients in a variety of settings, homes, facilities, etc. of varying level of cleanliness and repair.  Field work requires driving an agency car or employee car.

The essential outcomes requires regular sitting, talking, hearing, computer use; frequently required to use repetitive hand motion, handle or feel, and to stand, walk, reach, bend or lift up to 30 pounds. The candidate must understand, follow, and provide verbal and written instructions in English.

As a manager, requires additional or irregular hours on occasion, and responding to emergency situations.  Contact with the public in home or office environments may risk exposure to irrational/hostile behavior, contagious diseases, or contact with domestic animals.          

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Other Requirements

To be successful, candidates must:

• Secure and maintain a valid Oregon driver’s license or have an acceptable alternative means of transportation
• Attend work regularly to meet the demands of this job and to provide necessary services
• Complete and pass a criminal background check

Classification: Nutrition Program Manager

Position Number: 077

Salary Range: M25

FLSA Status: Exempt

Unit: Community Programs

Location: Salem

Reports to: Community Programs Manager

Union Status:  Non-Represented

Last revision: March 2024

This job description is a general guide for the job to be performed and does not cover everything. Employees may be required to perform other duties, including covering for, and in, other offices. Employees are expected to follow and perform other job-related duties requested by their manager.

Reasonable accommodations will be made as needed.

Job descriptions are subject to change.