Food and Nutrition Services Adviser 1

Join the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Food and Nutrition Services Adviser 1, where your efforts help strengthen essential nutrition programs across the state. The Department of Education relies on dedicated professionals to ensure safe and nutritious meals reach children and adults who need them most. In this vital role, you support the success of community food programs by reviewing operations and guiding improvements. Your commitment will help communities grow healthier and stronger every day.

This role focuses on reviewing, evaluating, and supporting child and adult care nutrition programs throughout Pennsylvania to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements. It promotes safe, nutritious, and well-managed meal services across various sponsoring entities. As a Food and Nutrition Services Adviser 1, you will perform the following duties:

• Program Reviews: Conduct administrative evaluations of Child Nutrition programs to verify adherence to federal regulations and state policies
• Data Analysis: Review statistical and financial information to determine compliance with program requirements
• Corrective Action: Identify needed improvements and determine corrective or fiscal measures for non-compliance
• Eligibility Checks: Determine the accuracy of free and reduced-price meal eligibility decisions made by sponsors
• Menu Evaluation: Examine menus to ensure they meet federal nutritional standards and state policies

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment
• Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday, with 60-minute lunch.

• This position is home headquartered. In order to be home headquartered, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. 

• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Two 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. or
• Any equivalent combination of experience and training.

Other Requirements:

• You must reside in or be willing to relocate to Adams, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, or York County within the first 6 months of employment.
• You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency. 
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements: 

• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
  • Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position. 
• All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans: 

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS): 

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).

• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions. 
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.