About Us:
The Ohio Department of Education is adiverseteam ofpassionate, education-focused professionalsdedicated to fulfilling the vision established in Each Child, Our Future , Ohio’s strategic plan for education. The visionis,”In Ohio, each child is challenged to discover and learn, prepared to pursue a fulfilling post-high school path and empowered to become a resilient, lifelong learner who contributes to society.”Ensuring this vision for each of Ohio’s 1.7 million students,in partnership with more than 240,000 educators across the state, is no small feat. Under the leadership of thesuperintendent ofpublicinstruction and governed by the State Board of Education, Department team members, in collaboration with a wide range of partners, are sharply focused on helping schools and districts continually improve to be the best they can be for each child. Equity and impact are core to every program, service and action. The Department’s work is well regarded both in Ohio and nationally for its innovative, leading-edge and forward-looking approach. When the Department succeeds, students succeed, communities succeed and Ohio succeeds.
Culture and Values:
Ohio Department of Education is mission driven, values a culture offeedbackand places a premium ongrowth mindsetamong all its team members. Together the enterprise is building acontinuous learningandimprovement community.
What You’ll Do:
The Ohio Department of Education, Office of Nutrition, is seeking an Education Program Specialist to participate in the implementation of and oversight of The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program initiatives. The Farm to School Specialist will work to implement programs that support child nutrition program sponsors in providing locally sourced foods in child nutrition meal programs and support programs that improve students’ food literacy. This position is eligible for Hybrid Telework, meaning the selected candidate will be required to report to the headquarters location(s) at least one day every two weeks .
Major Responsibilities & Duties:
Acts on behalf of the Office of Nutrition by providing the development of specialized program technical assistance for child nutrition sponsors, Ohio agriculture industry and other Farm to School stakeholders.
- In collaboration with management, oversees grant management, data collection, reporting and evaluation ensuring goals and objectives are achieved;
- Provides support and management of farm to school grant budgets;
- Serves as subject matter expert for the Office of Nutrition on Farm to School;
- Project manages Farm to School program strategies and plans, including the Harvest of the Month;
- Builds strong, positive relationships with stakeholders across the state including, but not limited to: USDA, state agencies, child nutrition program operators and local farmers;
- Engages in student food literacy strategies developing technical assistance and resources related to farm to school;
- Develops resources and educational materials on local procurement and other Farm to School related topics;
- Plans and develops tools, training materials and conducts program trainings;
Performs other relatedChild Nutrition duties as assigned:
- Conducts research;
- Writes reports;
- Assists with special projects (e.g. event planning, develops presentations).
What’s in it for you:
At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website ! Our benefits package includes:
Medical Coverage
- Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered through the available Ohio Med plans.
Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance
- Dental, vision, and basic life insurance premiums are free after completed eligibility period . Length of eligibility period is dependent on union representation.
Time Away From Work and Work/Life Balance
- Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick leave
- 11 paid holidays per year
- Childbirth/Adoption leave
Employee Development Funds
- The State of Ohio offers a variety of educational and professional development funding that varies based on whether you are a union-exempt employee or a union-represented employee.
Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
- OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees. The employee contributes 10% of their salary towards their retirement. The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee’s salary. Visit the OPERS website for more information.
Deferred Compensation
- The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website for more information.
Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a Model Employer of Individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
Educational Component
Years of Experience in a Relevant Field*
Graduate
3
Undergraduate
4
Equivalent
6
Completion of education program in a specific or related content area, educational program or service (i.e., agriculture, social sciences, dietetics, business or public administration, food and nutrition, public health administration, nutrition science, food service management, family and consumer science, communications,psychology, early childhood education, quality control); and relevant experience as listed in grid above:
- Experience managing business best practices and initiatives to ensure compliance in a community setting (i.e., non-profit, faith based, and/or social services organizations) in one of the following capacities (i.e., food service administration, childcare administration, dietitian, investigation/inspection, monitoring, auditing, financial management, quality control, food safety, public health, agriculture, marketing or communications).
- Experience in a food related industry or educational food service setting working in one of the following capacities (i.e., food service administration, dietitian, investigation/inspection, monitoring, auditing, financial management, quality control, food safety, public health).
- Experience in a culinary or agriculture setting working directly with growers, ranchers or food producers, community food systems, food safety, or agriculture education.