The Washington State Department of Health works to protect and improve the health of all people in Washington State. The Office of Healthy and Safe Communities works to increase the number of Washington residents who are healthy at every stage of life and in all settings: health, educational, and social. We are dedicated to making the healthy choice the easy choice in homes, communities, workplaces, health care settings, and schools. We work to prevent disease and promote health by implementing policies, systems, and environmental changes with a focus on health equity. Our areas of expertise include community-based prevention, injury and violence prevention, and cancer prevention and control.
This position will join the Healthy Eating Active Living Program team which strives to reduce the burden of obesity and chronic disease and increase the proportion of Washingtonians with a healthy weight. We work on equitable and sustainable solutions to improve nutrition, increase physical activity, and support breastfeeding in early learning, schools, communities, worksites, healthcare, and faith-based settings.
This position serves as the Retail Specialist for the Fruit and Vegetable Incentives Program. This role coordinates internal and external communication, contracts management, planning, and day-to-day operations for the SNAP incentives program in retail stores. You’ll support our mission by promoting policy, systems, and environmental changes to improve access to healthy foods at the state and local levels; and by supporting and collaborating with our partners and stakeholders to enhance the health of individuals, families, and communities.
The duty station for this position is Tumwater, WA. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, telework (mobile-work) is currently expected. When approved to return, the incumbents are expected to report to the duty station for work activities. Partial telecommuting may be an option subject to supervisory approval.
About the Department of Health
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) works with federal, state, tribal, and local partners to help people in Washington stay healthy and safe. Our programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live and work, provide education to help people make good health decisions, and ensure our state is prepared for emergencies.
Benefits of Working for DOH
Washington is America’s Top State according to U.S. News (2019) and provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.
Tumwater is a vibrant city just south of Olympia, the state’s capital, with a small-town feel conveniently situated between Seattle and Portland. Tumwater enjoys the benefits of an engaged and educated community and a well-supported school system, with two universities and a community college within a ten-mile radius.
DOH offers:
- A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for many positions.
- Growth and development opportunities.
- A wellness program that offers education, access to healthy food, and fitness classes.
- Opportunities to serve your community through meaningful work.
- A commitment to diversity and inclusion by fostering an inclusive environment that encourages all employees to bring their authentic selves to work.
- An Infant at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of breastfeeding newborns and infant-parent bonding.
- A modernized workplace.
Duties Include:
- Serve as the primary contact for all grocery store contract and fiscal issues.
- Review monthly invoices, track grocery store reimbursements, submit contract amendments to add or subtract funds, as necessary, and answering grocery stores’ questions about funding.
- Communicate with retail partners and their point-of-sale technology providers to ensure the SNAP incentive is following federal rules and grant reporting needs.
- Develop, update, and share written policies and procedures for the statewide incentive program, including submitting reimbursements for incentives to DOH, and data collection and evaluation.
- Develop and share written, in-person, and webinar training.
- Develop and update state-level promotional plans and program materials in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
- Develop, update, and disseminate reports to share outcomes of the grocery retail portion of the Fruit and Vegetable Incentives Program.
- Coordinate grocery store data collection.
- Conduct strategic planning to support the grocery retail portion of the Fruit and Vegetable Incentives Program.
- Assist with emergency response activities as assigned to support agency efforts.
What we’re looking for
Success in this position requires one to be a team player, while at the same time being a self-motivated project manager. The successful candidate will bring humility to their job and people interactions and have a passion for equitable food access.
Required Qualifications
Desired Qualifications
- Experience working effectively with grocery stores.
- Demonstrated experience facilitating training events and webinars.
- Project, grant, and contract management experience or training.
- Demonstrated writing experience with proven ability to write succinct, direct prose using plain language.
- Demonstrated experience presenting to internal and external partners.
Application Process
Intrigued? We’d love to hear from you. Click “Apply” to submit your detailed application profile along with the following:
- A letter of interest, describing how you meet the specific required and desired qualifications for this position.
- A current resume.
- Three (3) or more professional references, to be included in your profile. Please include at least one supervisor, peer, and (if you have supervised staff) a subordinate.
Important Note: Do not attach documents that contain private information (social security number, date of birth, transcripts, etc.) or documents that are password protected. These documents will not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded. Veterans, please feel free to attach a copy of your redacted DD214.”
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that is inclusive and respectful. It is our policy to prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or disability in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of our workforce.
This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.
Conditions of Employment/Working Conditions
With or without accommodation, I am willing and able to:
- Legally operate a state or privately owned vehicle or provide alternative transportation.
- Occasionally work more than 40 hours per week and/or to adjust normally scheduled hours, which may include evenings and weekends.
- Occasionally travel throughout the state (including rural areas) which may include overnight stays.
If you have questions, need alternative formats or other assistance please contact Zach Covington at (360) 480-0470, Zach.Covington@doh.wa.gov, or TDD Relay at 1-800-833-6384 or 711 (Washington Relay). Technical support is provided by neogov, 855-524-5627 (can’t log in, password or email issues, error messages).