Activities & Nutrition Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION 

Position Summary: The Activities and Nutrition Manager oversees structured recreational programming, physical activities, and nutrition services across all Marsell Transitional Foster Care and Long-Term Foster Care programs. This integrated role promotes children's physical, emotional, and developmental well-being through comprehensive wellness initiatives. The position ensures compliance with Care Provider Required Services, which mandate structured daily activities, recreation, and nutritionally adequate meals. Additionally, the role supports adherence to contractual policy standards that emphasize overall well-being through age-appropriate recreation, physical activity, and proper nutrition.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to execute the following responsibilities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Program Leadership and Oversight

• Oversee structured recreational programming, physical activities, and nutrition services across all Marsell TFC and LTFC programs. 
• Collaborate with the Assistant Vice President of Foster Youth Services, Vocational Program Manager, and Program Directors to implement wellness initiatives and events. 
• Plan, coordinate, and evaluate activities that promote physical health, engagement, and overall well-being. 
• Manage program operations, including planning, administrative tasks, and tracking supplies and equipment. 
• Collect and analyze feedback to support continuous quality improvement and enhance participant engagement. 

Nutrition and Wellness Initiatives

• Facilitate and design initiatives that promote safe and healthy lifestyles, focusing on nutrition, physical activity, and leisure services. 
• Monitor compliance with federal and state nutrition and meal service requirements. 
• Review food service documentation and menu plans to ensure adherence to safety, dietary, and regulatory standards. 
• Support the development of meal plans, including dietary alternatives that meet the diverse needs of youth. 
• Implement evidence-based health initiatives such as the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) and Harvest of the Month. 

Compliance and Quality Assurance

• Ensure adherence to program requirements and policy standards. 
• Maintain accurate documentation, including recreational logs, structured leisure logs, religious services logs, facility nutritional menus and wellness indicators.
• Monitor recreational, physical activity, structured leisure time, facility nutritional meals and religious services for quality, accessibility, and compliance. 
• Support Resource Parent and caregiver training by monitoring completion, documentation, and alignment with regulatory expectations. 

Training and Collaboration

• Support the development and delivery of caregiver and staff training related to wellness, nutrition, and recreational programming. 
• Collaborate with program leadership to align services with organizational and regulatory standards. 
• Assist in preparing programs for audits, reviews, and monitoring visits. 

Resource and Event Management

• Order, maintain, and track supplies and equipment for activities and events. 
• Coordinate Resource Parent engagement initiatives and wellness-focused events. 
• Monitor budgets and ensure effective utilization of resources.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below represent knowledge, skill, and/or ability. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.

• A bachelor’s degree in public health, kinesiology, child development, social sciences or a related field is preferred but not required. 
• In lieu of a degree, a minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in developing and implementing recreational, wellness, nutrition, or youth development programs within a school, child welfare, or licensed facility is required. 
• At least two (2) years of supervisory or leadership experience overseeing programs, staff, or initiatives. 
• Experience working with foster youth or underserved populations is strongly preferred. 
• Demonstrated experience in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, including ORR, state licensing, or comparable governing bodies.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.

Education/Experience: An associate or bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in child development, social sciences, public health, kinesiology or a related field is preferred. In lieu of a degree, a minimum of five (5) years of experience coordinating structured activities for children or youth in a school, child welfare, or licensed facility is required. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.

Language Ability:

Bilingual in Spanish preferred but not required. 

 Read, analyze and interpret business, professional, technical or governmental documents. Write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals. Effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, customers and the public.

Mathematical Ability:

 Add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Compute rate, ratio and percent, and draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability:

 Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Proficient in the use of standard office equipment.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee must frequently use their hands to finger, handle, or feel, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 45 pounds occasionally. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The above job description is not an all-inclusive list of duties and standards for the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

Marsell Benefits:

• Medical

• Dental

• Vision

• 401 (k) company matching

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Paid Holidays

• Flexible Spending Account

• Life Insurance

• Voluntary Life Insurance

• Employee Assistance Program

• Employee Wellness Day(s)