School and Summer Nutrition Programs Field Specialist
Date Posted: Jan 16, 2026
Requisition ID: 470871
Location:
Merrillville, IN, US, 46307
Work for Indiana
Begin a fulfilling career with the State of Indiana by joining one of the largest employers in the state, offering a range of opportunities across 60+ agencies. At the state, you'll find competitive compensation, a robust benefits package and a commitment to work-life balance. Most importantly, you'll have the chance to make a real and measurable impact on the lives of Hoosiers across Indiana.
About the Indiana Department of Education (DOE):
The Indiana Department of Education provides innovative support to Indiana schools, teachers, students, and parents. We proactively work with educators, policymakers, business leaders, and community-based organizations to build student success. Our strategic priorities include:
Delivering quality, purposeful educational opportunities for each student
Elevating and supporting Indiana's educators
Increasing partnerships and delivering aligned, effective, and efficient support
Role Overview:
This position requires work and travel to schools and sponsoring organizations within a group of counties in the northwest corner of the state.
The School and Summer Nutrition Program Field Specialist is responsible for managing the oversight, monitoring, and corrective actions of sponsoring organizations in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch, School Breakfast, and Summer Food Service Programs (SFSP). These programs provide hundreds of millions of dollars in nutrition support for children throughout the State of Indiana. Field specialists evaluate overall sponsor administration to determine ongoing program compliance with federal regulations and state policies. They must recognize areas of non-compliance and reveal program deficiencies to sponsoring officials during on-site evaluations. They issue corrective action determinations and provide program assistance to correct problems within program administration. The position is also responsible for providing program ongoing and detailed technical assistance, nutrition education, and program-specific training to sponsors regularly. They demonstrate Indiana's federal compliance accountability to USDA regional staff through accompanied reviews. The field specialists work with division office staff and management to develop and implement policies and best practices for these programs. Field Specialists are assigned a specific territory within the state, comprising approximately 60-80 school corporations along with community and nonprofit agencies. Territory borders fluctuate depending upon the number of sponsors within a geographic area and the number of field specialists. The geographical area for posted positions normally varies and is dependent upon the current field staff territory vacancies and assigned workload.
Salary Statement:
The salary for this position traditionally starts at $59,800.00 but may be commensurate with education or work experience.
A Day in the Life:
The essential functions of this role are as follows:
Monitor education program/initiative objectives, outcomes, and actions to achieve agency goals.
Interpret and explain policies, rules, regulations, or laws to constituents within educational institutions.
Implement strategic action plans to address program gaps and opportunities.
Prepare and disseminate reports on program effectiveness.
Ensure program requirements adhere to federal and state policies and grants compliance.
Assist in the training and development of education system employees or agency consultants on program requirements and usage.
Serve as a liaison between agency and other state and federal agencies.
The job profile is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.
This position is exempt from overtime compensation for additional work hours which may be required to complete essential functions or other assigned work. Exempt employees may work more than 75 hours in a pay period without additional compensation and must report a minimum of 75 hours per pay period of work hours and/or paid leave taken to receive their base biweekly salary.
What You'll Need for Success:
You must meet the following requirement to be considered for employment:
The ideal candidate will have either:
A Bachelor's degree and 2+ years of experience in a related field of study or expertise, or
6+ years of experience in a related field of expertise.
Specialized knowledge in educational systems obtained through experience and/or education
Specialized knowledge of education programs and services including pertinent rules and regulations.
Extensive knowledge of all source materials and references including federal and state laws governing the programs.
Ability to develop and implement new processes and approaches and discern any far-reaching implications.
Ability to communicate effectively both internal and external customers, the public, government officials, and other stakeholders.
Ability to analyze information and evaluate results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Ability to work effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders.
Able to perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports:
This role may serve as a team lead for an assigned work group.
Benefits of Employment with the State of Indiana:
The State of Indiana offers a comprehensive benefit package for full-time employees which includes:
Three (3) medical plan options (including RX coverage) as well as vision and dental plans
Wellness Rewards Program: Complete wellness activities to earn gift card rewards
Health savings account, which includes bi-weekly state contribution
Deferred compensation 457(b) account (similar to 401(k) plan) with employer match
Two (2) fully-funded pension plan options
A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:
150 hours of paid New Parent Leave and up to eight weeks of paid Childbirth Recovery Leave for eligible mothers
Up to 15 hours of paid community service leave
Combined 180 hours of paid vacation, personal, and sick leave time off
12 paid holidays, 14 on election years
Education Reimbursement Program
Group life insurance
Referral Bonus program
Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavioral health visits
Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Free Parking for most positions
Free LinkedIn Learning access
Equal Employment Opportunity:
The State of Indiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting, selecting, developing, and promoting employees based on individual ability and job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to complete the application and interview process as well as perform the essential functions of a role. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, you can request assistance by contacting the Indiana State Personnel Department at jobs@spd.IN.gov.
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