CIPWIC Project Associate (Temporary, Part-time)

The National WIC Association (NWA), the nonprofit education and advocacy voice for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), has received $14.9 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) via a four-year cooperative agreement to modernize WIC’s Management Information System (MIS), maximizing the program’s potential to improve health outcomes for current and future participants.

The MIS is the backbone of WIC’s administrative, assessment, and reporting functions. It is responsible for collecting and managing a wide array of data on WIC families, covering nearly all aspects of the program. Components of MIS include appointment scheduling, eligibility checks, medical/nutrition assessments, and benefit issuance. Along with partner organizations Nava and Code for America, each of which brings extensive technical experience in modernizing federal program services and delivery, NWA will create a modernized MIS, enabling WIC agencies to operate more efficiently and better serve participants and staff.

Under the cooperative agreement, NWA and its partners will assess the current WIC MIS landscape, plan and execute transitional improvements, develop a future state MIS strategy, and support USDA. NWA has an immediate opening for a Project Associate (Temporary, Part-time).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The CIP-WIC Project Associate plays a critical role in providing the CIP-WIC team with administrative support and supporting various project-related activities, including but not limited to managing travel logistics, direct interaction with State and Local WIC Agencies, WIC stakeholders, healthcare providers, and federal partners and organizing and coordinating advisory committee convenings and focus groups. This role will facilitate communication, scheduling, and documentation to ensure project goals are met efficiently and effectively. The role involves working primarily on the WIC Management Information (MIS) Strategy Project and the AHEAD 3.0: Enhancing Equity throughout the WIC Participant Journey projects.

This position is a grant-funded position, expected to end on or before September 30, 2028. The responsibilities of the position include:

1. Assist with organizing virtual and in-person trainings & webinars for NWA members to learn about grant-funded projects and technical assistance.
2. Provide administrative for CIP-WIC by handling tasks such as maintaining project work plans, files, and documents, managing calendars, assisting with internal and external communications, and preparing grant reports support to coordinate internal and external meetings associated with grant-funded work.
3. Provide administrative support for scheduling biweekly meetings with USDA-FNS and quarterly briefings with USDA-FNS leadership.
4. Support the coordination of material development (e.g., reports, presentations, blogs, etc.) based on grant-funded project findings.
5. Coordinate the logistics for trainings for and communicate with State, Local, and Indigenous, and Territorial WIC Agencies.
6. Organize and coordinate advisory committee meetings and focus groups for the CIP-WIC, including scheduling, developing agendas, preparing meeting materials, facilitating communications with participants, and ensuring thorough documentation of outcomes.
7. Manage the travel logistics for the CIP-WIC team, including booking transportation and accommodations, preparing travel itineraries, and ensuring all travel arrangements align with project timelines and budget requirements.
8. Other tasks as assigned by the Director of the Center for Innovative Practices in WIC.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Associate’s degree in public health, nutrition, or similar field, or at least 2-4 years of project management experience. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience in WIC is highly preferred.
• Strong oral and written communication skills with an attention to detail.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic work environment.
• Familiarity with Google Suite (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Docs)
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Work across multiple teams to ensure project deliverables and milestones are met.