Career Pathways Overview

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WIC Job Positions Overview

Are you interested in starting or growing your career in nutrition or lactation support? WIC supports the health of pregnant people, new and breast and chest feeding parents, infants, and children under age 5. Join us to support WIC families in Washington state.

WIC services are provided by many county health departments, community clinics, hospitals, and through other community organizations. Each local WIC clinic hires their WIC staff through their own Human Resources team.

Job titles, job descriptions, educational requirements, and experience requirements will differ slightly from clinic to clinic. 

 

 

Common WIC jobs in WIC clinics:

WIC Clerk

  • Schedules appointments for WIC families and creates records in the WIC computer system.  
  • Provides a welcoming atmosphere for WIC families and answers questions about WIC services.
  • Some WIC clinics combine the Clerk position with the Certifier position (see next job description.)

 

WIC Certifier 

  • Determines WIC eligibility.
  • Provides nutrition education and basic lactation support for WIC participants.
  • Refers WIC participants to other health care providers and social services. 
  • In most WIC clinics, will need to have a high school diploma or GED.

 

WIC Nutritionist  

  • Provides one-on-one nutrition counseling for WIC participants with complex nutritional needs.
  • Creates and oversees nutrition education trainings for staff.  
  • Must have either an ACEND-accredited Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential or a master’s degree in the field of nutrition.
  • In some WIC clinics, must also have the state Certified Dietitian (CD) credential.

 

WIC Coordinator

  • Manages WIC clinic staff and oversees clinic workload and funding.  
  • In some WIC clinics, may need to have a bachelor's degree in the field of nutrition or a RDN credential.

 

Designated Breastfeeding Expert

  • Provides one-on-one breastfeeding support to breastfeeding participants in complex breastfeeding situations.
  • Must have successfully completed a state-approved competency-based breastfeeding training that is consistent with the FNS WIC Breastfeeding Curriculums and have a minimum of one year of experience in counseling breastfeeding dyads.
  • Some WIC clinics combine this position with the Breastfeeding Coordinator position (see next job description.)

 

Breastfeeding Coordinator

  • Manages breastfeeding program and coordinates breastfeeding promotion and support activities with other agency programs, organizations and community partners.
  • Must have a minimum of one year experience in counseling breastfeeding participants, have the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification, or completed an intensive lactation management course, or other state approved breastfeeding training.

 

 

Some WIC clinics provide the Loving Support© Breastfeeding Peer Counseling program. Those clinics will also offer these job options:

Peer Counselor

  • Offers encouragement, guidance, and support for common breastfeeding situations, such as latch or keeping milk supply up when returning to work or school.
  • Supports WIC participants outside of normal clinic hours.
  • Ideal candidates are current or former WIC participants who exclusively breastfed or chestfed for at least six months.
  • Must NOT have extensive medical, nutrition, or lactation management training and must NOT be a licensed or credentialed health care provider.

 

Peer Counselor Lead

  • Trains, mentors, and supervises Breastfeeding Peer Counselors, provides leadership to the breastfeeding peer counseling program (BFPC).
  • Must have the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) certification, or completed state approved lactation management training within the last five years or within six months of hire. At least one year of experience providing breastfeeding support is required.