Certified Diabetes Educator Jobs for OPT Students
Certified Diabetes Educator jobs on OPT require STEM-adjacent clinical credentials that most employers already understand. Your OPT work authorization lets you work full-time in patient education and chronic disease management roles, and STEM OPT extension eligibility depends on whether your degree classification qualifies.
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Get Access To All JobsWhy ThedaCare?
Living A Life Inspired!
Our new vision at ThedaCare is bold, ambitious, and ignited by a shared passion to provide outstanding care. We are inspired to reinvent health care by becoming a proactive partner in health, enriching the lives of all and creating value in everything we do. Each of us are called to take action in delivering higher standards of care, lower costs and a healthier future for our patients, our families, our communities and our world.
At ThedaCare, our team members are empowered to be the catalyst of change through our values of compassion, excellence, leadership, innovation, and agility. A career means much more than excellent compensation and benefits. Our team members are supported by continued opportunities for learning and development, accessible and transparent leadership, and a commitment to work/life balance. If you’re interested in joining a health care system that is changing the face of care and well-being in our community, we encourage you to explore a future with ThedaCare.
Benefits, with a whole-person approach to wellness –
- Lifestyle Engagement
-
e.g. health coaches, relaxation rooms, health focused apps (Wonder, Ripple), mental health support
-
Access & Affordability
- e.g. minimal or zero copays, team member cost sharing premiums, daycare
Summary: The Certified Diabetes Educator works with a diverse team to support patients with diabetes, optimally to manage their disease while incorporating the patient’s goals, lifestyle, and economic considerations.
Job Description:
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Seeks, interprets, and implements best practice literature recommendations into practice.
- Completes competencies to provide standardized education and training on diabetes medications and devices.
- Applies critical thinking to assess diagnosis, plan, implement, and evaluate the patient’s status and the effectiveness in creating a holistic plan of care that includes cultural diversity and special needs.
- Identifies the current state of the patient’s disease and helps identify barriers and realistic goals to be met in a specified time frame using motivation interviewing.
- Develops and supports effective team interactions through open and honest communication, receptive to feedback, mentoring, and developing others.
- Develops and supports relationships that create an environment where individuals and team members learn and grow professionally.
- Completes daily documentation and charges accurately on all patients.
- Takes responsibility for own professional growth, development, and personal wellness.
- Actively participates in and supports a healthy work environment.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Registered Nurse or Registered Dietitian with Certified Diabetes Educator Credential
- Certification of Diabetes Educator
- Certified Dietitian, Registered Dietitian, Registered Nurse
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
- Ability to move freely (standing, stooping, walking, bending, pushing, and pulling) and lift up to a maximum of twenty-five (25) pounds without assistance
- Job classification is exposed to blood borne pathogens (blood or bodily fluids) while performing job duties
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Climate controlled office setting with daily movement throughout the facility
- Interaction with department members and other healthcare providers
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 20
Scheduled FTE: 0.5
Location: ThedaCare Regional Medical Center - Neenah - Neenah, Wisconsin
Overtime Exempt: No
Worker Shift Details: Days
Why ThedaCare?
Living A Life Inspired!
Our new vision at ThedaCare is bold, ambitious, and ignited by a shared passion to provide outstanding care. We are inspired to reinvent health care by becoming a proactive partner in health, enriching the lives of all and creating value in everything we do. Each of us are called to take action in delivering higher standards of care, lower costs and a healthier future for our patients, our families, our communities and our world.
At ThedaCare, our team members are empowered to be the catalyst of change through our values of compassion, excellence, leadership, innovation, and agility. A career means much more than excellent compensation and benefits. Our team members are supported by continued opportunities for learning and development, accessible and transparent leadership, and a commitment to work/life balance. If you’re interested in joining a health care system that is changing the face of care and well-being in our community, we encourage you to explore a future with ThedaCare.
Benefits, with a whole-person approach to wellness –
- Lifestyle Engagement
-
e.g. health coaches, relaxation rooms, health focused apps (Wonder, Ripple), mental health support
-
Access & Affordability
- e.g. minimal or zero copays, team member cost sharing premiums, daycare
Summary: The Certified Diabetes Educator works with a diverse team to support patients with diabetes, optimally to manage their disease while incorporating the patient’s goals, lifestyle, and economic considerations.
Job Description:
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Seeks, interprets, and implements best practice literature recommendations into practice.
- Completes competencies to provide standardized education and training on diabetes medications and devices.
- Applies critical thinking to assess diagnosis, plan, implement, and evaluate the patient’s status and the effectiveness in creating a holistic plan of care that includes cultural diversity and special needs.
- Identifies the current state of the patient’s disease and helps identify barriers and realistic goals to be met in a specified time frame using motivation interviewing.
- Develops and supports effective team interactions through open and honest communication, receptive to feedback, mentoring, and developing others.
- Develops and supports relationships that create an environment where individuals and team members learn and grow professionally.
- Completes daily documentation and charges accurately on all patients.
- Takes responsibility for own professional growth, development, and personal wellness.
- Actively participates in and supports a healthy work environment.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Registered Nurse or Registered Dietitian with Certified Diabetes Educator Credential
- Certification of Diabetes Educator
- Certified Dietitian, Registered Dietitian, Registered Nurse
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
- Ability to move freely (standing, stooping, walking, bending, pushing, and pulling) and lift up to a maximum of twenty-five (25) pounds without assistance
- Job classification is exposed to blood borne pathogens (blood or bodily fluids) while performing job duties
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Climate controlled office setting with daily movement throughout the facility
- Interaction with department members and other healthcare providers
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 20
Scheduled FTE: 0.5
Location: ThedaCare Regional Medical Center - Neenah - Neenah, Wisconsin
Overtime Exempt: No
Worker Shift Details: Days
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Certified Diabetes Educator
Clarify your OPT authorization type upfront
Tell employers whether you're on standard 12-month OPT or a STEM OPT extension early in conversations. Diabetes educator roles often involve credentialing timelines, so employers need to plan around your authorization period from the start.
Highlight your CDCES exam status
If you've sat for or passed the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist exam, lead with it. Credentialed candidates face fewer hiring delays, and employers sponsoring OPT students want confidence you'll clear clinical requirements without extra onboarding friction.
Target hospital systems and integrated health networks
Large health systems like Kaiser Permanente and academic medical centers have established HR processes for international hires. They're more likely to have navigated OPT paperwork before and less likely to treat your status as a dealbreaker during recruitment.
Address H-1B transition plans proactively
Diabetes educator roles can qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B. Mentioning your intent to transition before OPT expires reassures employers about continuity of care, which matters deeply in chronic disease management where patient relationships are long-term.
Verify your degree qualifies for STEM OPT extension
Health informatics, clinical nutrition, and public health degrees may carry STEM CIP codes that unlock the 24-month extension. Check your degree classification with your DSO early so you know exactly how much authorized time you can offer an employer.
Frame your international background as a clinical asset
Diabetes prevalence and cultural food practices vary significantly across patient populations. Multilingual ability and cross-cultural patient experience are genuine differentiators in diabetes education roles serving diverse communities, so make that case explicitly in your cover materials.
Certified Diabetes Educator jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Certified Diabetes Educator on OPT without additional licensing?
Work authorization and professional licensure are separate requirements. Your OPT EAD card authorizes employment, but you'll also need to meet any state-level requirements for diabetes education practice and pursue the CDCES credential through ADCES. Most employers require or strongly prefer the CDCES exam, so check both your OPT timeline and credentialing eligibility simultaneously to avoid delays after hire.
Do Certified Diabetes Educator jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your underlying degree, not the job title itself. If your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as health informatics, nutritional science, or a qualifying public health program, your DSO can authorize the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Degrees in general health education or nursing often do not qualify. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before assuming eligibility.
How do I find Certified Diabetes Educator jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is the recommended starting point. The platform is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters roles by sponsorship willingness, so you're not wasting applications on employers who won't consider international candidates. Searching there surfaces health system employers who have a documented history of hiring on OPT and transitioning employees to H-1B status.
Can I start working as a Certified Diabetes Educator before passing the CDCES exam?
Yes, with conditions. Many employers hire candidates as diabetes educators in training or under a supervising credentialed educator while they accumulate the practice hours required before sitting for the CDCES exam. Your OPT work authorization is valid regardless of credential status, but confirm that your specific job offer qualifies as OPT-eligible employment in your authorized field of study.
Will employers sponsor H-1B after my OPT ends for a Certified Diabetes Educator role?
Diabetes educator roles can qualify as H-1B specialty occupations when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field such as dietetics, nursing, or health education. Whether a specific employer will sponsor depends on their internal policies and your value to the organization. Building a strong clinical track record during OPT significantly improves your sponsorship case before the H-1B lottery cycle.
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