Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Daily practice of exceptional customer service skills, and proper etiquette in all form of communication (via telephone, e-mail or in-person)
• Effectively communicate through e-mail, telephone, or in-person, using strong listening and speaking skills.
• Communicates with customers and patient in a pleasant, friendly personable and professional manner.
• Properly operates telephone equipment in order to transfer or place calls on hold.
• Handles patient meal service orders in person or by phone
• Triages calls from patient units or outpatient clinics, and procedure areas concerning patient trays.
• Interacts with Veterans, dietitians, nursing staff, and other medical center employees
• Receives patient meal orders and preferences, meal and nourishment requests from nursing, clinical staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary team
• Retrieves computerized information to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery
• Provides education and information on local facility therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff
• Assists patients in selection of the proper foods according to their individual diet
• Utilizes a computer daily to enter and retrieve basic information
• Performs clerical and administrative duties in support of the service
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Tour of duty varies, and is based on the needs of the service.
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99855A

Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals. NCC Associate functions require long periods of sitting and moving about in an office environment, including repetitive motion activities of the hands and fingers for extensive keyboard and computer mouse use, and office tasks such as answering and holding a telephone, and writing. The work may require walking indoors, outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center. It may be necessary to lift and/or push equipment. Employee is subject to periods of continuous standing, sitting, walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds and pushing loaded carts of trays and/or nourishments.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver’s licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): This occupational series has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) which is a minimum qualification requirement. To be considered for the position, you must ensure that the experience is reflected in your resume and/or if applicable, transcripts must be uploaded to support education requirement or substitution.

• Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.
• Education and Training: Successful completion of 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation.

Applicants must also qualify based on experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Assisting in meal delivery, organizing work to complete assignments, assisting patients, utilizing computer and multitasking skills, providing customer service to communicate via telephone, email, or in-person, Printing, preparing, and reviewing meal tickets.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-04 level. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR,

• Combination of Experience & Education: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an appropriate combination of specialized experience and education beyond the second year (beyond 60 semester hours). NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.