Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent VA-Tennessee Valley Healthcare employees only. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The position provides administrative management and direction of the Clinical Nutrition Section and ensures proper coordination between the delivery of clinical nutrition services and the overall delivery of health care.

Duties:
- Serves as a professional and technical advisor to staff and other health care
professionals
- Represents the Clinical Nutrition Section on projects, committees and/or
workgroups within the department and facility.
- Assumes full responsibility for planning, directing, and assessing the work and
competence of subordinate staff.
- Collaborates with other managers in the medical center to negotiate and/or make
decisions on NFS related matters affecting clinical operations.
- Provides Clinical Nutrition Section specific leadership and exercises a full range
of supervisory and personnel management authorities and responsibilities
- Develops procedures and guidelines for clinical operations and monitors
compliance with regulatory standards and policies and procedures.
- Participates in performance improvement efforts within Clinical Nutrition section,
acting on quality improvement data and plans.
- Leads the action planning process to attain goals and resolve deficiencies.
- Identifies and prioritized problems, sets long and short-term goals, identifies
action plans for the clinical section and nutrition programs
- Builds and implements contingency plans within the section, ensuring continuity of clinical operations in all internal and external emergency situations.
- Executes the training plan for the clinical section and ensures staff remain up to date on advances and changes in medical nutrition therapy. Orients and trains employees related to clinical nutrition and appropriate policies and procedures. Assists with new employee onboarding.
- Ensures that materials utilized in Veteran education are evidence-based, using current literature and research.
- Analyses data (i.e., event capture, clinic utilization) to recommend allocation of clinical nutrition resources.
- Ensures evidence-based guidelines are integrated into clinical practice.
- Ensures Veteran education materials are written with based on evidence-based guidelines, current literature, practice, and research.
- Collaborates with the food operations staff, bridging the work of the clinical nutrition staff to the food services provided to Veterans.
- May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: adhoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD99521S
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD) - Must be registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) the credentialing branch of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics formerly known as the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

Current VHA Dietitians that qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to a higher grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements.

Grade Determinations: GS-12.
Experience- One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11).
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of accrediting requirements in clinical nutrition to assess staff compliance and implement performance improvements.
(b) Skill as a nutrition expert to provide technical guidance, direction and staff development.
(c) Skill in Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guidelines to develop, implement and coordinate best practices.
(d) Skill in establishing goals and objectives to coordinate activities, evaluate accomplishments and solve problems.
(e) Ability to supervise subordinate staff (i.e., plan, organize, delegate, direct, control and review activities and performance).
(f) Ability to analyze data in order to recommend allocation of resources.

Preferred Experience:

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.