Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. citizens and limited to VA (Facility-Wide, VHA Wide, etc ) and other Federal Employees NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Supervisory Dietitian (Chief of Nutrition and Food Services) exercise a full range of supervisory and personnel management authorities with responsibilities in planning, directing, and assessing work of supervisors and subordinate staff. NFS Chiefs serve as the technical advisor and subject matter expert in nutrition and food operations. The work of the Chief aligns NFS goals and strategic direction to that of the medical center, VISN and National Program Office.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

- Oversee all human resource functions for the department. Holds staff accountable for performance and conduct.
- Establish performance standards and evaluate overall performance of employees.
- Define competency requirements, identifies developmental and training needs and takes necessary actions to ensure subordinate personnel maintain and enhance technical and leadership expertise.
- Develop budget and staffing requirements to manage organizational changes and ensure national directives and goals/objectives are met.
- Communicate and advocates with executive leadership for resources.
- Develop the NFS strategic plan establishing service priorities which address the goals and strategic direction of the medical center, VISN and national programs.
- Implement a performance improvement program to continually improve delivery of quality, safe and cost-effective food and nutrition care to all patients/residents.
- Develop and updates policies and procedures, establishes, and oversees a system for regulatory compliance.
- Ensure NFS compliance with accrediting bodies, standards, and action items.
- Establish the department organizational structure, defining the lines of authority essential to carry out the mission of the service.
- Responsible for accomplishing priorities and ensuring compliance with VHA directives and medical center policy and procedures.
- Oversee the planning of new endeavors addressing patient care delivery systems and system reorganizations for new or redesigned operational space, equipment requirements, etc.
- Ensure adherence to the National Dietary Supplement and Subsistence Prime Vendor contracts.
- Designate the Contracting Officer Representative to negotiate purchase agreements for NFS contracts.
- Implement security measures in all NFS areas to protect against theft, reduce the risk of food terrorism and maintain Veteran and staff safety.
- Ensure the dissemination of nutrition related research and quality improvement within the department and facility.
- Direct resource distribution for food, supply, and labor costs, focusing on benchmarks, delegating resource management to others as appropriate.
- May perform other related duties which are appropriate for this grade and assignment.

Supervisory Controls

• The incumbent works under the general supervision of an executive team member who establishes objectives and department goals
• The incumbent is expected to complete work assignments with relative independence and minimal guidance, personally setting the deadlines for completion of work. Assumes responsibility in work assignments in accordance with regulations and independently resolves most conflicts by using considerable judgment and interpretation.
• Work is reviewed to ensure that overall objectives of the position and NFS are met.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD99498S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

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 identification 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).
  • Documentation must be provided with application.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, college and/or university degrees earned outside the U.S and its territories must be evaluated by ACEND® and meet ACEND®'s International Dietitian Education standards which are designed to provide graduates with the knowledge and competencies to sit for the CDR credentialing exam.
• Loss of Credential. In collaboration with HR Office staff, management officials must immediately relieve employees who fail to maintain the required registration/certification of duties and responsibilities associated with the occupation and/or assignment, which may also result in separation from employment.
• Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification, where applicable. Employees appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, either on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. The following provisions apply to employees who do not meet all the qualification requirements: 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.
  • Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in a supervisory or managerial position.
  • Employees must meet the assignment-specific certification/education requirements to be placed in Dietitian (Advanced Level Practice) or Dietitian (Dietetic Internship Director) assignments.
  • Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or registration/certification that meet all the qualification standard's basic or assignment-specific requirements must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation/assignment.
  • Employees retained in this occupation under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re- entry in the occupation.

Grade Determinations:

Supervisory Dietitian (Chief of Nutrition and Food Service) GS-14

Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Assignment. For all supervisory assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity, difficulty, variety and be performed by the incumbent as a major duty at least 25% of the time. The incumbent must spend 25% or more of their time providing administrative and technical supervision over administrative staff who support NFS operations and both a GS-13 Supervisory Dietitian (Food Operations) and GS-13 Supervisory Dietitian (Clinical Nutrition). Supervisory Dietitians in this assignment serve as Chief NFS for a complex NFS department. Chief NFS provides leadership and guidance, with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, to ensure the diverse activities of the department are closely coordinated, integrating clinical nutrition and food operations. They exercise a full range of supervisory and personnel management authorities with responsibilities in planning, directing and assessing the work of supervisors and subordinate staff. Chief NFS establishes performance standards and evaluates overall performance of employees, defines competency requirements, identifies developmental and training needs and takes necessary actions to ensure subordinate personnel maintains and enhance technical and leadership expertise. They serve as the technical advisor and subject matter experts in nutrition and food operations. Chief NFS develops budget and staffing requirements to manage organizational changes and ensure national directives and goals/objectives are met. They communicate and advocate with executive leadership for resources. Chief NFS develop the NFS strategic plan establishing service priorities that address the goals and strategic direction of the medical center, VISN and national programs. They are responsible for accomplishing priorities and ensuring compliance with VHA directives and medical center policy and procedures. They oversee planning of endeavours addressing patient care delivery systems and system reorganizations for new or redesigned operational space, equipment requirements, etc. Chief NFS ensures adherence to the National Dietary Supplement and Subsistence Prime Vendor contracts. They designate the Contracting Officer Representative to negotiate purchase agreements for NFS contracts. Chief NFS actively supports, promotes and oversees the implementation of NFS initiatives at the facility level and engages other service chiefs as needed to ensure success. They participate in VISN and National level NFS initiatives and are responsible for all action items for NFS. Chief NFS evaluates overall NFS effectiveness through the review of operations, quality assurance, performance improvement and benchmarks, making decisions based on intricate and unrelated items of information from inconclusive or variable data. They facilitate and support NFS participation in performance improvement studies, ensuring the dissemination of nutrition-related research and quality improvement within the department and facility. Chief NFS leads efforts to provide food-forward, Veteran-centric dining options. They implement security measures in all NFS areas to protect against theft, reduce the risk of food terrorism and maintain Veteran and staff safety.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
a) Knowledge of security measures within food operations to ensure patient and staff safety.
(b) Knowledge of organizational structure to assess impact on program operations.
(c) Skill in ensuring regulatory requirements are met.
(d) Skill in leading a group of professionals to facilitate collaboration and organizational development.
(e) Skill in leading managers to establish strategic goals.
(f) Ability to oversee the planning of new initiatives addressing patient care delivery systems and system reorganizations.(g) Ability to lead efforts in business administration to include budgeting, contracting and purchasing.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14.

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.