Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all U.S Citizens. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred in the following order: 1) Permanent employees of the San Diego VAMC. 2) Preference eligible Veterans; 3) All other qualified U.S. Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Major duties include:

• 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
• 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 Veteran education materials are written with based on evidence based guidelines, current literature, practice, and research.

May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Not Available
Alternate Work Schedule: Not Available
.Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not available.
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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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:

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States.
• Registration: All applicants 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).
  • Exception for Dietitians who do not possess the RDN credential: Non-credentialed Dietitians who meet the basic qualification requirements and have fulfilled the requirements below, but do not possess the RDN credential, may be given a temporary full-time appointment not to exceed one year under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2). Non-credentialed Dietitians may only be appointed at the GS-07 or GS-09 grade level and may not be promoted/converted until they obtain their RDN credential.
    • Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following:
      • Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college, university or foreign equivalent (refer to ii below).
      • Completed an ACEND® accredited experiential or supervised practice program and provide a verification statement from the program director that conveys eligibility to take the CDR registration exam as a prospective RDN. A list of ACEND® accredited programs is located on the ACEND® website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory.
    • 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
• 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.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must possess the following grade requirements.

GS-12 Supervisory Dietitian (Outpatient Clinical Nutrition): Applicants must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. In addition, applicants must meet the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Knowledge of accrediting requirements in clinical nutrition to assess staff compliance and implement performance improvements
2. Skill as a nutrition expert to provide technical guidance, direction and staff development.
3. Skill in Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guidelines to develop, implement and coordinate best practices.
4. Skill in establishing goals and objectives to coordinate activities, evaluate accomplishments and solve problems.
5. Ability to supervise subordinate staff (i.e., plan, organize, delegate, direct, control and review activities and performance)..
6. Ability to analyze data in order to recommend allocation of resources.

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 staff at the full performance level or below and may supervise advanced practice and/or program coordinator Dietitian(s). Supervisory Dietitians Clinical Nutrition in this assignment oversees the Clinical Nutrition Section and serve as the professional and technical advisors to staff and other health care professionals. They represent the Clinical Nutrition Section on projects, committees and/or workgroups. Supervisory Dietitians provide Clinical Nutrition Section-specific leadership and exercise a full range of supervisory and personnel management authorities and responsibilities in planning, directing and assessing the work and competence of subordinate staff. They provide administrative management and direction of the clinical nutrition section. Supervisory Dietitians develop procedures and guidelines for clinical operations and monitor compliance with regulatory standards and policies and procedures. They lead the action planning process to attain goals and resolve deficiencies. Supervisory Dietitians build and implement contingency plans within the section, ensuring continuity of clinical operations in all internal and external emergencies. They execute the training plan for the clinical section and ensure staff remain updated on advances and changes in medical nutrition therapy. Supervisory Dietitians analyze data (i.e., event capture, clinic utilization) to recommend the allocation of clinical nutrition resources. They ensure evidence-based guidelines are integrated into clinical practice. Supervisory Dietitians collaborate closely with the food service section to enhance the Veteran dining experience and support the strategic goals of the food service section..

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G20 - Dietitian Qualification Standards.

Physical Requirements: None.

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.