Summary This position will oversee the clinical nutrition section of Nutrition Food Services (NFS) providing administrative & technical supervision over staff, including clinical dietitians as well as clinical dietetic technicians. Responsible for the execution of clinical nutrition programming within the facility, community-based clinics, & the local community. Ensures proper coordination between the delivery of clinical nutrition services & the overall delivery of health care. Responsibilities Represents the Clinical Nutrition Section on projects, committees &/or workgroups within the department & facility. Assumes full responsibility for planning, directing, & assessing the work & competence of subordinate staff. Collaborates with other managers in the medical center to negotiate &/or make decisions on NFS related matters affecting clinical operations. Provides Clinical Nutrition Section specific leadership & exercises a full range of supervisory & personnel management authorities & responsibilities. Develops procedures & guidelines for clinical operations & monitors compliance with regulatory standards & policies & procedures. Participates in performance improvement efforts within Clinical Nutrition section, acting on quality improvement data & plans. Leads the action planning process to attain goals & resolve deficiencies. Identifies & prioritized problems, sets long & short-term goals, identifies action plans for the clinical section & nutrition programs. Builds & implements contingency plans within the section, ensuring continuity of clinical operations in all internal & external emergency situations. Executes the training plan for the clinical section & ensures staff remain up to date on advances & changes in medical nutrition therapy. Orients & trains employees related to clinical nutrition & appropriate policies & procedures. Assists with new employee onboarding. Ensures that materials utilized in Veteran education are evidence-based, using current literature & 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, & research. Collaborates with the food operations staff, bridging the work of the clinical nutrition staff to the food services provided to Veterans. Performs other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Available at the Supervisor's discretion. Telework: Available on an ad hoc basis and in accordance with VA policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 99521-S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications * This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until April 30, 2025 or until the position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be December 18, 2024. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. * Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. Registration. All applicants must hold the RDN credential from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) the credentialing agency of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Note: Applicants who hold the RDN credential have met the education requirement (e.g. bachelor's degree or higher) of CDR, as such this occupation is considered professional and scientific with a positive education requirement and the procedures in Part I, Chapter 4 of this Handbook will be followed when applying Veteran's preference. 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. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, EmployeeOccupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Dietitian candidates must be proficient inspoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Supervisory Dietitian (Clinical Nutrition), GS-12. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11). Assignment (GS-11). Employees in this assignment serve in a Dietitian (Clinical)full performance level position. Clinical Dietitians conduct comprehensivenutrition assessments for Veterans using the NCP (e.g., assessment,diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation), assuring high-qualitynutrition care. They apply evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines,interpret research and utilize whole health principles to develop patient-centered goals and improve outcomes. Clinical Dietitians also utilize virtual care technology to improve access to care. They are accountable for independent and accurate record keeping, autonomous coverage of daily clinical activities and efficiently completing patient encounters using approved systems. Clinical Dietitians are knowledgeable of and ensure work accomplishments comply with TJC and other accrediting agency standards and ensure continuous improvement of safe and quality care. They collect and analyze data related to performance improvement activities within NFS, lead activities in the implementation of new initiatives and collaborate with stakeholders. Clinical Dietitians frequently collaborate with the food service section and leadership staff to enhance the Veteran's dining experience, support patient satisfaction and serve as a liaison between clinical units and the Food Service Section. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, thecandidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of accrediting requirements in clinical nutrition to assessstaff compliance and implement performance improvements. (b) Skill as a nutrition expert to provide technical guidance, direction andstaff 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. 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. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.