Supervisory Dietitian - chief Of Nutrition And Food Services

Supervisory Dietitian (Chief, Nutrition & Food Services)

Supervisory dietitian 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 work of supervisors and subordinate staff.

Responsibilities:

• Serves as the technical advisor and subject matter expert in nutrition and food operations in a healthcare facility.
• Supports, promotes, and oversees the implementation of NFS initiatives at the facility level.
• Evaluates the overall programmatic effectiveness of the nutrition and food program to ensure inpatient nutritional needs are met by providing a constantly rotating mix of healthy, delicious meals.
• Oversees all human resource functions for the department.
• Holds staff accountable for performance and conduct.
• 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 maintain and enhance technical and leadership expertise.
• Develops budget and staffing requirements to manage organizational changes and ensure national directives and goals/objectives are met.
• Communicates and advocates with executive leadership for resources.
• Develops the NFS strategic plan establishing service priorities which address the goals and strategic direction of the medical center, VISN and national programs.
• Implements a performance improvement program to continually improve delivery of quality, safe and cost-effective food and nutrition care to all patients/residents.
• Develops and updates policies and procedures, establishes, and oversees a system for regulatory compliance.
• Ensures NFS compliance with accrediting bodies, standards, and action items.
• Establishes 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.
• Oversees the planning of new endeavors addressing patient care delivery systems and system reorganizations for new or redesigned operational space, equipment requirements, etc.
• Ensures adherence to the National Dietary Supplement and Subsistence Prime Vendor contracts.
• Designates the Contracting Officer Representative to negotiate purchase agreements for NFS contracts.
• Implements security measures in all NFS areas to protect against theft, reduce the risk of food terrorism and maintain Veteran and staff safety.
• Ensures the dissemination of nutrition related research and quality improvement within the department and facility.
• Directs resource distribution for food, supply, and labor costs, focusing on benchmarks, delegating resource management to others as appropriate.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0730am - 4:00pm; the actual work schedule is at the needs of the service.

Telework: Available / adhoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 99498-S Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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. 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. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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. English Language Proficiency: Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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). 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: GS-14 GS-14 Supervisory Dietitian-(Chief, Nutrition & Food Services) Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-14 do you possess at least 1 year of experience as an RDN/RD equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13) which demonstrates the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.

Knowledge of security measures within food operations to ensure patient and staff safety. Knowledge of organizational structure to assess impact on program operations. Skill in ensuring regulatory requirements are met. Skill in leading a diverse group of professionals to facilitate collaboration and organizational development. Skill in leading managers to establish strategic goals. Ability to oversee the planning of new initiatives addressing patient care delivery systems and system reorganizations. Ability to lead efforts in business administration to include budgeting, contracting and purchasing.

Preferred Experience: Three years experience in supervisory dietitian role in hospital or healthcare setting.

Physical Requirements: The position requires intermittent walking and standing. Carrying normal amounts of written/reference materials is routinely done. Occasionally, duties may require the movement of audio-visual equipment, charts and arrangement of classroom areas.

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.