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)
• 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)
• Note: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian
• RDN and Registered Dietitian (RD) credentials are the same and both are qualifying
• The difference between RDN and RD is in name only due to a change by the professional academy in 2014
• In this standard, the term RDN will be used
• 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: Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• AND Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Skill in written communication including policy development and standard operating procedures
• (b) Skill in strategic planning to develop goals, objectives and action plans
• (c) Skill in analyzing data to monitor progress towards improving and sustaining outcomes
• (d) Ability to negotiate
• (e) Ability to supervise subordinate staff (i.e., plan, organize, delegate, direct, control and review activities and performance) 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 Dietitians at the GS-12 level or below
• Supervisory Dietitians in this Clinical Nutrition assignment report to the NFS Chief
• They make decisions based on intricate and unrelated information and assumptions from inconclusive or variable data in all aspects of nutrition operations
• They 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 of subordinate staff
• Supervisory Dietitians establish a training plan for the clinical section
• They develop and lead clinical nutrition operations, establish strategic goals and ensure priorities align with the strategic plan of the NFS department, VISN and national programs
• Supervisory Dietitians identify and prioritize problems, set long and short-term goals, develop action plans and analyze data to evaluate progress to improve outcomes
• They are responsible for developing and updating policies and procedures and establishing and overseeing a system for regulatory compliance
• Supervisory Dietitians solicit support and/or negotiate with facility managers to influence decision making and garner support to ensure clinical nutrition operations succeed
• They collaborate closely with the food operations section to enhance the Veteran's dining experience and to support the strategic goals of the food service section and NFS
• Preferred Experience: Five years or greater clinical dietitian experience, supervisor/leadership 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.