Dietitian (Advanced Level Practice) Job in Bronx, NY

Vacancy No. CAZX-12723366-25-KC Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $104,436.00 to $135,773.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 4/14/2025 Close Date 4/22/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Bronx, NY


Summary

The James J. Peters VA Medical Center is hiring an Advanced Level Practice Dietitian for Critical Care/Nutrition Support. In this role, the Advanced Level Practice Dietitian conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments for Veterans using the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) assuring high-quality nutrition care under an advanced and expanded scope of practice.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

The position is open to current permanent employees of Bronx VA Health Care System.

Duties

Duties for this position include but are not limited to:

  • Leads dietitians and specialty multidisciplinary teams in developing nutrition related services, policies, procedures and/or protocols.
  • Provides comprehensive medical nutritional care applying the NCP in a specialty program, and/or a variety of patient care settings. Bases individualized nutrition interventions on the best available research and/or evidence-based guidelines and best practices.
  • Provides nutrition education to individuals, small and large groups, peers, licensed practitioner(s), medical students, interns, and residents as applicable.
  • Provides consultative services regarding advanced therapies, policies, procedures, and research in the provision of quality nutritional care.
  • Develops, monitors, and directs practice-specific benchmarks based on standards of care or national initiatives.
  • Utilizes knowledge, expertise, principles and/or current research to plan, implement and evaluate organizational initiatives.
  • Leads the implementation of new nutrition initiatives or a change in practice to achieve strategic goals.
  • Establishes goals, measures outcomes and reports progress toward meeting goals to medical center committees, health care teams and/or professional groups.
  • Leads staff, creates, and validates competencies and develops training activities.
  • Leads nutrition research studies or performance improvement and communicates findings through reports, abstracts, presentations and/or peer reviewed professional publications.
  • Presents at seminars, workshops, and lectures to convey current nutrition information on new and changing concepts.
  • May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment.

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm, rotating weekends
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 99523-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. 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 dentification 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).
  • 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

Basic Requirements

Citizenship:
  • Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

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 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.
  • May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:
  • All individuals assigned to this occupation must meet all the basic qualification requirements as above and all the requirements defined in the specific assignment for the GS-12 Dietitian (Advanced Level Practice).


GS-12-Dietitian (Advanced Level Practice)- in addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also possess:

Experience:

  • One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.


Certification:

  • Must hold an advanced practice certification from a nationally recognized certifying body such as the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists or the National Board of Nutrition Certification. The certification must be directly related to the assignment being filled.
    • This Advanced Practice Position is specifically covering inpatient Critical Care/Nutrition Support. The relevant certificate pertaining to this area of specialty would be the Board Certification as a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC).


Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: in addition to the experience and certification above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs

  • Skill in leading a team in the implementation of nutrition related activities.
  • Skill in utilizing evidenced based practice guidelines to establish or modify goals and improve patient outcomes.
  • Ability to communicate in writing to develop policies and standard operating procedures.
  • Ability to serve as a nutrition expert, providing technical guidance, direction, and staff development.
  • Ability to lead research or performance improvement studies.
  • Ability to present complex nutrition information to a large group of health care providers to persuade and influence provision of care.
Assignment:
  • For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Employees in this assignment serve as an Advanced-Level Dietitian. They conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments for Veterans using the NCP assuring high-quality nutrition care under an advanced and expanded scope of practice. Advanced-Level Dietitians lead a multidisciplinary team developing nutrition-related services, policies, procedures and/or protocols. They provide consultative services regarding advanced therapies and research in providing quality nutritional care. Advanced Level Dietitians develop, monitor and direct practice-specific benchmarks based on standards of care or national initiatives. They utilize knowledge, expertise, principles and/or current research to plan, implement and evaluate organizational initiatives. Advanced-Level Dietitians lead the implementation of new nutrition initiatives or a change in practice to achieve strategic goals. They establish goals, measure outcomes and report progress toward meeting goals to medical center committees, health care teams and/or professional groups. Advanced-Level Dietitians lead staff, create and validate competencies and develop training activities. They lead nutrition research studies or performance improvement and communicate findings through reports, abstracts, presentations and/or peer-reviewed professional publications. Advanced-Level Dietitians present at seminars, workshops and lectures to convey current nutrition information on new and changing concepts. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation.

Preferred Experience:
  • Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC) preferred

Reference:
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.
Creditable Experience:
  • To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with current professional dietetic practice and must have been gained post registration. This may be evidenced by one or more of the following: (1) The equivalent of 1 year of active professional practice. Active professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a registered Dietitian. (2) Academic course work leading to an advanced graduate degree in nutrition or a related health care field.
Quality of Experience:
  • Qualifying experience must be comparable to dietetic experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Part-Time Experience:
  • Part-time experience as a registered Dietitian is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a registered Dietitian employed 20 hours per week, or on a half-time basis, would receive 1 full-time work week of credit for each 2 weeks of service.

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics:
  • Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®) is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' accrediting agency for education programs preparing students for careers as registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN).

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.

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Eligibility or one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level):

  • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
  • An SF-50 showing your one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
  • Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
    • Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

  • Cover Letter
  • Copy of Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD) Credentials from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR)
  • Copy of advanced practice certification nationally recognized certifying body such as the Commission on Dietetic Registration, the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists or the National Board of Nutrition Certification.
  • Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC)
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript



Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/22/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12723366.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Katie Calandra
Address
Bronx VA Medical Center
130 West Kingsbridge Rd.
Bronx, NY 10468
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.