Health Technician (Dietetic)

Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Major duties include but are limited to:

• Utilizes a computer to enter and retrieve basic information;
• Utilizes dietetic software programs to retrieve diet orders, recipes, and menu and inventory data;
• Prints and assembles packets;
• Properly operates telephone equipment to transfer or place calls on hold;
• Provides professional and courteous customer service;
• Triages telephone calls from customers and/or patients;
• Provides basic-level education and information on therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff;
• Resolves customer and/or patient complaints;
• Utilizes knowledge of basic and routine modified diets to identify problems in diet order information and take appropriate corrective action;
• Correctly interprets diet activity and patient information, to ensure appropriate food items on meals trays;
• Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, tube feeding orders and nutritional supplements;
• Assist with food selections, ensuring appropriateness of menu selections for complex diets;
• Answers the telephone using proper business etiquette;
• Communicates with customers in a pleasant, friendly, personable, and professional manner;
• Communicates effectively via telephone and in-person;
• Attends to both verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication.

Work Schedule: Full Time, Various Schedules
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99796-S
Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals. NCC Associate functions require long periods of sitting and moving about in an office environment, including repetitive motion activities of the hands and fingers for extensive keyboard and computer mouse use, and office tasks such as answering and holding a telephone phone, and writing. The work may require walking indoors, outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center. It may be necessary to lift and/or push equipment. Incumbent is subject to periods continuous standing, sitting, walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds.

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• 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.

Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Individual Occupational Requirements Health Aid and Technician Series, 0640 Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.

OR

Education and Training: For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position.

AND

English Language Requirement: Health Technicians are required to be proficient in spoken and written English.

In addition to meeting the IOR listed above, an applicant must also meet the qualifications listed below.

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
• • Experience or education that demonstrates knowledge of quantity food service operations and proper nutrition;
  • Knowledge of the food items and appropriate quantities; works with clients, patients, and/or, customers to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations;
  • Ability to use computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work;
  • Inputting and compiling various data to create spreadsheets and reports;
  • Taking inventory and placing orders keeping within set budgetary parameters;
  • Providing customers with consistent information according to established policies/procedures.

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation.

OR,

• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the second year(60 Semester hours) is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience. Determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine the education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-5.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in a hospital setting
• Familiar with the IDDSI diets
• Customer service experience

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.

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 WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Documents Required:

• Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

Next steps