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.
- 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).
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.
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.
Grade Determinations: Supervisory Dietitian (Clinical Nutrition), GS-12.
(1) Experience. One year of experience as an RDN/RD equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11).
(2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of accrediting requirements in clinical nutrition to assess staff compliance and implement performance improvements.
(b) Skill as a nutrition expert to provide technical guidance, direction and staff development.
(c) Skill in Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guidelines to develop, implement and coordinate best practices. 18
(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.
(3) 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 staff at the full performance level or below and may supervise advanced practice and/or program coordinator Dietitian(s). Supervisory Dietitians Clinical Nutrition in this assignment oversees the Clinical Nutrition Section and serve as the professional and technical advisors to staff and other health care professionals. They represent the Clinical Nutrition Section on projects, committees and/or workgroups. Supervisory Dietitians 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 and competence of subordinate staff. They provide administrative management and direction of the clinical nutrition section. Supervisory Dietitians develop procedures and guidelines for clinical operations and monitor compliance with regulatory standards and policies and procedures. They lead the action planning process to attain goals and resolve deficiencies. Supervisory Dietitians build and implement contingency plans within the section, ensuring continuity of clinical operations in all internal and external emergencies. They execute the training plan for the clinical section and ensure staff remain updated on advances and changes in medical nutrition therapy. Supervisory Dietitians analyze data (i.e., event capture, clinic utilization) to recommend the allocation of clinical nutrition resources. They ensure evidence-based guidelines are integrated into clinical practice. Supervisory Dietitians collaborate closely with the food service section to enhance the Veteran dining experience and support the strategic goals of the food service section.
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.