Duties
The duties of the position may include but are not limited to the following:
General Description of Assigned Duties:
- Provide professional and management support to the department and continuously strive to increase patient satisfaction and improve veteran experience.
- Responsible for carrying out the strategic and business aspects of the full food service operations section.
- Support the NFS goals in alignment with the broader medical center mission and coordinate section activities with other services and units in the facility, clinics, and local community.
- Responsible for ensuring compliance with internal and external regulatory authorities while maintaining a "food forward" and Veteran-Centric focus with conventional cooking, convenience cooking, advance food preparation and delivery, room service, or a combination of food production and service modalities.
- Ensure evidence-based guidelines are integrated into food operations and collaborate closely with the clinical nutrition section to enhance the Veteran's dining experience and to support the strategic goals of the clinical nutrition section.
Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties:
- Provides food-operations-specific leadership, serving as professional and technical advisor to staff and other health care professionals.
- Has oversight over HR staffing, employee relations and labor relations in Food Service Operations.
- Exercises a full range of supervisory and personnel management authorities and responsibilities in planning, directing, and assessing work of subordinate staff.
- Establishes a training plan for the food operations section.
- Develops and leads food operations.
- Establishes strategic goals and ensures priorities align with the strategic plan of the NFS department, VISN and national programs.
- Leads the continuous quality improvement effort in Food Service Operations.
- Identifies and prioritizes problems, sets long and short-term goals, develops action plans and analyses data to evaluate progress to improve outcomes.
- Develops and updates policies and procedures and establishes and oversees a system for regulatory compliance. Coordinates food service operation policies and procedures with clinical nutrition management, nursing and other services, as applicable.
- Manages the budget and other resources, anticipating future trends and inflation, new service opportunities, recommendations for growth, efficiencies and strategic efforts are factored into resource requests and brought to the Chief.
- Directs staff in management of contracts, subsistence, supply purchasing for NFS and submits reports to the NFS Chief.
- Solicits support and/or negotiates with facility managers to influence decisions to support food operations section success.
- Works closely with the Supervisory Dietitians to support the department, cover the work within NFS and execute the activities of the department.
- May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:30AM - 5:00PM (adjust schedule, as needed, to cover needs of service)
Telework: Ad-Hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD99515S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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 trial 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).
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).
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.
Applicants may be covered by the Grandfathering Provision.
Grade Determinations-
Supervisory Dietitian (Food Operations), GS-13:
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, (GS-12).Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA).In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate, in their resume, the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of business administration practices such as budget planning, contracting and food and supply purchasing to operate a food service program successfully.
- Skill in written communication including policy development and standard operating procedures.
- Skill in strategic planning to develop goals, objectives and action plans.
- Skill in analyzing data to monitor progress towards improving and sustaining outcomes.
- Ability to supervise subordinate staff (i.e., plan, organize, delegate, direct, control and review activities and performance).
- Ability to negotiate.
Preferred Experience: Direct involvement with food service industry within the last 3 years supervising food service/production operations, leading/developing food service/production team, conducting employee investigations, and completing employee-related Human Resource actions.
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.
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:
- This occupation is a Title 38 or Hybrid Title 38; the Veterans Administration has been granted an exception to the 2page resume limitation for Title 38 or Hybrid Title 38 recruitments. Applicants will need to upload the following linked document https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/resume.docx to the Resume document type. Your actual Resume/CV should be uploaded to the Other Resume/CV-may be more than 2 pages document type.
- Resume/CV-may be more than 2 pages
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
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Resume/CV-may be more than 2 pages
- Other (2)
- Other (3)
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- 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
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.
Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:
-Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
-Use concise, results focused language
-Align language from the job announcement
-Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
-Remove outdated or unrelated experience
-Use the USAJOBS resume builder
Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:
-https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit.
-https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/applicant-guidance-on-the-two-page-resume-limit/
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 10/10/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12804102.
- 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.
- 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.
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.