Dietitian (Facility Program Coordinator)

Dietitians in this assignment serve as a Supervisory Facility Program Coordinator leading a multidisciplinary team. They are administratively responsible for a specialty program and provide program-specific leadership, guidance and direction, technical advice, and staff development.

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Facility Program Coordinators have oversight responsibilities for program, policy, and procedure development, set goals, monitor, and redefine priorities and may have an active role in the fiscal management for the program.
• They direct or participate in the design of research activities or quality improvement studies, including data collection and analysis. Facility Program Coordinators have oversight of and are responsible for developing and maintaining training and reference materials.
• Supervises no more than two employees and plans, organizes, delegates, directs, controls and reviews activities and performance.
• Manages all aspects of the program for the facility, assuring local compliance with national policy and direction.
• Coordinates with the multidisciplinary team to develop local goals. Measures progress toward the goals and reports to the appropriate officials at a local, VISN and national level.
• Provides direct patient care by developing and implementing comprehensive nutrition therapy, practicing within their scope/clinical privileges.
• Serves as the professional and technical advisor for their program.
• Promotes and maintains effective working relationships with all faculty and significant parties at the national, state, and local level.
• Directs or participates in the design of studies, collects data, conducts statistical analysis, interprets findings, and translates results into written and oral communications.
• Sets priorities, delegates tasks, meets multiple deadlines, analyzes organizational problems, and develops and implements effective solutions.
• Serves as a consultant and technical advisor within NFS and with other facility health care staff in evaluating health care delivery to Veterans and employees.
• Determines the continuing education needs of program staff and appropriate resources to meet those needs.
• Oversees all aspects for the program, policy, and procedure development.
• Oversees development and maintenance of training and reference materials.
• Establishes and manages program goals and objectives.
• Plans and administers a program, coordinates associated
• activities and resources, evaluates program accomplishments,
• redefines priorities, problem solves, and modifies objectives.
• Takes an active role in the fiscal management for the program, identifying resource needs that may include
  staffing, supplies, contracts, etc.
• Maintains program information through approved social media outlets.
• May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
Telework: Ad Hoc Telework MAY BE Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD99522
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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).
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• English Language Proficiency. Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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: All individuals assigned to this occupation must meet all the basic qualification requirements in paragraph 3 a-f and all the requirements defined in the specific assignment.

Dietitian (Facility Program Coordinator), GS-12

• Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11).
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of program administration establishes program goals and objectives, coordinates activities, evaluates accomplishments and solves problems.
  • Skill in developing quality improvement or research activities.
  • Skill in developing quality improvement or research activities.
  • Ability to develop policies and procedures.
  • Ability to provide program-specific coordination to include leadership, technical advice and staff development.

Preferred Experience: Managing a specialty clinical nutrition or related health care program; supervising and developing a small team; coordinating multidisciplinary services; and providing comprehensive medical nutrition therapy. Candidate should demonstrate independent judgement, strong organizational and communication skills, collaborative problem solving and the ability to translate program goals into measurable improvement.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory.

• 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.
• 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 identification 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).

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year or 2-year trial 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.