Supervisory Dietitian; Service Chief

Summary

This position is located in the Nutrition & Food Service (NFS) Department of the Management Service Line at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany – NY. The Service Chief of the Nutrition & Food Service is responsible for managing and supervising all phases of nutrition and food service operations and is the ultimate authority on dietetic management concerns in the medical center.

• 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)
• Non-credentialed Dietitians: Must have earned a bachelor’s or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent; foreign education must be evaluated by ACEND and meet ACEND's International Dietitian Education standards; must have completed an ACEND accredited experiential or supervised practice program and provide verification from the program director; see ACEND website for accredited programs.
• Current VHA Dietitians: Those covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted if they do not meet current RDN/RD requirements.
• Grade Determinations: Supervisory Dietitian (Chief – Nutrition and Food Services) – GS-14.
• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to experience, demonstrate knowledge of security measures within food operations; organizational structure; regulatory compliance; leading professionals; leading managers; strategic goals; planning new initiatives; business administration including budgeting, contracting, purchasing.
• Preferred Experience: Five years in a large complex system such as a VA, DOD, or state agency.
• Physical Requirements: Physical, mental, and emotional capabilities essential for successful job performance.

• The Chief – Nutrition and Food Services is the director of the department, functioning with full independence under the general supervision of the Associate Director.
• Consults with the Chief of Staff and Associate Director for Patient Care Services for effective coordination of professional and clinical program elements.
• Ensures provision of high‑quality food and progressive/effective nutrition therapy to the Veteran population.
• Has full technical‑professional‑administrative responsibility for planning, developing, organizing, staffing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive nutrition program.
• Provides advice and support to the senior leadership team, coordinating departmental activities with other services, ambulatory clinics, and the local community.
• Establishes organizational structure, performance standards, reporting requirements, and lines of authority and supervisory controls.
• Oversees policy and procedure coordination for nutrition care of Veterans across ages and in multidisciplinary model.
• Ensures all policies and procedures comply with VA manuals, Central Office Guidelines, NFS program guides, VISN guides, professional guidelines and TJC standards.
• Develops and administers a human‑resource management program to maximize staff performance and job satisfaction.
• Creates staffing and position‑management goals that support high‑quality food service and complex clinical nutrition care.
• Manages a budget program to efficiently use financial resources with adequate controls and data‑based estimates.
• Plans and justifies an annual budget for subsistence, supplies, and personnel costs; benchmarks against other VA and private facilities.
• Communicates resource‑management status to Fiscal.
• Develops and directs a performance‑improvement program for quality and appropriateness of nutritional care.
• Focuses on patient‑centered care modalities and ensures compliance with OSHA, HACCP, VHA, TJC and other agencies.
• Leads NFS staff, presents conclusions and recommendations at departmental meetings.
• Directs personnel management, making decisions on…