Dietitian

Indian Health Service • Whiteriver, AZ

26d

About The Position

The Indian Health Service is hiring a Registered Dietitian to provide nutrition care and services. The role includes assessing patients’ nutritional status, planning and monitoring nutrition therapy for disease treatment and prevention, and providing nutrition education to patients and families. The dietitian documents significant changes in nutritional status and contributes to long-range plans for nutrition and dietetic services for ambulatory patients and their families. The position works with an interdisciplinary healthcare team and serves Native communities.

The work involves walking, sitting, standing, reaching, and bending while assessing and treating patients. Employees whose duties require work in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy for vaccine-preventable diseases, subject to the policy’s exemption process. The position requires current Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration. It has an education requirement and may be filled at GS-11 or GS-12, with promotion potential to GS-12 at management’s discretion.

Requirements

• Possess and maintain current registration as a Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with the Commission on Dietetic Registration; proof of current registration must be included with the application.
• Meet the basic education and professional preparation requirements: an accredited bachelor’s or graduate degree in dietetics, food, nutrition, food service management, institution management, or a related science; and completion of a coordinated undergraduate program, internship, or other clinical component approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for dietitians or nutritionists.
• For GS-11, qualify through either three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D., a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower federal grade level, or a qualifying combination of graduate education and specialized experience.
• For GS-12, have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower federal grade level, including experience planning, coordinating, administering, and evaluating a comprehensive Nutrition and Dietetics Program.
• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Successfully complete the required federal background investigation and financial suitability review.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check and establish direct deposit.
• Provide two valid forms of identification before appointment; any state-issued ID or driver’s license used must be REAL ID-compliant.
• Complete any required background investigation forms within five calendar days of issuance.
• Meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the announcement closing date.
• If applicable, comply with Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy if duties require work in an IHS healthcare facility, subject to the policy’s exemption process.

Responsibilities

• Assess patients’ nutritional status and plan appropriate nutrition therapy for various disease states and for disease prevention.
• Develop, implement, and monitor nutritional care plans based on physician diet prescriptions, dietitian assessments, and patients’ age-specific needs.
• Provide nutrition education to individuals and families to help patients achieve defined outcomes.
• Document significant changes in patients’ nutritional status.
• Contribute to long-range plans and objectives for nutrition and dietetic services needed by ambulatory patients and their families.
• At the GS-12 level, plan, coordinate, administer, and evaluate a comprehensive Nutrition and Dietetics Program.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for eligible employees.
• Annual leave accrual of 4, 6, or 8 hours per pay period, based on federal service.
• Newly appointed federal employees may be offered credit for directly related previous non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service toward leave accrual.
• Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized, with at least a one-year service agreement required.
• Student loan repayment programs may be available through IHS, NHSC, or HRSA for qualifying health disciplines; these are separate competitive programs subject to hiring priorities and funding.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level