Supervisory Dietitian (Food Operations)

Veterans Health Administration • Northport, NY

9d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is in Nutrition and Food Service (NFS) at the Northport VA Medical Center. The Supervisory Dietitian is responsible for the strategic and business aspects of the full food service operations section, supporting NFS goals in alignment with the medical center mission and coordinating section activities with other services and units, clinics, and the local community.

The incumbent provides food-operations-specific leadership and serves as a professional and technical advisor to staff and other healthcare professionals. The role oversees human resources staffing, employee relations, and labor relations within Food Service Operations and exercises supervisory and personnel management authorities in planning, directing, and assessing subordinate staff. The incumbent establishes a training plan, develops and leads food operations, sets strategic goals aligned with NFS, VISN, and national program plans, and leads continuous quality improvement efforts.

The position identifies and prioritizes problems, sets short- and long-term goals, develops action plans, and analyzes data to evaluate progress and improve outcomes. It develops and updates policies and procedures and oversees regulatory compliance, coordinating food service policies and procedures with clinical nutrition management, nursing, and other services as applicable. The incumbent manages budgets and resources, directs contract and purchasing activities, submits reports to the NFS Chief, and works with facility managers to build support for food operations. The role also works closely with Supervisory Dietitians to support the department and carry out NFS activities.

The incumbent works under the general supervision of the Section Chief, Supervisory Dietitian (Chief of Nutrition and Food Services), who establishes objectives and department priorities. The incumbent completes assignments with relative independence and minimal guidance, sets deadlines, resolves most conflicts using judgment and interpretation, and is reviewed to ensure overall objectives are met. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is ad hoc; this is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• Be a United States citizen, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Be registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD), subject to the stated grandfathering provision.
• Have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level for GS-13.
• Demonstrate knowledge of business administration practices, including budget planning, contracting, and food and supply purchasing for successful food service program operations.
• Demonstrate written communication skills, including policy development and standard operating procedures.
• Demonstrate strategic planning skills to develop goals, objectives, and action plans.
• Demonstrate data analysis skills to monitor progress toward improving and sustaining outcomes.
• Demonstrate the ability to supervise subordinate staff by planning, organizing, delegating, directing, controlling, and reviewing activities and performance.
• Demonstrate the ability to negotiate.
• Be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements if male and born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete a background/security investigation and the required online onboarding process.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one-year or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Qualifying experience typically includes overseeing food service and production operations, advising staff and healthcare professionals, representing food operations on projects or committees, providing food service systems-specific leadership, and supervising subordinate staff.

Nice To Haves

• Food service management experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide food-operations-specific leadership and serve as a professional and technical advisor to staff and other healthcare professionals.
• Oversee human resources staffing, employee relations, and labor relations in Food Service Operations.
• Plan, direct, and assess the work and competence of subordinate staff using supervisory and personnel management authorities.
• Establish a training plan for the food operations section.
• Develop and lead food operations and establish strategic goals aligned with NFS, VISN, and national program priorities.
• Lead continuous quality improvement efforts in Food Service Operations.
• Identify and prioritize problems, set short- and long-term goals, develop action plans, and analyze data to evaluate progress and improve outcomes.
• Develop and update policies and procedures and establish and oversee systems for regulatory compliance.
• Coordinate food service policies and procedures with clinical nutrition management, nursing, and other services as applicable.
• Manage the budget and other resources, incorporating future trends, inflation, service opportunities, growth, efficiencies, and strategic efforts into resource requests.
• Direct staff in contract management, subsistence, and supply purchasing for NFS, and submit reports to the NFS Chief.
• Solicit support from or negotiate with facility managers to support the success of the food operations section.
• Work closely with Supervisory Dietitians to support the department, cover work within NFS, and execute departmental activities.
• Perform other related duties as assigned that are appropriate for the grade and assignment.

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package for employees and their families.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service experience, subject to approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed