Supervisory Dietitian (Clinical Nutrition)

Veterans Health Administration•Chicago, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Supervisory Dietitian oversees the Clinical Nutrition Section of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS), providing administrative and technical supervision to staff at the GS-11 level and below and potentially supervising advanced practice and/or program coordinator dietitians. The position is responsible for clinical nutrition programming at the facility, community-based clinics, and in the local community. The incumbent serves as a professional and technical advisor to staff and other healthcare professionals, represents the section on department and facility projects, committees, and workgroups, and exercises supervisory and personnel-management authority to plan, direct, and assess subordinate staff work and competence. The role develops clinical operating procedures and guidelines, monitors compliance with regulatory standards and policies, and builds contingency plans to maintain operations during emergencies. It establishes and executes staff training based on evidence-based nutrition, ensures evidence-based guidelines are integrated into clinical practice, and supports Veteran education materials grounded in evidence-based guidelines, current literature, practice, and research. The incumbent leads performance-improvement efforts, uses quality-improvement data and plans to improve outcomes, and collaborates with food operations staff to connect clinical nutrition services with food services for Veterans. The position also identifies and prioritizes problems, sets short- and long-term goals, develops action plans, analyzes data to evaluate progress and recommend resource allocation, and updates policies and procedures and regulatory-compliance oversight systems. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Compressed or flexible scheduling is not authorized. Telework is ad hoc; the position is not virtual. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized. The position is permanent and in the Excepted Service. A one- or two-year trial period applies.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under applicable law.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Current Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
At least one year of experience as a Registered Dietitian or equivalent RDN experience at the next lower grade level (GS-11).
Experience providing Clinical Nutrition Section-specific leadership and exercising supervisory and personnel-management responsibilities.
Experience developing clinical operating procedures and guidelines and monitoring compliance with regulatory standards and policies and procedures.
Experience identifying and prioritizing problems, setting short- and long-term goals, and identifying action plans for the clinical section and nutrition programs.
Knowledge of clinical nutrition accrediting requirements to assess staff compliance and implement performance improvements.
Nutrition expertise and skill in providing technical guidance, direction, and staff development.
Skill in evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines to develop, implement, and coordinate best practices.
Skill in establishing goals and objectives, coordinating activities, evaluating accomplishments, and solving problems.
Ability to supervise subordinate staff by planning, organizing, delegating, directing, controlling, and reviewing activities and performance.
Ability to analyze data to recommend resource allocation.
Foreign degrees must be evaluated by ACEND and meet its International Dietitian Education standards to be creditable.
Must meet federal education recognition and accreditation requirements; foreign education used to qualify must be accompanied by a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript.
Must meet applicable background and security investigation requirements and complete online onboarding and pre-employment identification requirements.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
Must serve a one- or two-year trial period and receive written certification for continued employment after that period.

Responsibilities

Oversee the Clinical Nutrition Section and clinical nutrition programming at the facility, community-based clinics, and in the local community.
Provide professional and technical advice to staff and other healthcare professionals.
Represent the Clinical Nutrition Section on department and facility projects, committees, and workgroups.
Plan, direct, and assess subordinate staff work and competence, exercising supervisory and personnel-management authorities.
Develop clinical operating procedures and guidelines and monitor compliance with regulatory standards, policies, and procedures.
Build and implement contingency plans to ensure continuity of clinical operations during internal and external emergencies.
Establish and execute a staff training plan based on evidence-based nutrition and keep staff updated on advances and changes in medical nutrition therapy.
Integrate evidence-based guidelines into clinical practice and ensure Veteran education materials reflect evidence-based guidelines and current literature, practice, and research.
Lead clinical nutrition performance-improvement efforts and act on quality-improvement data and plans.
Collaborate with food operations or food service staff to connect clinical nutrition services with food services and enhance the Veteran dining experience.
Identify and prioritize problems, set short- and long-term goals, develop action plans, and analyze data to evaluate progress and improve outcomes.
Analyze operational data, including event capture and clinic utilization, to recommend allocation of clinical nutrition resources.
Develop and update policies and procedures and establish and oversee a system for regulatory compliance.
Perform other related duties as assigned.