Dietitian

Join the Indian Health Service as a Registered Dietitian and make an impact in Native communities through culturally centered nutrition care. Provide medical nutrition therapy, wellness education, and chronic disease prevention services while collaborating with an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Ideal for professionals committed to improving health outcomes and advancing health equity.

A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):

Applicants must meet ONE of the following requirements for all grade levels:

• Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in the fields of dietetics, food, nutrition, food service management, institution management, or related science. The educational program must have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. For dietitian positions, the curriculum must have been in accordance with the qualifying requirements established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) (formerly American Dietetic Association (ADA) prior to January 1, 2012) in effect at the time of graduation.
• Completion of a coordinated undergraduate program, internship, or other clinical component approved by AND (formerly ADA) for dietitians or nutritionists.
• Professional registration as a Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).

Note: Employees currently assigned to positions in this occupational series as of September 2017 will be considered to have met the basic requirements for the position occupied.

In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
GS-09:

• 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree; or,
• Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Applying the science of nutrition and applying the principles, practices and procedures to provide nutritional care to patients in a long-term care facilities, hospitals, community/public health facilities, nutrition programs, food and nutrition industry, sports nutrition, business and research; counseling on dietary plans based on patient's nutritional needs, assess patient's dietary habits and nutritional status to conform with physician's diet prescription and to develop a diet plan.

GS-11:

• 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or,
• Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Applying professional knowledge, concepts, principles and methodologies of the science of nutrition and applying the principles, practices and procedures to provide optimal nutrition care to patients according to established and specific procedures; planning, organizing, coordinating and evaluating nutrition programs; applying knowledge of medical practices, effects of medication and the effects of other treatment modalities that affect patient's diet, evaluate diet habits, etc. to counsel, teach and educate importance of quality food, physician's diet prescription to promote social and physical well-being of patients; served as a resource person on nutritional requirements and research related to diseases and prevention.

SELECTIVE FACTOR:

• Must possess and maintain current registration as a Registered Dietitian (RD) or a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with the Commission on Dietetic Registration from any State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States. (Must provide proof of a current registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration with your application.)

Time In Grade
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Responsibilities:

• Prepares nutrition care plans for each patient/family with short-term and long-term goals that are mutually developed and adopted.
• Provides counseling that is evidence based and patient focused and specifically relevant to the expressed needs of the patient
• Effectively educates the patient on culturally appropriate nutrition therapy.
• Evaluates patient information/data in order to identify their needs for specific interventions, services, and educational programs.
• Collaborates with the medical staff and other health care providers to ensure coordination with the overall care plan.
• Utilizes effective oral and written communication between patients, families, and members of the health care team.
• Develops, coordinates, and evaluates nutrition materials for patient use.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

Salary : $61,722