Supervisory Dietitian (Chief of Nutrition and Food Service)

Summary

Chiefs of NFS provide leadership and guidance - with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment - to ensure the diverse activities of the department are closely coordinated - integrating clinical nutrition and food operations. They exercise a full range of supervisory and personnel management authorities and responsibilities in planning - directing - and assessing work of subordinate staff. Serve as the technical advisor and subject matter expert in nutrition and food operations.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• 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)
• English Language Proficiency: Dietitian candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C.
• 7403(f)
• Current VHA Dietitians that qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to a higher grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements
• Grade Determinations: Supervisory Dietitian (Chief - Nutrition and Food Services) - GS-13.Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of security measures within food operations to ensure patient and staff safety
• Knowledge of business administration to include budgeting - contracting and purchasing
• Knowledge of organizational structure to assess impact on program operations
• Skill in strategic planning to develop goals - objectives and action plans
• Skill in written communication to include policy development and standard operating procedures
• Skill in analyzing data to monitor progress towards improving and sustaining outcomes
• Ability to lead a group of professionals to facilitate collaboration - organizational development and establish and achieve strategic goals
• Ability to oversee the planning of new initiatives or projects addressing patient care delivery systems and system reorganizations
• Ability to supervise subordinate staff (i.e. - plan - organize - delegate - direct - control and review activities and performance)
• Ability to negotiate
• Assignment: For all supervisory assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - complexity - difficulty - variety and be performed by the incumbent as a major duty at least 25% of the time
• The incumbent must spend 25% or more of their time providing administrative and technical supervision over staff from both clinical nutrition and food operations sections - one of which may be a GS13 Dietitian and NFS administrative staff
• Supervisory Dietitians in this assignment serve as Chief of NFS
• Chief NFS provides leadership and guidance - with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment - to ensure the variety of activities of the department are closely coordinated - integrating clinical nutrition and food operations
• They exercise a full range of supervisory and personnel management authorities and responsibilities in planning - directing and assessing the work of subordinate staff
• Chief NFS establishes performance standards and evaluate overall performance of employees
• define competency requirements - identify developmental and training needs and take necessary actions to ensure subordinate personnel maintains and enhance technical and leadership expertise
• They serve as the technical advisor and subject matter experts in nutrition and food operations
• Chief NFS develops budget and staffing requirements to manage organizational changes and ensure national directives and goals/objectives are met
• They communicate and advocate with executive leadership for resources
• Chief NFS develops the NFS strategic plan - establishing service priorities that address the goals and strategic direction of the medical center - VISN and national programs
• They are responsible for developing and updating policies and procedures and establishing and overseeing a system for regulatory compliance
• Chief NFS establishes the department's organizational structure - defining the lines of authority essential to carry out the mission of the service
• They oversee planning new endeavors addressing patient care delivery systems and system reorganizations for new or redesigned operational space - equipment requirements - etc
• Chief NFS ensures adherence to the National Dietary Supplement and Subsistence Prime Vendor contracts
• They designate the Contracting Officer Representative to negotiate purchase agreements for NFS contracts
• Chief NFS actively supports - promotes and oversees the implementation of NFS initiatives at the facility level and engages other service chiefs as needed to ensure success
• They participate in VISN and National level NFS initiatives and are responsible for all action items for NFS
• Chief NFS evaluates overall NFS effectiveness through the review of operations - quality assurance - performance improvement and benchmarks - making decisions based on intricate and unrelated items of information from inconclusive or variable data
• They implement a performance improvement program to improve delivery of quality continually - safe and cost-effective food and nutrition care to all patients/residents - ensuring the dissemination of nutrition-related research and quality improvement within the department and facility
• Chief NFS directs resource distribution for food - supply and labor costs focusing on benchmarks - and delegating resource management to others as appropriate
• They lead efforts to provide food-forward - Veteran-centric dining options
• Chief NFS implements security measures in all NFS areas to protect against theft - reduce the risk of food terrorism and maintain Veteran and staff safety
• Preferred Experience: The incumbent is expected to complete work assignments with relative independence and minimal guidance - personally setting the deadlines for completion of work
• Assumes responsibility in work assignments in accordance with regulations and independently resolves most conflicts by using considerable judgment and interpretation
• Master's degree preferred
• Experience with supervision preferred
• Experience in both food operations and clinical nutrition preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019 - updated on 4/17/2026.
  
  

Duties

• Duties will include - but are not limited to: Oversees all human resource functions for the department
• Holds staff accountable for performance and conduct
• Establishes performance standards and evaluates overall performance of employees
• Defines competency requirements - identifies developmental and training needs - and takes necessary actions to ensure subordinate personnel maintain and enhance technical and leadership expertise
• Develops budget and staffing requirements to manage organizational changes and ensure national directives and goals/objectives are met
• Communicates and advocates with executive leadership for resources
• Develops the NFS strategic plan - establishing service priorities which address the goals and strategic direction of the medical center - VISN and national programs
• Implements a performance improvement program to continually improve delivery of quality - safe and cost-effective food and nutrition care to all patients/residents
• Develops and updates policies and procedures and establishes and oversees a system for regulatory compliance
• Ensures NFS compliance with accrediting bodies - standards - and action items
• Establishes the department organizational structure - defining the lines of authority essential to carry out the mission of the service
• Responsible for accomplishing priorities and ensuring compliance with VHA directives and medical center policy and procedures
• Oversees the planning of new endeavors addressing patient care delivery systems and system reorganizations for new or redesigned operational space - equipment requirements - etc
• Ensures adherence to the National Dietary Supplement and Subsistence Prime Vendor contracts
• Designates the Contracting Officer Representative to negotiate purchase agreements for NFS contracts
• Implements security measures in all NFS areas to protect against theft - reduce the risk of food terrorism and maintain Veteran and staff safety
• Ensures the dissemination of nutrition related research and quality improvement within the department and facility
• Directs resource distribution for food - supply and labor costs focusing on benchmarks - delegating resource management to others as appropriate May perform other related duties which are appropriate for this grade and assignment
• Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 7:30am-4:30pm
• Telework: Available (Inclement weather only) Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: PD99499S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.