The primary purpose of the position is to provide administrative and customer service support for the VA hospital food service program. The incumbent performs routine duties that require exceptional customer service, computer skills, proper phone etiquette, proficiency in special food service and therapeutic diet procedures, a broad knowledge of routine modified diets, combination of diet modifications and knowledge of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Dietetics software and required functions.

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to; Operate one or more gasoline or diesel-powered motor vehicles equipped with hydraulic tailgates for the pickup and delivery of food, supplies, and equipment. Perform driving assignments on the grounds of all facilities and over Federal roads in all traffic and weather conditions. Load and unload food, supplies, and equipment and ensure that cargo is properly distributed and secured in the truck to prevent damage or loss while in transit. Check materials loaded or delivered against appropriate documents to prevent error and to certify the condition of the items and obtain signatures from receiving personnel. Ensure that quantities loaded are in accordance with requirements in order to prevent delays in meal service and eliminate the need for additional trips. Ensure that vehicle is not overloaded, that refrigeration is functioning properly, and that cargo is protected and handled in accordance with established standards of safety and sanitation. Responsible for maintaining vehicle, i.e., gasoline or diesel fuel, oil, cleanliness, etc., and report malfunctions or discrepancies to responsible staff. Observe sanitation and safety policies and procedures in transporting food supplies to ensure their integrity is not compromised. Has a broad knowledge of routing modified diets, combinations of diet modifications and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) dietetics software. Handles patient meal service orders in person or by phone. Interacts with Veterans, dietitians, nursing staff, and other medical center employees. Receives patient meal orders and preferences, meal and nourishment requests from nursing, clinical staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary team. Takes whatever action necessary, within authority, to maximize patient satisfaction with meal service. Completes select and non-select menus as required. Retrieves computerized information to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery. Provides education and information on local facility therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff. Assists patients in selection of the proper foods according to their individual diet. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Variable earliest 5 am and latest clock out 8 pm. Weekend and Holiday work is required. Rotating Days Off. The tour assigned is at the needs of the service. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99855A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: Routine work requires repetitive motion activities of the hands and fingers for extensive phone, keyboard and computer mouse use, standing and sitting for extended periods of time, intermittent/non-strenuous ambulation around all areas of the medical center, and carrying light items such as papers, books, portable scales, and food trays. Occasionally, duties may require the movement of audio-visual equipment and/or classroom area organization and driving an automobile. Must be able to reach, bend, turn and move hands, arms and feet and legs in order to operate hand and foot controls of motor vehicles. Frequently handles objects weighing up to 40 pounds and occasionally handle heavier objects while loading and unloading supplies and equipment. Work Environment: The majority of work is performed in an office setting or kitchen setting and involves everyday risks which require normal safety precautions typical of places such as kitchens, offices, meetings, training rooms, or libraries. The employee may, in certain instances, be exposed to contagious disease and interact with veterans who may have behavioral health issues. Work required to be performed in a kitchen setting may involve exposure to wet floors, and hazards of food processing and serving equipment.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Please clearly state your experience in resume. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for positions at GS-4 and above: Specialized experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. ~OR~ Education and Training: For GS-3: Six months of general experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area (i.e. nutrition, food service, etc.) of the occupation or Successful completion of l year of study that included study in medical, health, or related fields. For GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in subjects related to the position. For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. In addition to the IOR, applicants must meet the specialized experience/education and selective placement factor below: To qualify at the GS-3 level you must meet one of the following. Six (6) months of general experience. General experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area (i.e. nutrition, food service, etc.) of the occupation. Experience includes documenting dietary/nutrition information and updating patient records; knowledge of tray assembly area procedures; using dietetics software programs; following verbal and written instructions; and using computer equipment, phone system, and printers. This position requires effective communication skills both verbally and in writing and good customer service. General Experience is any type of work that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the position, or which provides a familiarity with the nutrition environment. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR; Successfully completed one (1) full year of education above high school level in subjects directly related to the position ((i.e. nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management, etc.). This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR; Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. To qualify at the GS-4 level you must meet one of the following. Six (6) months of general experience and six (6) months of specialized experience. General experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area (i.e. nutrition, food service, etc.) of the occupation. Specialized experience is defined as experience documenting dietary/nutrition information and updating patient records; knowledge of tray assembly area procedures; using dietetics software programs; following verbal and written instructions; and using computer equipment, phone system, and printers. This position requires effective communication skills both verbally and in writing and good customer service. General Experience is any type of work that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the position, or which provides a familiarity with the nutrition environment. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR; Successfully completed two (2) years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in subjects related to the position (i.e. nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management, etc.) This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR; Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. To qualify at the GS-5 level you must meet one of the following. I have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Health Technician (Dietetics).Specialized experience is defined as experience performing duties in food service in a hospital environment; knowledge of tray assembly area procedures; using dietetics software programs; familiarity with regular and modified diets; assisting with food selections; following verbal and written instructions; and using computer equipment, phone system, and printers. This position requires effective communication skills both verbally and in writing and good customer service. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR; A bachelor's degree or four (4) years of education above the high school level with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position ((i.e. nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management, etc.). This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR; Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:Computer SkillsCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Food ServicePatient Care Preferred Experience: Previous Food Service Experience in a Healthcare setting, Compnutrition Experience. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Contacts

• Address James H Quillen VA Medical Center Corner of Lamont Street and Veterans Way Mountain Home, TN 37684 US
• Name: Brent Clark
• Phone: 615-225-5456
• Email: [email protected]