The incumbent will serve as a Health Technician (Dietetic) in the Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) at Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Spokane, Washington.

Duties

Practice excellent customer service skills in all forms of communication, either via telephone, e-mail or in-person. Be pleasant, friendly, personable, and professional when communicating with customers. Maintain the vital connection between Nutrition Communication Center (NCC) Associates, Registered Dietitian, higher graded dietetic technicians, food service staff, Nursing, patients and guests. Retrieve computerized information or printouts to assist with tray or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery. Assist patients in selection of the proper foods according to their individual diet. Participate in Patient Satisfaction Survey process, from collection of data to making corrective actions based on results. Generate the appropriate paper tickets for each meal service and complete all tickets for all modified diet combinations as part of the facility's contingency plan. Advise food service supervisors or food production chief of any special orders or changes needed that may impact food production, including instances when substitutions are needed due to food preferences. Determine the types and quantity of nourishments to prepare by reading worksheets. Be responsible for retrieving meal trays from patient's bedside after meals and returning trays to dish room for cleaning. Work Schedule: Various 8 hour tours from 0500-1830. Work schedule will be discussed during the interview. Telework: Ad-hoc. Recruitment Incentive: Authorized for eligible applicants Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99856S and PD99855S Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting, and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds and pushing loaded carts of trays and/or nourishments; may be necessary to lift and/or push equipment. Requires long periods of sitting and moving about in an office environment, including repetitive motion activities of the hands and fingers for extensive keyboard and computer mouse use, and office tasks such as answering and holding a telephone phone, and writing. The work may require walking indoors, outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center; may be subject to periods of continuous standing, sitting, walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Work is performed in a hospital and involves some exposure to contagious diseases. Standard precautions may necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in situations of potential exposure. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. The full-performance level of this position is GS-05.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/24/2024. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: GS-4: General Experience: You must have 6 months of General experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-03 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. General experience includes documenting dietary or nutrition information, updating patient records, procedures for tray assembly area, use of dietetics software programs; following verbal and written instructions; and using computer equipment, phone system, and printers. GS-5: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes providing administrative and customer service support for the food service program within a medical center that require exceptional customer service, computer skills, proper phone etiquette, proficiency in special food service and therapeutic diet procedures, with a broad knowledge of routine modified diets, combinations of diet modifications and knowledge of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Dietetics software. 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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer SkillsCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Food ServicePatient Care Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. 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

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

GS-4: Education (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Successful completion of two (2) years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in subjects related to the position (such as: nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management). 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
Combination(TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): An equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience, as listed above in the A. Specialized Experience and B. Education.

GS-5: Education (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): 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 (such as: nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management). 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. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
OR
Combination (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): An 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. NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required.

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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 4815 North Assembly Street Spokane, WA 99205 US
• Name: Tami Sweet
• Phone: 916-213-9783
• Email: [email protected]