This is the Chief of Nutrition and Food Service (N&F) for Albuquerque VA and have administrative and technical supervision over staff from both clinical nutrition and food operations and NFS administrative staff. They 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.

Duties

Duties 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 evaluate 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, 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 - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD99498S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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). Non-credentialed Dietitians must have fulfilled each of the following: Earned a bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent. Foreign Education: To be creditable, college and/or university degrees earned outside the U.S and its territories must be evaluated by ACEND and meet ACEND's International Dietitian Education standards which are designed to provide graduates with the knowledge and competencies to sit for the CDR credentialing exam. ~AND~ Completed an ACEND accredited experiential or supervised practice program and provide a verification statement from the program director that conveys eligibility to take the CDR registration exam as a prospective RDN. A list of ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory. 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: GS-14 Experience. Completion of 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled (GS-13), and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Employees at this level serve as the chief of NFS at VA medical centers that are Complexity Level 1 (high complexity) facilities, and which are affiliated, tertiary care health care systems. Service chiefs have full responsibility for managing and supervising all phases of NFS operations. The chief has the ultimate responsibility for the practice and provision of NFS. Service chiefs plan, develop, organize, direct, manage, supervise, control, implement and evaluate programs for the service. They have overall responsibility to ensure proper coordination between care delivered by NFS and the overall delivery of healthcare within the facility(ies). The chief is a member of the senior leadership team providing advice for integrated care programs for a diverse Veteran population with multiple diagnoses, and other needs. The chief is involved in management planning to achieve medical center, VISN, and national goals. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs and demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment-specific KSA designated by an asterisk1. Ability to perform, under administrative direction, with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, work of unusual difficulty and responsibility.2. Ability to plan and coordinate activities covering a broad range of nutrition and other programs.3. Ability to serve as a recognized expert to provide authoritative advice and coordination of nutrition care programs that may encompass multiple medical centers, including consolidated facilities or departments. Preferred Experience: Experience in at least one nutritional specialty discipline, i.e., renal, cardiology, diabetes, etc. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G20

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

ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory.

Contacts

• Address Raymond G Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast Albuquerque, NM 87108 US
• Name: Mark Van Huss
• Phone: (808) 336-1335
• Email: [email protected]