Summary The VA Northern Arizona Health Care System is seeking a dynamic Dietitian(Facility Program Coordinator) to join our Nutrition and Food service team! Dietitians in this assignment are administratively responsible for a specialty program and provide program-specific leadership, guidance and direction, technical advice, and staff development. Facility Program Coordinators have oversight responsibilities for program, policy, and procedure development, set goals, monitor and redefine priorities.
Duties 30 Day Hiring Model
The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination, faster assessments, and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent, predictable, and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty.
What Applicants Can Expect
- Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes, Human Resources will quickly review applications, issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration.
- Quick Interviews & References
HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager.
- Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 3 days of the offer.
- Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions.
After meeting pre-employment requirements, candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting, with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service. If selected, applicants should be prepared to come onboard within 30 days of the announcement closing.
Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- Manages all aspects of the program for the facility, assuring local compliance with national policy and direction.
- Coordinates with the multidisciplinary team to develop local goals. Measures progress toward the goals and reports to the appropriate officials at a local, VISN and national level.
- Plans, directs, and assesses the work of subordinate staff.
- Establishes performance standards.
- Evaluates the overall performance of employees.
- Develops and evaluates the competence of subordinate staff, maintaining records as defined by the agency.
- Takes steps necessary to ensure subordinate personnel maintain their technical competence.
- Provides direct patient care by developing and implementing comprehensive nutrition therapy, practicing within their scope/clinical privileges.
- Assures proper coordination of care for Veterans enrolled in the program.
- Serves as the professional and technical advisor for their program.
- Promotes and maintains effective working relationships with all faculty and significant parties at the national, state, and local level.
- Directs or participates in the design of studies, collect data, conduct statistical analysis, interpret findings, and translate results into written and oral communications.
- Sets priorities, delegates tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions.
- Serves as a consultant and technical advisor within nutrition and food services and with other facility health care staff in evaluating health care delivery to Veterans and employees.
- Determines the continuing education needs of program staff and appropriate resources to meet those needs.
- Oversees all aspects for the program, policy, and procedure development.
- Oversees development and maintenance of training and reference materials.
- Establishes and manages program goals and objectives.
- Plans and administers a program, coordinates associated activities and resources, evaluate program accomplishments, redefines priorities, problem solves, and modifies objectives.
- Formulates the annual budget taking into consideration staffing, supplies, and equipment needs.
- Determines staffing needs and request new FTEE for the overall management of organizational changes.
- Ensures multi-year and long-range national mission directives and program goals/objectives are met.
- Maintains program information through approved social media outlets.
- May perform other duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Not Available.
Alternate Work Schedule: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD00000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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.
- Registration: 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). Note: Applicants who hold the RDN credential have met the education requirement (e.g. bachelor's degree or higher) of CDR, as such this occupation is considered professional and scientific with a positive education requirement and the procedures in Part I, Chapter 4 of VA HANDBOOK 5005/154 will be followed when applying Veteran's preference.
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: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must possess the following grade requirements.
Dietitian (Facility Program Coordinator):Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11).
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of program administration to establish and modify program goals and objectives, coordinate activities, evaluate accomplishments and solve problems.
- Skill in developing quality improvement or research activities.
- Skill in developing training and reference materials.
- Ability to supervise subordinate staff (i.e., plan, organize, delegate, direct, control and review activities and performance).
- Ability to develop policies and procedures.
- Ability to provide program-specific coordination to include leadership, technical advice and staff development.
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 at the GS-11 or above. Dietitians in this assignment serve as a Dietitian Program Coordinator at a facility and report to a GS 13 or above. Dietitian Program Coordinators lead a multi disciplinary team. Dietitian Program Coordinators provide program-specific leadership and exercise a full range of supervisory and personnel management authorities and responsibilities in planning, directing and assessing the work of subordinate staff. They establish performance standards and evaluate the overall performance of employees; define competency requirements, identify developmental and training needs and take necessary actions to ensure subordinate personnel maintains and enhance technical expertise. Dietitian Program Coordinators formulate budget and staffing requirements in managing organizational changes and ensuring multi-year and long-range national mission directives and program goals/objectives are met. They are administratively responsible for a specialty program. Dietitian Program Coordinators may provide direct patient care as they develop and implement comprehensive nutrition therapy, practicing within their scope/clinical privileges. They provide program-specific guidance and direction and technical advice and staff development. Dietitian Program Coordinators have oversight responsibilities for program and policy and procedure development, set goals and monitor and redefine priorities and may have an active role in fiscal management for the program. They direct or participate in designing clinical research activities or quality improvement studies, including data collection and analysis. Dietitian Program Coordinators oversee and are responsible for developing and maintaining training and reference materials. They maintain program information through approved social media outlets.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.Education ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory.
Requirements
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.How you will be evaluated IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
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.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.How to apply All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/06/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13100865.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. Other information Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.