Health Technician (Dietetic)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/21/2024. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal Service; experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA’s) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position at the GS-05 grade level. This experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level in Federal Service. Examples of Specialized Experience includes but is not limited to: Experience in selecting regular and modified diets in order to ensure that patients are selecting food items that are in accordance of their prescribed diet; working with patients, and/or, customers to assess their nutrition needs, provide information or assistance; use computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work. {OR}, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed 4 years 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. {OR}, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as listed above. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of 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 college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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. 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. Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals. 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 computers mouse use. The work may require walking indoors, outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center. It may be necessary to lift and/or push equipment. Incumbent is subject to periods of continuous standing, sitting, walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds. 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/.
The Health Technician (Dietetic) is assigned to Nutrition & Food Service located in Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System at Tucson, AZ. The Technician 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, combinations of diet modifications and knowledge of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Dietetics software and required functions.