Supervisory Dietitian

The Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) is a consolidated health care system that includes VA Medical Centers in Montgomery and Tuskegee Alabama as well as Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Dothan, Ft. Rucker, and Monroeville, Alabama, Fort Benning and Columbus, Georgia and the Montgomery VA Clinic.

Supervisory Dietitians in this assignment serve as Chief of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) for a complex department and have administrative and technical supervision over GS-13 level staff from both clinical nutrition and food operations and NFS administrative staff. Chiefs of NFS 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.

Major 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 endeavours 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.