Summary This position is in the Nutrition and Food Service at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, NC. The Health Technician (Dietetic) provides administrative and customer service support for the hospital food service program. Responsibilities Major duties and responsibilities include: Handles patient meal service orders, and enters meal orders into Dietetics Software system Provides professional and courteous customer service via telephone, e-mail, and in-person Collaborates with Dietitians regarding Food/Drug Interactions, notifying clinical staff of potential issues with meal service and delivery Interprets and processes diet orders Prints, prepares, and reviews meal tickets Triages calls from inpatient units or outpatient clinics and procedure areas relating to patient meal trays or nourishments Retrieves computerized information/printouts to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery Provides basic-level education and information on therapeutic diets Correctly interprets diet activity and patient information, to ensure meals trays contain food items adhering to patient requests and preferences, and current therapeutic diet order Communicates patient concerns with registered dietitian or dietetic technician Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, tube feeding orders and nutritional supplements Uses a computer to record, retrieve and print recipes, menus, and inventory reports Performs other related duties as assigned DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Work Schedule: 5am - 1:30pm; 10: 30am-7:00pm;7:00am - 3:30pm ; 9:00am - 5:30pm. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99308S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: N/A Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Qualifications In order to qualify for Health Technician (Dietetic), GS-0640-5, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. GS-05 grade level: One 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, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes but are not limited to: Knowledge of computerized medical record and Nutrition and Food Services COTS Dietetics Software programs. Knowledge of computer operations and ability to use computer equipment, phone system and printers. Effective communication skills. Knowledge of tray assembly area procedures for set up, assembly, tray distribution and pick-up; and nourishment and tube feeding distribution, thorough knowledge and understanding of regular and all modified diets in order to ensure that Veterans are selecting food items that are in accordance of their prescribed diet, organizing work, analyzing data, and working under time constraints. OR/ Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. Successful completion of a full 4-year 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/ Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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. Additional Information Preferred Experience Training and or work experience with computers / Computrition and patient menu selections The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.