Summary

This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service (N&FS) of the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City - Utah - serving as a Nutrition Communication Center (NCC) Associate - providing administrative and customer service support for the VA hospital food service program.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 05/22/2026. English Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. Health Aid and Technician Series - 0640 Individual Occupational Requirements: Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists - speech pathologists - medical officers - and optometrists. Therefore - technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge - methods - and techniques of the position to be filled. OR - Education and Training: For GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in subjects related to the position. For GS-5: 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: To qualify for this position at the GS-4 level - you must meet one of the following: EXPERIENCE: At least six (6) months of general experience. General experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position - or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area (i.e. nutrition - food service - etc.) of the occupation. ~OR~ EDUCATION: Successful completion of one (1) full year of education above high school level that included study in medical - health - or related fields. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school - junior college - college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION: Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education and general experience - as listed above. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. To qualify for this position at the GS-5 grade level - you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge - skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of this Health Technician (Dietetic) position. Specialized experience includes performing duties in food service in a hospital environment; knowledge of tray assembly area procedures; using dietetics software programs; familiarity with regular and modified diets; assisting with food selections; following verbal and written instructions; and using computer equipment - phone system - and printers. This position requires effective communication skills both verbally and in writing and good customer service. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. ~OR~ Education: A bachelor's degree or four (4) years of education above the high school level with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to 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 business or technical school - junior college - college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: An equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience - as described above - which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business - secretarial or technical school - junior college - college or university. NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Food Service-Knowledge of preparing and serving food for consumption Patient Care- Knowledge of direct patient care techniques - including activities of daily living (ADLs) - ambulating patients - infection control - and emergency response - uses appropriate safety precautions. Customer Service- Works and communicates with clients and customers e.g. - any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit provides - including individuals who work in your agency or in other agencies or organizations outside the Government - to satisfy their expectations. Committed to quality services. Computer Skills- Uses computer - software applications - databases and automated systems to accomplish work. 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/.

Duties

• Duties include - but are not limited to: 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 members of the interdisciplinary team 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 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
• Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory - qualification - and performance requirements are met
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level
• Work Schedule: Variable workdays - including weekends and holidays
• Shifts either 5:30am-2:00pm or 11:00am-730pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99855S and PD99601S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Demands and Work Environment: The work requires walking - standing - bending - lifting - and carrying of light items - such as food trays - instruction materials - books - and manuals
• Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds and pushing loaded carts of trays and/or nourishments
• may be necessary to lift and/or push equipment
• 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 computer mouse use - and office tasks such as answering and holding a telephone phone - and writing
• The work may require walking indoors - outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center
• may be subject to periods of continuous standing - sitting - walking and frequent stooping - reaching - pushing - pulling - and bending
• Work is performed in a hospital and involves some exposure to contagious diseases
• Standard precautions may necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in situations of potential exposure.