Health Technician (Dietetic)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs invites applications for a Health Technician (Dietetic) at the San Diego VA Medical Center. This role supports the Nutrition and Food Service, serving as NCC Ambassador, handling patient meal service orders, education, and clerical duties.

Responsibilities include assisting with diet modifications, coordinating with clinicians, and maintaining accurate records to ensure high-quality patient meals and service excellence.

Qualifications

• Possess technician experience applying knowledge, methods and techniques of the position.
• Specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 level in Federal service.
• Education can substitute for experience for GS-05; a full 4-year degree with relevant coursework is required.

Responsibilities

• Route modified diets using nutrition software and assist with tray assembly.
• Take patient meal orders in person or by phone and document preferences.
• Interact with Veterans, dietitians, nursing staff and other center personnel.
• Educate patients on local facility therapeutic diets and food selections.
• Perform clerical and administrative tasks to support the service.

Skills

Communication skills

Public relations

Organize work

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Phone and in-person service

Education

Bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours in related subjects

Tools

Dietetics software

Job description

Summary

This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service (N&FS) of the San Diego VA Medical Center in serving as a Nutrition Communication Center (NCC) Ambassador - 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 - 10/16/2026. This position has an Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR) - you must meet the following: Possess technician experience that requires application of knowledge - methods - and techniques of the position to be filled. (This position is part of the series that range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists - speech pathologists - medical officers - and optometrists. In addition to meeting the IOR above - you must meet the experience/education as described below: GS-05 grade level: One (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge - skills - and abilities to successfully perform the duties to perform the duties of the position to be filled. 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. To be creditable - specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Computerized medical record and Nutrition and Food Services COTS Dietetics Software programs. Communicate effectively - both orally and in writing - in person and via telephone with people from a wide variety of backgrounds while maintaining good public relations and high level of customer service. Computer operations and ability to use computer equipment - phone system and printers. Knowledge of tray assembly area procedures for set up - assembly - tray distribution and pick-up; and nourishment and tube feeding distribution. Organize work - analyze data - and work under time constraints. OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. To qualify - must have completed 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 - only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e. - beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. 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

• Major duties and responsibilities will include: Has a broad knowledge of routing modified diets - combinations of diet modifications and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) dietetics software Handles patient meal service orders in person or by phone Interacts with Veterans - dietitians - nursing staff - and other medical center employees Receives patient meal orders and preferences - meal and nourishment requests from nursing - clinical staff - and other members of the interdisciplinary team Takes whatever action necessary - within authority - to maximize patient satisfaction with meal service Completes select and non-select menus as required 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 education and information on local facility therapeutic diets to patients - guests - and nursing staff Assists patients in selection of the proper foods according to their individual diet Performs clerical and administrative duties in support of the service 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: None Work Schedule: 7am-7pm-Intermittent - Work hours will vary based on the needs of the service
• There is no guaranteed number of hours per week
• Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available .Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99855S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Physical requirements: This work requires walking - standing - bending - lifting and carrying of light items - such as food trays - instruction materials - books - and manuals
• NCC Associate functions require 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 - and writing
• 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 - and walking and frequent stooping - reaching - pushing - pulling - and bending
• Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds and pushing loaded carts of trays and/or nourishments