Summary
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- 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.
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- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
- 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
- Computer Skills
- Customer Service
- Food Service
- Patient Care
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- Cover Letter
- DD\-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1\)
- PCS Orders
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF\-15
- SF\-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
- Resume
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- 0640 Health Aid And Technician
- Suitability/Fitness
This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service (N\&FS) of the VA Medical Center in Buffalo NY serving as a Health Technician (Dietetic) \- Dietary Clerk, providing administrative and customer service support for the VA hospital food service program.
Learn more about this agency
This job is open to
### The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
### Clarification from the agency
ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct\-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337\.201\) for this occupation.
Duties
Major duties and responsibilities will include:
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: Intermittent; 3:00pm\-7:00pm including nights and weekends (subject to change)
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD\#: Health Technician (Dietetic) \- Dietary Clerk/PD99855A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Requirements
### Conditions of employment
### Conditions of Employment
### Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/10/2026\. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS\-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: entering patient food preferences into computer system; running tally guides, production reports, nourishment labels and tube feeding reports; processing new admissions; providing information on meal service and menus; making appropriate adjustments to patient diet patterns and taking corrective action when needed; verifying the physician's diet order.
OR,
Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully 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.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
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: This work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals. NCC Associate function 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, 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.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/.
### Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition\-of\-foreign\-qualifications/.
### Additional information
Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.
During the application process you may have an option to opt\-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health\-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193\.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID\-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID\-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
========
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full\-time, part\-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.
Required Documents
Documents Accepted:
Documents Required:
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.
Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF\-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct\-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
### If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/10/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12924848\.
1\. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2\. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re\-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
### Agency contact information
Christina Morel
Phone
845\-831\-2000 X215041
christina.morel1@va.gov
Address
VA Western New York Healthcare System
3495 Bailey Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14215
US### Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
Overview
Accepting applications
Open \& closing dates
03/30/2026 to 04/10/2026
Salary
$48,820 \- $63,466 per year
Pay scale \& grade
GS 5
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Buffalo, NY
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Intermittent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
5
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non\-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBTE\-12924848\-26\-CM
Control number
863060100