REG DIETETIC TCHN (Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR))

Job Summary

The Metabolic Kitchen and Human Feeding Laboratory (MK&HFL) plans, designs, produces, delivers, monitors, and documents nutrient-controlled meals and/or dietary vectors for human feeding studies with accuracy and precision. Several features of the MK&HFL make it similar to yet distinguished from typical analytical laboratories and food service operations. One feature of the MK&HFL that makes it unique from the other analytical laboratories is the provision of safe food specimens to human study participants; these specimens are eaten by study participants in attempt to measure the true biological effects in humans. A feature that makes it unique from traditional food service operations is the strict measurement, control, and documentation of food composition and intake by study participants. One feature that makes it unique from both analytical laboratories and traditional food service operations is the education and counseling of study participants that is essential to the implementation of feeding studies (e.g., behavior change, weight-loss, feeding study procedures, food safety, etc.).
The design of food specimens for controlled feeding studies as well as the education and counseling materials is governed by several conditions: food specimens must be produced, stored, and delivered while remaining safe for human consumption; they must be designed to minimize burden on the study participants; they must address the research questions as defined by the principal investigators; their design must take into consideration the wide range of sensory, cultural, and psychological preferences that affect food intake in order to maximize adherence; they must be produced within budgetary constraints; they must be produced and stored in ways to preserve nutritional composition and safety (e.g., applying food-grade nitrogen gas to expel ambient air when packaging polyphenol-rich food specimens); and their design, procurement, production, storage, intake, and residuals must be documented at all stages of development and production.
The workflow is dependent primarily on participant enrollment in active studies with limited budgets; no revenue from sales is generated to offset costs. Given the assortment of skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs) that are needed to staff the MK&HFL, qualified staff must have a diverse academic and/or employment history background—food service worker, laboratory technician, educator and counselor, and data processor—while maintaining and developing new SKAs as study demands change. Registered Dietetic Technicians (DTR) have the academic training that addresses all of the SKAs needed to conduct human feeding studies; they are credentialed through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), an affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Key skills of a DTR include problem-solving, listening, critical thinking, communication, interpersonal skills, and teaching. Required coursework for the Clinical Nutrition majors include English, communication, chemistry (general and organic), biochemistry, economics, psychology, statistics, food science technology, management theory and principle (including food service management), microbiology, human physiology, pathophysiology, medical nutrition therapy, and either anthropology or sociology; analytical laboratory experience is included with general and organic chemistry, biology, physiology, and food science technology.
In summary, the DTR has the skillset to serve as an assistant to the Registered Dietitian (RD). Current DTRs have a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, which prepares them for the scientific rigor of planning, designing, producing, delivering, monitoring, and documenting controlled human feeding studies.

Position Information

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco free campus effective January 1, 2014. Smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes) will be strictly prohibited on any UC Davis owned or leased property, indoors and outdoors, including parking lots and residential space.

https://ucdavispolicy.ellucid.com/documents/view/271

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

Additional Minimum License/Certification

• Registration as a Dietetic Technician through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

Minimum Education/Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics (or equivalent)

• Previous paid employment involving food service, such as food production in a research metabolic kitchen.

Preferred:

Additional Preferred License/Certification

• Current ServSafe®  certification

Preferred Education/Experience

• At least 1,040 hours (0.5 FTE) paid employment involving research food production in a metabolic kitchen

• Professional experience working with dietary data and nutrition databases.

• Having attended training in use of the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR)  through the Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) , University of Minnesota.

• Experience working with the USDA Food Composition Database (FoodData Central) , the Food and Nutrition Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) , the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour recall (ASA24)  system, the USDA Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) , and other tools of dietary calculations and assessment.

• Experience working with Viocare’s ProNutra  software

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA)

• Level 3 proficiency(Intermediate) in Microsoft Word and Excel

• Level 2 proficiency (Proficient) in Microsoft PowerPoint and Access

• Level 1 proficiency (Basic) in Outlook, Publisher, and other computer and web-based software applications

• Level 3 Proficiency (Intermediate) in Computer Programming

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Background Check

This position is a critical position and subject to a background check. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of background investigation including criminal history and identity checks. 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

At UC Davis, we’re solving life’s most urgent challenges to bring a fuller, healthier, and more resilient world within reach. We grow from every challenge we take on and we don’t just maintain - we improve. We recognize that creating an inclusive and intellectually vibrant organization means understanding and valuing both our individual differences and our common ground. The most comprehensive solutions come from the most diverse minds, and you belong here. As you consider joining UC Davis, please explore our Principles of Community , our Clinical Strategic Plan and strategic vision for research and education, and our latest efforts to outgrow the expected . The University of California, Davis is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. 

For the University of California’s Affirmative Action Policy please visit:  https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20 .  

For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination .