Food Service Worker

Food Service Worker

This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Wage Grade 4 food Service Workers perform tasks with several steps or sequences of tasks that requires attention to work operations. Responsibilities include:

• Preparing and cooking meals that require little or no processing, such as hot cereals, concentrated or dehydrated soups, sauces, and gravies
• Following menus, production sheets, and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed
• Grilling eggs, meat patties, pancakes, French toast; broiling meats; making cold sandwich fillings and assembling a variety of sandwiches
• Preparing fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables; baking frozen potatoes, pre-made cookie dough, and muffin batters
• Preparing and heating convenience items such as frozen hash browns, fish fillets, and chicken nuggets; preparing pureed foods and adjusting consistency with thickeners
• Washing, peeling, and cutting fruits and vegetables; assembling and mixing salad ingredients and dessert items, including gelatin molds and fruit crisps
• Weighing, measuring, and assembling ingredients for regular and modified diets
• Operating a variety of kitchen equipment and following appropriate safety procedures
• Following sanitary food handling procedures
• Disassembling and reassembling equipment for cleaning
• Cleaning and sanitizing work areas, and performing deep cleaning tasks when needed
• Operating dish machines

Work Schedule: 3 week cycle with rotating days including weekends and holidays.

Position Description Title/PD#: FOOD SERVICE WORKER WG-7408-04 / 99836-S

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Physical Requirements: Work is performed in kitchen areas where the steam and heat from cooking and dishwashing equipment often cause uncomfortably high temperatures and humidity. Food service workers are regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot working surfaces and extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigeration units. Performs work requiring light to moderate physical effort. May be required to perform heavy work, such as scouring and scrubbing large size cooking utensils and pushing heavy carts and trucks in unloading, storing, and delivering supplies. Subject to continuous standing and walking, and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds unassisted and occasionally lift or move objects weighing more than 40 pounds with the assistance of others.

Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Experience: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards.

Screen-Out Element: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Dexterity and Safety Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision Work Practices 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.

Education Additional Information: 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.

Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides 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 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.