Food Service Worker

Food Service Worker

This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System. The person in this position prepares nutritious, high quality meals for service to the Veterans.

Major duties and responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Knowledge of the temperature range where the potential of bacterial growth in food is greatest and the requirement to keep hot food in heated holding equipment or immediately refrigerate.
• Break down and clean the station when assigned.
• Set up dining room tables for service, place food and beverages on tables, and replenish items as necessary.
• Deliver meal trays to the patients' bedsides and report the patients' comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian.
• Prepare fresh fruit/cold salads/dressings/sandwich fillings and cold sandwiches and simple cold desserts in specified quantities.
• Provide assistance to cooks in the food preparation area, such as weigh, measure and assemble ingredients according to standardized recipes.
• Make final check of diet trays assembled by lower grade workers for completeness, correct food temperatures.
• Ability to read and understand diet cards when working on the tray assembly line.
• Knowledge of color codes that signify regular or modified diets and special diet card notations.
• Sterilize equipment and sanitize work areas.
• Ability to apply a thorough knowledge of basic modified diets when providing the final check on patient trays to verify that the food items are correct for the prescribed diet.
• Follow directions in assembling, measuring, weighing, or mixing ingredients for basic formulas and supplemental feedings following standardized recipes and using sanitary techniques.
• Working knowledge of some diet principles, such as carbohydrate counting and fluid restriction for meal planning.
• Ability to use a computer to enter and retrieve basic information, such as diet orders or recipe, menu and inventory data.
• Ability to carry out the function of a small work unit.
• Interpersonal skills to be able to interact appropriately with Veterans, visitors, coworkers, supervisors, and other medical center personnel.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Varies

Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/PD99836S

Physical Requirements: Requiring light to moderate physical effort. They 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. They are subject to continuous standing and walking, and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. They frequently lift or move objects weighing up to 20 pounds unassisted and occasionally lift or move objects weighing more than 40 pounds with the assistance of others.

Work Conditions: The work is performed in kitchen areas where the steam and heat from cooking and dishwashing equipment often cause uncomfortably high temperatures and humidity. The work area is well-lighted but usually noisy from food service activities, and there is danger of slipping on floors where food or beverages have been dropped. Food service workers are regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot working surfaces, and extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigeration or freezing units.

Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation All 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. Selective Services Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements. Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.