Food Service Worker

Food Service Worker

This position is a open continuous announcement supporting Nutrition and Food Services, located at either Jefferson Barracks or John Cochran VA Facilities in St Louis, MO. The incumbent will perform tasks with several steps or a sequence of tasks that requires attention to work operations, follow set procedures in accomplishing repetitive assignments and follow an established sequence of work. They can work in one or more functional areas of the kitchen.

Responsibilities include:

• Setting up assigned station with the correct supplies and food items
• Serving food cafeteria style by placing uniform portions of food on customers'/patients'/residents' plates
• Breaking down and cleaning the station when assigned
• Setting up dining room tables for service, placing food and beverages on tables, and replenishing items as necessary
• Returning soiled trays and dishes to the dish room
• Delivering meal trays to the patients' bedsides and reporting the patients' comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian
• Preparing beverages according to the number of servings required
• Preparing fresh fruit/cold salads/dressings/sandwich fillings and cold sandwiches and simple cold desserts in specified quantities
• Sorting, washing, peeling and cutting cold foods using knives or other equipment
• Providing assistance to cooks in the food preparation area, such as weigh, measure and assemble ingredients according to standardized recipes
• Operating and breaking down and cleaning all equipment assigned to food service and related areas
• Portioning food items into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and specified dishware
• Preparing boxed/to go meals
• Selecting and placing correct items on patient trays
• Reading and interpreting a regular or modified menu, individual diet cards, tray tickets or patient selections
• Identifying obvious discrepancies between the prescribed diets and the food items designated by the menu
• Deciding what food items to serve for the most common diets
• Performing heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas
• Separating food waste, trash/recyclables from dishes, glasses and silverware
• Unloading food/tray delivery carts
• Storing sanitized dishes, glasses and silverware
• Scraping, soaking, scouring, and scrubbing cookware and utensils
• Moving garbage cans when collecting and transferring trash from the work area to the disposal area
• Other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center

Work Schedule: located at Jefferson Barracks, St Louis, MO Mon-Fri 630-1500 or 1130-2000, rotating weekends and holidays. located at John Cochran, St Louis, MO Mon-Fri 630-1500 or 1130-2000, rotating weekends and holidays.

Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/PD99920S

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. Performs work requiring light to moderate physical. 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.

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.

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.