This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Nutrition and Food Services is responsible for providing meals and nutritional care to Veteran patients at the Medical Center. The primary purpose of the Cook, WG-4, is to prepare nutritious, high-quality meals for service to the Veterans. The position has a sequence of steps that require attention to work operations, sanitation, and safety; work assignments may require knowledge and judgment.

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Prepares and cooks meals that require little or no processing, such as hot cereals, concentrated or dehydrated soups, sauces, and gravies.
• Follows menus, production sheets, and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed.
• Grills eggs, meat patties, pancakes, French toast; broils meats; makes cold sandwich fillings and assembles a variety of sandwiches.
• Prepares fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables; bakes frozen potatoes, pre-made cookie dough, and muffin batters.
• Prepares and heats convenience items such as frozen hash browns, fish fillets, and chicken nuggets; prepares puréed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners.
• Washes, peels, and cuts fruits and vegetables; assembles and mixes salad ingredients and dessert items, including gelatin molds and fruit crisps.
• Weighs, measures, and assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets.
• Operates a variety of kitchen equipment and follows appropriate safety procedures.
• Follows sanitary food handling procedures.
• Disassembles and reassembles equipment for cleaning.
• Cleans and sanitizes work areas, and performs deep cleaning tasks when needed.
• Operates dish machine.
• Performs other related duties.

Work Schedule: 5:30a-2p, 11a-7:30p, 9a-5:30p, Rotating Holidays/Weekends

Position Description Title/PD#: CookPD99819A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation.
• May serve a probationary period.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

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 online 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

• Federal Employees earn annual leave based on years of service.
• Credit for job-related non-federal experience or active duty military service for annual leave determination.
• Full vaccination against COVID-19 is required, with accommodations available.

• Experience in preparing and cooking a variety of meals.
• Knowledge of sanitary food handling procedures.
• Ability to operate kitchen equipment safely.
• Strong attention to work operations, sanitation, and safety.