The New Mexico VA Healthcare Network is recruiting for a Food Service Worker assigned to the Nutrition and Food Services. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until February 3, 2025. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be December 30, 2024. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. 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 eligible are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Ability to Do the Work of the Position without More Than Normal Supervision Dexterity and Safety Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment 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. Working 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. ["Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Set up and break down assigned station with the correct supplies and food items. Portion food items into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and specified dishware. Select and place correct items on patient trays. Decide what food items to serve for the most common diets. Identify obvious discrepancies between the prescribed diets and the food items designated by the menu. 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; reporting the patients' comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian. Provide assistance to cooks in the food preparation area, such as weigh, measure and assemble ingredients according to standardized recipes. Prepare fresh fruit/cold salads/dressings/sandwich fillings and cold sandwiches and simple cold desserts. Read and interpret regular or modified menus, individual diet cards, tray tickets or patient selections. Perform heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas. Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 6:30am to 10:30 am or 3:30pm to 7:30pm; variable days including holidays and weekends. Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/PD99920S Physical Requirements: Food Service Workers perform work 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. May be required to work on ladders and use powered cleaning equipment. 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."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.