Summary

This Food Service Worker position is located within the Nutrition & Food Service at the VA Medical Center in Salem - VA.

Qualifications

PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK CONDITIONS: 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 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. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position - the job element method is used to match what you - the applicant - can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge - skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge - skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required - your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: 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 IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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.

Duties

• Major duties and responsibilities include (but are not limited to): Cleans serving areas by sweeping and mopping floors - cleaning/sanitizing work surfaces - and other food service equipment - such as refrigerators - toaster - and coffee machines
• Cleans production equipment including steam jacketed kettles - tilt skillets - etc
• using appropriate and safe sanitation techniques
• Loads and operates dishwashers and cart washing station
• Performs necessary preventative maintenance on equipment
• Transports tray carts to wards and individually delivers trays directly to the patient's bedside or assists patients with transport of their meal trays
• Sets-up serving areas with hot and cold foods - keeping foods appropriately stocked during meal service
• Identifies discrepancies between the prescribed diet and/or listed food allergies and the food items listed on the tray ticket
• Assembles a variety of items while working in cold food preparation and nourishment area
• Make cold sandwiches using prepared ingredients
• Performing other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 6:00am-2:30pm or 11:00am-7:30pm with rotating days off
• Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved