Summary This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Services within the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration. The primary purpose of this position is to perform and lead employees in food service operations including food handling, preparation, storage and delivery. Responsibilities Major duties include but not limited to: Leads the activities of the production and service areas Reviews daily work assignments and makes adjustments accordingly Communicates instructions and information to employees concerning work to be accomplished Relays any problems and/or events to supervisors and managers Provides on the job training to lower graded food service workers and documents training Completes safety and sanitation inspection checks Ensures food production and service areas are properly set up Performs final check of trays for proper temperature and accuracy as indicated on tray ticket Observes work performance of employees and provides feedback to supervisors Participates in performance improvement programs and documents quality improvement data Performs other related duties as assigned. Sets up tray line station with correct supplies and food items Serves food, cafeteria style Breaks down and cleans assigned station Sets up dining room tables for service Delivers meal trays to patients' bedside and reports comments and/or complaints to supervisor or dietitian Prepares individual and bulk nourishments and supplemental foods/beverages Determines the quantities of ingredients needed Makes conversions between the metric system to standard system Performs heavy duty cleaning tasks throughout food service areas Provides assistance to cooks in the food preparation areas Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Sundays - Thursdays, 3:00pm - 7:00pm PST Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker Leader/PD99919S Physical Requirements: The work performed requires some light to 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 sitting, standing, 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 assistance of others. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Pre-employment physical required Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) 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. Related experience includes the following but not limited to: communicating instructions and information to staff regarding preparing a variety of foods, determining which food items to serve for common, specialized or modified diets; communicating with supervisors about problems and events that occurred; providing on-the-job training; reviewing daily work assignments and making adjustments when needed. I perform food service work to include reviewing trays before delivery ensuring correct food temperature, selections and portions; assisting cooks with food preparation; preparing special feeding and nourishment items according to label or oral instructions; serving meals and drinks, clean and sanitizing kitchen equipment; cleaning tables and washing dishes. I am capable of following instructions and can follow proper food handling guidelines; I have the ability to make arithmetical computations to increase, decrease or convert metric to standard measurements. Your experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, GS level (if a federal position), duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. Preferred Experience: 1 or more years of experience in a hospital or long-term care Nutrition and Food Service, and within the last 5 years. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements: Dexterity and Safety Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Lead or Supervise Materials Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Work Practices Working Conditions: The work is performed in kitchen areas where the steam and heat from cooking and dishwashing equipment often causes 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. May be unknowingly exposed to patients who have contagious disease. 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. Education Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
