Cook

About the role

This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service of a 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 position is to independently prepare nutritious, high-quality meals for service to the Veterans. The work involves the preparation of regular or special diet foods and meals.

Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99817S

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 to demonstrate 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 (usually question 1 in the online questionnaire). 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 eliminated. 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

Volunteer and part-time experience

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.

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.

Responsibilities

• Independently prepares all types of food for regular and modified diets
• Prepares, cooks, seasons, and portions food for all meals so that completed food products are ready at the appropriate temperature and time and are visually appealing to customers
• Prepares menu items using special or difficult recipes that require numerous interrelated steps, many ingredients, and lengthy preparation time
• Prepares a variety of menu items using several different and complex methods of preparation such as cook/chill and cook/serve
• Follows menus, production sheets, and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed
• Calculates and determines serving portions from quantities of food issued to include meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, sauces, and gravies for regular and modified diets
• Prepares or coordinates the preparation of entire meals and prepares, seasons, and determines serving portion food for all meals by following standardized, special, or difficult recipes
• Coordinates cooking of several items with different cooking times and characteristics
• Prepares complex recipes with multiple steps and lengthy preparation times
• Employs cooking techniques such as sous vide and combi-oven
• Coordinates the cooking of items prepared by other cooks at one or more work centers
• May serve as person in charge for oversight of food safety activities
• Follows sanitary food handling procedures
• Covers, labels, and dates food items
• Utilizes or discards ingredients by expiration date
• Disassembles and assembles component parts and accessories for cleaning
• Cleans, stores, and maintains all kitchen utensils, equipment, and work areas practicing a "clean as you go" concept
• Cleans and sanitizes assigned work areas: worktables, sinks, blast chillers, racks, carts
• Achieves certification in food safety such as ServSafe and is able to apply knowledge of food safety, food temperatures, etc.
• Operates dish machine; checks detergent level and water temperature before washing and sanitizing cook's equipment
• Checks equipment to make sure it is free of food residue and soap
• Cleans ovens, combi oven/steamer, slicer, mixer, steam kettles, grill daily
• Collects trash, sorts and prepares items for recycling
• Cleans floors, walls, shelves as assigned
• Performs deep cleaning tasks such as cleaning walk-in refrigerators and freezers
• May operate powered floor cleaning or steam equipment for deep cleaning
• Prepares food production worksheets from computerized recipe files
• Receives, rotates, and stores perishable and non-perishable items according to service policies
• Removes outdated or damaged goods from stock
• Labels all food items with contents and dates per labeling guidelines
• Weighs, measures, and assembles ingredients accurately and according to standardized recipes or requisitions
• Monitors and maintains proper spacing of food products from floor, ceiling, and shelving to ensure adequate air flow and spacing of products for optimal food safety
• Monitors for signs of pests, notifying the appropriate individual as determined by local policy
• Maintains accurate food inventories
• Provides assistance to supervisor in ordering food in accordance with daily and weekly menu requirements
• Maintains strict security of all areas
• Advises lower grade food service workers and cooks on tray assembly issues, dishwashing procedures, and quality control issues such as plating techniques, tray arrangements, and practices to maintain temperatures and safety of food
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–4:30 pm, with occasional weekends and holidays.

Physical Requirements

• Subject to continuous standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling
• Lifts or moves objects weighing up to 40 lbs unassisted and occasionally lifts or moves objects weighing more than 40 lbs with assistance of a lifting device or other workers
• Manipulates cumbersome, heavy objects such as washing stainless steel mixing bowls, pushing heavy carts on casters, or operating heavy equipment
• Possesses manual dexterity to operate equipment and to handle sharp knives and blades safely
• Utilizes eye-hand coordination and the ability to concentrate and react quickly to serve food and operate equipment