Cook

About the role

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has adopted the Nutrition and Food Service (NFS) Modernization Initiative, a new model of organizing and consolidating essential Nutrition and Food Service functions and services to the Medical Center. This streamlined and focused approach moves VHA forward in its continuum of providing comprehensive, compassionate, and coordinated care to Veterans.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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. The potential eligibles are then rated against the following 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 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 ensuring 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
• 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
• Coordinates the cooking of items prepared by other cooks at one or more work centers
• Prepares complex recipes with multiple steps and lengthy preparation times
• Washes, peels, chops, grinds, pares, cuts, slices, dices, purees, dredges, flours, breads items
• Weighs, measures, assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets

Schedule

5:00 am–1:30 pm and 10:00 am–6:30 pm with rotating 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

Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99817S