Food Service Worker

About the role

This position involves setting up and breaking down assigned stations with correct supplies and food items, portioning food items, selecting and placing items on patient trays, deciding on food items to serve, identifying discrepancies between prescribed diets and food items, setting up dining room tables, delivering meal trays, assisting cooks in preparation, preparing various food items, interpreting menus and diet cards, performing heavy cleaning tasks, and performing other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Sets up and breaks down assigned station with the correct supplies and food items
• Portion food items into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and specified dishware
• Selects and places correct items on patient trays
• Decides what food items to serve for the most common diets
• Identifies obvious discrepancies between the prescribed diets and the food items designated by the menu
• Sets up dining room tables for service, place food and beverages on tables, and replenish items as necessary
• Delivers meal trays to the patients' bedsides; reports the patients' comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian
• Provides assistance to cooks in the food preparation area, such as weighing, measuring, and assembling ingredients according to standardized recipes
• Prepares fresh fruit/cold salads/dressings/sandwich fillings and cold sandwiches and simple cold desserts
• Reads and interprets regular or modified menus, individual diet cards, tray tickets or patient selections
• Performs heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas
• Performs other duties as assigned

Requirements

Full-time work schedule will be determined upon selection. Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/PD99920S. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/17/2026. Experience: Specific training and experience is not required, but evidence of sufficient scope and quality of ability to do the work 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

The first year of service of an employee who is given a career or career conditional appointment in the competitive service under the Civil Service Regulations is a probationary period unless specifically exempted by the appointing authority. At least 60 days prior to the end of each employee's initial probationary or trial period, management officials shall, to the extent practicable, meet to discuss the employee's performance and conduct (based in part on input from the employee's supervisor), the needs of the agency, and whether their continued employment would advance the public interest, the organizational goals of the agency, and the efficiency of the service. Within 30 days prior to the end of each employee's probationary or trial period, management officials shall determine whether to finalize the employee's appointment to the Federal service, or whether to terminate their service. Before the employee is terminated, they shall be notified in writing of the effective date of the action.

Additional information

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.