Summary

This Food Service Worker positions are located within the Nutrition & Food Service at the VA Medical Center in Menlo Park - CA & Palo Alto - CA . The primary purpose of this position is to perform a variety of functions in one of three functional areas which are food preparation - dish and pot washing - dry and refrigerated storage and receiving - and the serving area doing work such as portioning cold food - dipping hot food - working in the dish room and passing trays.

Qualifications

To apply for this position - you must have the following qualifications: (SCREEN OUT): You must have the ability to perform the duties of the Food Service Worker without more than normal supervision. Related experience includes - performing food preparation duties in a healthcare facility - hotel - college cafeteria - military base - or similar quantity food service institution; serving correct portion sizes; setting up stations on a tray line; delivering and collecting trays; cleaning and sanitizing kitchen equipment required in quantity food preparation and service; knowledge of regular and modified diets; read and understand diet cards - understand food terminology - measurements and serving information in standardized recipes for all menus. Your experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. PHYSICAL EFFORT: Wage Grade 3 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. WORK CONDITIONS: 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): Sets up and breaks down assigned station with the correct supplies and food items
• Portions 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
• reporting the patients' comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian
• Provides assistance to cooks in the food preparation area - such as weigh - measure and assemble 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
• Performing other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 6:00am-2:30pm or 11:00am-7:30pm dependent on department needs - Includes weekends and holidays Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved