Summary The primary purpose of the Cook, WG- 4, is to prepare nutritious, high quality meals for service to the Veterans. The position has a sequence of steps that require attention to work operations, sanitation and safety; work assignments may require knowledge and judgment. Responsibilities Food Preparation - Performs a full range of simple cooking which entails the preparation and cooking of meals that require little or no processing. -Follows menus, production sheets and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed. -Performs full range of simple cooking by preparing and cooking items requiring little or no processing such as hot cereals, concentrated or dehydrated soups, sauces, and gravies .-Grills eggs, hamburgers, meat patties, pancakes, French toast; broils meats; makes cold sandwich fillings and assembles a variety of sandwiches. -Prepares fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables; bakes frozen potatoes, pre-made cookie dough, muffin batters. -Prepares and heats convenience items such as frozen hash browns, fish fillets, and chicken nuggets; prepares pureed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners -Washes, peels and cuts fruits and vegetables by hand or machine. Assembles and mixes salad ingredients and dessert items including gelatin molds and fruit crisps. -Washes, peels, chops, grinds, pares, cuts, slices, dices, purees, dredges, flours, breads items. -Weighs, measures, assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets -Combines ingredients according to precisely written recipes to produce quality food items, minimizing preparation time and food waste. -Pans foods for bulk re-thermalization according to recipe guidelines and production guidelines. -Covers, dates, and stores leftovers according to established local policies/procedures. -Operates a variety of kitchen equipment: oven, combination oven/steamer, grill, slicer, mixer, steam kettles, blender, food processor, scale; follows safety procedures regarding the operation of equipment. Food Safety/Sanitation -Follows sanitary food handling procedures; covers, labels and dates food items; utilize or discard 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. -Achieves certification in Serv-Safe and can apply knowledge of food safety, food temperatures, etc.-Performs deep cleaning tasks such as cleaning walk-in refrigerators and freezers. May operate powered floor cleaning or steam equipment for deep cleaning. Food Storage -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. -Monitor and maintain proper spacing of food products from floor, ceiling and shelving to ensure adequate air flow and spacing of products for optimal food safety.-Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 5:00 am- 9:00 am. 5 days per week, including weekends & holidays. Schedule subject to change according to the needs of the service. Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99819S Physical Requirements: - Is 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. Performs work in areas of extremes of temperature. Work is carried out in kitchen/dish room areas that are often hot, uncomfortable and noisy. Environment includes exposure to extreme cold while working in walk-in refrigerators and freezers for extended periods of time to complete duties. Works with other cooks, food service workers and supervisors. Is exposed to steam, cooking odors, and noise from equipment and conversation. Is subject to hazards of cuts, bruises, strains, burns and falls in kitchen environment. Uses strong cleaning and sanitizing solutions which may frequently be skin and respiratory irritants. Performs work in patient care settings where there may be exposure to contagious disease. May have contact with patients who demonstrate verbally and /or physical aggressive behavior. Required to wear proper hair covering and clean uniform. Wear disposable gloves when handling food for service and proper protective equipment when completing cleaning activities. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. Those 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 are eliminated. The 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 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 This job does not have an education qualification requirement. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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 Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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.