Food Service Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Augusta, GA

7d

About The Position

Food Service Workers perform tasks requiring attention to work operations, following set procedures and established sequences for repetitive assignments. They may work in one or more kitchen functional areas, including food preparation, dish and pot washing, dry and refrigerated storage and receiving, and food service areas. Duties include preparing and serving food, setting up and cleaning work and dining areas, delivering meal trays, supporting cooks, handling kitchen equipment and supplies, and cleaning food service areas. Workers may read menus and diet cards, select items for patient trays, and identify obvious discrepancies between prescribed diets and designated food items. Other duties may be assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center.

This is an open continuous announcement. The initial application referral cut-off date is November 13, 2026; thereafter, applicants may be referred as needed. The announcement is scheduled to remain open through September 30, 2027, and may be extended. Vacancies may arise at advertised locations before the closing date. The work schedule may include shifts from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., or 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with rotating weekends and holidays. The schedule is subject to change based on agency needs.

The position requires light to moderate physical effort and may include heavy tasks such as scrubbing large cooking utensils and pushing heavy carts and trucks. Work involves continuous standing and walking, frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending, and may require ladder use and powered cleaning equipment. Workers frequently lift or move objects weighing up to 20 pounds without assistance and occasionally move objects weighing more than 40 pounds with assistance.

Requirements

• Meet the qualification requirements by the announcement closing date.
• Demonstrate training or experience of sufficient scope and quality to perform the work; no specific length of training or experience is required.
• Provide detailed descriptions on the resume supporting the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties.
• Meet the screen-out element and the job-related elements: Dexterity and Safety; Interpret Instructions and Specifications; Materials; Technical Practices; Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment; Work Without More Than Normal Supervision; and Work Practices.
• Be a U.S. citizen, unless appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy because qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Be suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• Submit to urinalysis before appointment if tentatively selected for a testing-designated position; refusal results in denial of employment.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements; from May 7, 2025, non-REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or state identification cards are not acceptable for employment identification.
• Complete a one-year probationary period and receive written certification that continued employment advances the public interest.
• Receive an annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons; wear a face mask if granted an exemption.

Responsibilities

• Set up an assigned station with the correct supplies and food items, and break down and clean the station when assigned.
• Serve cafeteria-style food in uniform portions and portion food using proper utensils and specified dishware.
• Set up dining room tables, place food and beverages on tables, and replenish items as needed.
• Return soiled trays and dishes to the dish room and deliver meal trays to patients' bedsides, reporting patient comments and complaints to a supervisor or dietitian.
• Prepare beverages according to required serving quantities.
• Prepare fresh fruit, cold salads, dressings, sandwich fillings, cold sandwiches, and simple cold desserts in specified quantities.
• Sort, wash, peel, and cut cold foods using knives or other equipment.
• Assist cooks by weighing, measuring, and assembling ingredients according to standardized recipes; prepare uncooked items such as sandwich spreads and salad dressings.
• Operate, break down, and clean assigned food service and related-area equipment.
• Prepare boxed or to-go meals and select and place correct items on patient trays.
• Read and interpret regular or modified menus, individual diet cards, tray tickets, and patient selections; identify obvious discrepancies between prescribed diets and designated food items; decide which items to serve for common diets.
• Perform heavy-duty cleaning throughout food service and related areas.
• Separate food waste and trash or recyclables from dishes, glasses, and silverware.
• Unload food and tray delivery carts and store sanitized dishes, glasses, and silverware.
• Scrape, soak, scour, and scrub cookware and utensils.
• Move garbage cans when collecting and transferring trash from the work area to the disposal area.
• Perform other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.
• VA may grant newly appointed federal employees credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual, if requested and approved before appointment; approval is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed