Food Service Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Long Beach, CA

29d • Onsite

About The Position

The Long Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center is recruiting several Food Service Workers within Nutrition and Food Service. The position supports food service operations for Veterans and may involve work in food preparation, dish and pot washing, dry and refrigerated storage and receiving, and serving areas.

Workers set up and break down stations, portion food, assemble patient trays, serve dining room meals, deliver trays to patients, and assist with food preparation. They also interpret menus and diet instructions, identify obvious discrepancies between prescribed diets and menu items, and report patient comments and complaints to a supervisor or dietitian. The role includes heavy-duty cleaning throughout food service and related areas.

The work schedule varies and includes weekends and holidays. The position requires light to moderate physical effort, with some heavy work. Duties involve continuous standing and walking; frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending; and may involve ladders and powered cleaning equipment. Workers frequently lift or move objects weighing up to 20 pounds unassisted and occasionally move objects weighing more than 40 pounds with assistance.

Requirements

• Evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality to demonstrate ability to perform the work; no specific length of training or experience is required.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• Selected applicants in testing-designated positions must undergo urinalysis for illegal drug use before appointment; refusal results in denial of employment.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Selected applicants must complete online onboarding and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period.
• Must meet the screen-out element and job elements, including dexterity and safety, interpreting instructions and specifications, materials, technical practices, use and maintenance of tools and equipment, working without more than normal supervision, and work practices.
• VA health care personnel must receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain a medical or religious exemption; a face mask is required when an exemption is granted.

Responsibilities

• Set up and break down an assigned station with the correct supplies and food items.
• Portion food into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and specified dishware.
• Select and place the correct items on patient trays.
• Decide which food items to serve for the most common diets.
• Identify obvious discrepancies between prescribed diets and the food items designated by the menu.
• Set up dining room tables, place food and beverages on them, and replenish items as necessary.
• Deliver meal trays to patients' bedsides and report patients' comments and complaints to a supervisor or dietitian.
• Assist cooks with food preparation, including weighing, measuring, and assembling ingredients according to standardized recipes.
• Prepare fresh fruit, cold salads, dressings, sandwich fillings, cold sandwiches, and simple cold desserts.
• Read and interpret regular or modified menus, individual diet cards, tray tickets, or patient selections.
• Perform heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout food service and related areas.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific eligibility depends on position type, and applicants should contact the hiring agency for details.
• VA may approve credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual; this must be requested and approved before appointment and is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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