Food Service Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Tacoma, WA

18d • Onsite

About The Position

Wage Grade 4 Food Service Workers independently perform duties requiring proficiency in special procedures. The role works in one or more kitchen functional areas, including food preparation, dish and pot washing, dry and refrigerated storage and receiving, and the serving line. Duties include preparing, portioning, serving, and delivering meals and nourishments; checking diet trays; cleaning and sanitizing work areas and equipment; handling dishes, cookware, supplies, and waste; and recording and retrieving recipe, menu, and inventory data using a computer terminal. Other duties may be assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center.

The work schedule is Wednesday through Sunday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The position requires light to moderate physical effort and may include heavy work, such as scrubbing large cooking utensils and pushing heavy carts. Work involves continuous standing and walking, frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending, frequent lifting or moving objects up to 20 pounds unassisted, and occasional lifting or moving of objects over 40 pounds with assistance.

Work is performed in kitchen areas that can be hot, humid, and noisy. Floors may be slippery, and workers are regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot surfaces, and temperature extremes when entering refrigeration or freezer units.

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.
• Demonstrated ability in 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.
• U.S. citizenship; non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Must be suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• 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 and receive written certification for continued employment after the period.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza program by receiving annual vaccination or obtaining a medical or religious exemption; employees with an exemption must wear a face mask.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the job, including prolonged standing and walking, frequent bending and related movements, and lifting or moving items as described.

Responsibilities

• Set up assigned tray-line stations with the correct supplies and food items, serve uniform portions, and break down and clean stations.
• Set dining room tables, place and replenish food and beverages, return soiled trays and dishes to the dish room, and deliver meal trays to patients' bedsides while reporting patient comments and complaints to a supervisor or dietitian.
• Prepare beverages, fresh fruit, cold salads, dressings, sandwich fillings, cold sandwiches, simple cold desserts, uncooked food items, boxed or to-go meals, individual and bulk nourishments, and supplemental foods and beverages in specified quantities.
• Sort, wash, peel, and cut cold foods using knives or other equipment; assist cooks by weighing, measuring, assembling, labeling, and arranging ingredients and recipe items according to standardized recipes.
• Operate, break down, and clean assigned food service equipment; portion foods into standard serving sizes using proper utensils and dishware.
• Make final checks of diet trays assembled by lower-grade workers for completeness, correct temperatures, and suitability for prescribed diets; identify obvious discrepancies and determine food items for common diets when the diet card or tray ticket specifies only the diet type.
• Distribute menus and surveys to patients and provide basic information about modified diets and available nutrition services.
• Assemble, measure, weigh, or mix ingredients for basic formulas and supplemental feedings using standardized recipes and sanitary techniques; determine ingredient quantities and convert between metric and standard measurements.
• Take nourishment inventories, stock items using first-in, first-out procedures, replace expired items, and label and distribute individual nourishments.
• Sterilize equipment and sanitize work areas; perform heavy-duty cleaning throughout food service and related areas.
• Separate food waste and trash from dishes, glasses, and silverware; unload food and tray delivery carts; store sanitized dishes and silverware; scrape, soak, scour, and scrub cookware and utensils; and move garbage cans to transfer trash to disposal areas.
• Use a computer terminal to record and retrieve recipe, menu, and inventory data and produce reports.
• Perform other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family; specific benefit eligibility depends on position type and the hiring agency can provide details.

What This Job Offers

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