Food Service Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Togus, ME

14d

About The Position

The Food Service Worker supports the Veterans Health Administration’s Nutrition and Food Service operations by preparing, portioning, serving, and delivering meals, and by maintaining food service areas and equipment. Duties may include setting up assigned stations with supplies and food; serving cafeteria-style meals; setting dining room tables; replenishing food and beverages; returning soiled dishes and trays; delivering meal trays to patients and reporting their comments or complaints; preparing beverages, cold foods, salads, sandwiches, simple desserts, and boxed meals; and assisting cooks by weighing, measuring, and assembling ingredients according to standardized recipes.

The worker reads menus, diet cards, tray tickets, and patient selections; selects correct items for patient trays; identifies obvious discrepancies between prescribed diets and designated food items; and determines foods for common diets. Additional duties include operating and cleaning food service equipment, portioning foods, performing heavy-duty cleaning, sorting waste and recyclables, unloading delivery carts, storing sanitized dishes and utensils, and transporting garbage to disposal areas. Other duties may be assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center.

Work is performed in kitchen and food service areas that may be hot, humid, noisy, and subject to slippery floors. Workers are regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot surfaces, and temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigeration or freezing units. The schedule varies between 6:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 11:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

Requirements

• Provide evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality to demonstrate the ability to perform the work; no specific length of training or experience is required.
• Demonstrate the ability to perform the duties through detailed descriptions in the resume.
• Meet the position’s screen-out qualification requirement and applicable job elements, including dexterity and safety; interpreting instructions and specifications; materials; technical practices; using and maintaining tools and equipment; working without more than normal supervision; and work practices.
• Be a U.S. citizen, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Be suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• If tentatively selected for a testing-designated position, submit to urinalysis for illegal drug use; refusal results in denial of employment.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements if male and born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification and required application documents.
• Serve a one-year probationary period.
• As a VA health care personnel employee, receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain a medical or religious exemption; wear a face mask when an exemption is granted.

Responsibilities

• Set up assigned stations with the correct supplies and food items, and break down and clean stations when assigned.
• Serve food cafeteria-style in uniform portions and portion food items using proper utensils and specified dishware.
• Set up dining room tables, place food and beverages on tables, and replenish items as necessary.
• Return soiled trays and dishes to the dish room and deliver meal trays to patients’ bedsides, reporting comments and complaints to a supervisor or dietitian.
• Prepare beverages, fresh fruit, cold salads and dressings, sandwich fillings, cold sandwiches, simple cold desserts, and boxed or to-go meals 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 spread and salad dressings.
• Operate, break down, and clean assigned food service equipment and related areas.
• Select and place correct food items on patient trays; read and interpret menus, diet cards, tray tickets, and patient selections; identify obvious discrepancies between prescribed diets and designated menu items; and decide what 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 or tray delivery carts; and store sanitized dishes, glasses, and silverware.
• Scrape, soak, scour, and scrub cookware and utensils; move garbage cans and transfer 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 receive access to a comprehensive benefits package for themselves and their families; specific eligibility depends on position type.

What This Job Offers

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