Cook

This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service at the VA White City Medical Center. Nutrition and Food Services is responsible for providing meals and nutritional care to Veteran patients at the Medical Center. The primary purpose of the Cook, WG- 6, 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.

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 ability to do the position of a Cook under more than normal supervision. Examples of experience include: Independently preparing and cooking a variety of items including regular and therapeutic diet (diabetic, low sodium, low protein, gluten free, etc.) entrees and dessert items, planning cooking processes to produce meals on time and at the proper temperature which may require coordination of cooking several items with different cooking times; portioning and serving food into standard service sizes; roasting, broiling, baking, frying, boiling, steaming, and stewing meats, fish, and poultry; preparing soups, stocks, broths, gravies, sauces, and puddings without the use of packaged mixes; adjusting standardized recipes for the number of servings required in large quantity cooking; slicing meat items by hand conforming to a specific size requirement or weight specification; maintaining proper temperature for all foods during holding, transport, reheating, and serving to assure quality control and food safety.

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.

Responsibilities:

The position of Cook is established to provide for the preparation of high quality, nutritious hot foods to the Veteran patient. Independently prepares all types of meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, sauces, desserts, and gravies for regular and modified diet menus. On a regular and recurring basis plan, prepare or coordinate the preparation of entire meals, as well as personalized individual meals for palliative care patients.

• Prepares a number of menu items to include both foods for regular and modified diets.
• Prepares and replenishes "small batch" style hot food on the cafeteria line, adhering to established portion sizes and diet requirements.
• Prepares various Nutrition and Food Service documents to include production schedules and records, subsistence or supply requisition and inventory control.
• Operates, cleans and maintains a wide range of food production equipment in a safe and efficient manner.
• Prepares production worksheets, does temperature study sheets and other QA assignments.
• ADP Security - Computer) Primarily interacts with the NFS Vista program. As such has regular access to printed/electronic files containing sensitive data which must be protected under Privacy Act of 1974, applicable laws, federal regulations, and VA statutes/policy. Responsible to protect data from unauthorized release, loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion, and following applicable regulations/instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access, codes, etc., per computer access agreement employee signs.
• Performs, over a period of time, a full range of quantity cooking procedures from the common or frequently use standardized recipes to the new complexed recipes for the preparation of regular and modified diets.
• Prepares sample tray evaluation for regular and modified diets.
• Prepares meats by baking, braising, or stewing, using steam jacketed kettles, convection ovens, or pressure steamer as required.
• Roasts, broils, grills, bakes, boils, steams and stews meats, fish, and poultry.
• Prepares a variety of items desserts such as custard or gelatin, cobblers, cake, brownies and puddings (without the use of packaged mixes).
• Cooks fresh or frozen vegetables using techniques such as boiling, steaming, baking, mashing, and whipping.
• Visually inspects frozen, canned and fresh foods to make a judgment on quality and freshness of product.
• Properly stores all foods by placing items in appropriately labeled and dated containers in the correct refrigerator.
• Slice meat items by hand or machine, conforming to specific portion size requirements.
• Performs yield testing for selected food items to determine serving weight or volume after preparation and gather other test data to assist management in making purchasing and menu decisions.
• Prepare cold food items such as tuna salads, ham or club salads, macaroni salad, an potato salad.
• Purees, grinds or chops meats and vegetables as required for modified diets using appropriate equipment.
• Follows safe food handling and personal hygiene policies.
• Creates specified complexed short order meals for palliative care patients.

Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00am to 6:30pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99818S
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.

Salary : $23 - $26