Food Service Worker 1

Salary: $38,411.00 - $51,054.00 Annually
Location : Erie County, PA
Job Type: Non-Civil Service Permanent Full-time
Job Number: N-2026-59943
Department: Department of Military & Veterans Affairs
Division: MV Dietry Soldiers Sailors
Opening Date: 10/06/2026
Closing Date: 10/10/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Job Code: 81010
Position Number: 00059534
Union: AFSCME
Bargaining Unit: N1
Pay Group: ST02
Bureau / Division Code: 00134120
Bureau / Division: Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home
Worksite Address: 560 East 3rd Street
City: Erie, Pennsylvania
Zip Code: 16507
Contact Name: Robert Orton
Contact Phone: View phone number on click.appcast.io
Contact Email: View email address on click.appcast.io


THE POSITION
Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where your efforts make a real difference as a Food Service Worker 1 with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs? In this position, you help prepare meals and keep food service areas clean for the residents who call the Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home their community. You contribute to a smooth dining experience through teamwork and attention to detail. Be part of a mission that supports respect, care, and service to veterans.

Click here to learn more about the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
This position focuses on preparing food, serving meals, and keeping kitchen and dining areas clean for residents at the Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home. As a Food Service Worker 1, you will perform the following duties:

• Meal Preparation: Prepare food items, portion meals, and assemble trays according to assigned instructions
• Food Handling: Bag items, lift cases, and transport food carts for meal service
• Tray Assembly: Interpret diet codes and assemble accurate trays for residents
• Sanitation Tasks: Clean dishes, equipment, tables, and food service areas to maintain a safe environment
• Dining Support: Deliver trays, set up serving lines, and restock beverages and condiments
• Record Keeping: Record temperatures, inventory usage, and meal counts as directed

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.
Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment, 8.0 hours per day, 40 hours per week
• Work hours are 2nd shift (10:30 AM to 7:00 PM), Thursday - Monday, with a 30-minute lunch.
• Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, TRAINING & ELIGIBILITY

QUALIFICATIONS
Additional Requirement:

• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Preferred Qualifications (not required):

• Food service experience in an assisted living facility, nursing home, hospital, restaurant, or other food service operation
• Work experience interacting with patients, residents, or customers while serving food or cleaning inpatient or resident rooms, or dining areas
• Work experience with food safety and sanitation in a dietary department
• Experience in the following tasks:
  • Cleaning, washing, peeling, slicing, and dicing food items
  • Using kitchen equipment such as a vertical cutter mixer, food processor, tabletop chopper, or garbage disposal
  • Chopping, dicing, and slicing meats, poultry, fish, and cheeses
  • Heating simple foods such as eggs, sandwiches, and hamburgers
  • Preparing sandwiches, assembling salads, and serving portions, including desserts
  • Plating and serving meals from a hot food cart
  • Cleaning and sanitizing equipment, utensils, dishes, pots, pans, work surfaces, and other kitchen items
  • Transporting and assisting with loading and unloading food delivery trucks from kitchen and dining areas
  • Transporting food and supplies to and from freezers, refrigerators, and storerooms
  • Taking selective menu orders, taking food orders, performing waitressing tasks, and providing dining room service
  • Setting up food carts and dining room serving areas
  • Reading meal and tray tickets or tags
  • Assembling trays and working on a tray line
  • Operating commercial kitchen equipment

Legal Requirements:

• A conditional offer of employment will require a medical examination.
• This position falls under the provisions of the Older Adult Protective Services Act.
  • Under the Act, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports, including but not limited to, PA State Police and FBI clearance.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.
• All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant's own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.
The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.
Learn more about our Total Rewards by watching this short !
See the total value of your benefits package by exploring our


Health & Wellness

We offer multiple health plans so our employees can choose what works best for themselves and their families. Our comprehensive benefits package includes health coverage, vision, dental, and wellness programs.*

Compensation & Financial Planning
We invest in our employees by providing competitive wages and encouraging financial wellness by offering multiple ways to save money and ensure peace of mind including multiple retirement and investment plan options.


Work/Life Balance
We know there's more to life than just work! Our generous paid leave benefits include paid vacation, paid sick leave, eight weeks of paid parental leave, military leave, and paid time off for most major U.S. holidays, as well as flexible work schedules and work-from-home opportunities.*


Values and Culture
We believe in the work we do and provide continual opportunities for our employees to grow and contribute to the greater good. As one of the largest employers in the state, we provide opportunities for internal mobility, professional development, and the opportunity to give back by participating in workplace charitable giving.

Employee Perks
Sometimes, it is the little "extras" that make a big difference. Our employees receive special employee-only discounts and rates on a variety of services and memberships.

For more information on all of these Total Rewards benefits, please visit and click on the benefits box.

*Eligibility rules apply.
01


Preferred Qualification - How many years of food service experience do you have in an assisted living facility, nursing home, hospital, restaurant, or other food service operation?

• 3 years or more
• More than 2 but less than 3 years
• More than 1 but less than 2 years
• Less than 1 year
• None

02


Preferred Qualification - Please list the dates and employers identified in your application where you gained your food service experience in an assisted living facility, nursing home, hospital, restaurant, or other food service operation. (If none, type N/A.)
03


Preferred Qualification - How many years of work experience do you have interacting with patients, residents, or customers while serving food/cleaning in patient/resident rooms or a dining room setting?

• 3 years or more
• More than 2 but less than 3 years
• More than 1 but less than 2 years
• Less than 1 year
• None

04


Preferred Qualification - How many years of work experience do you have with food safety and sanitation in a dietary department?

• 3 years or more
• More than 2 but less than 3 years
• More than 1 but less than 2 years
• Less than 1 year
• None

05


Preferred Qualification - Do you have experience in the following tasks? (Please check all that apply.)

• Cleaning, washing, peeling, slicing and dicing food items
• Using kitchen equipment such as VCM/food processor/tabletop chopper/garbage disposal
• Chopping, dicing and slicing meats, poultry, fish, and cheeses
• Heating simple foods such as eggs, sandwiches, and hamburgers
• Preparing sandwiches, assembling salads, and serving portions including desserts
• Plating and serving meals from hot food cart
• Cleaning and sanitizing equipment, utensils, dishes, pots, pans, work surfaces, and other kitchen items
• Transporting and assisting in loading and unloading food delivery trucks from kitchen/dining rooms
• Transporting food and supplies to and from freezers, refrigerators, and storeroom
• Selective menu, taking food orders/waitressing/dining room service
• Food cart/dining room/serving area set-up
• Reading meal/tray tickets or tags
• Tray assembly/working on a tray line
• Operating commercial kitchen equipment
• None

Required Question