Food Service Worker

Summary

This Food Service Worker position is located within the Nutrition & Food Service at the Brooklyn VA Medical Center.

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Duties

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Wage Grade 4 Food Service Workers independently perform duties that require proficiency in special procedures. They require a broad knowledge of service operations, such as food and beverage preparation, modified diets, computer proficiency, dishwashing, dry and refrigerated storage, and safety and sanitation. Wage grade 4 workers can do all the duties of a lower grade worker, but also may help with making patient selections, thickening items and checking trays. Experience with Room Service Model essential.

Major duties and responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Sets up and breaks down assigned station with the correct supplies and food items.
• Serve food cafeteria style by placing uniform portions of food on patients/residents plates.
• Set up dining room tables for service, place food and beverages on tables, and replenish items as necessary.
• Return soiled trays and dishes to the dish room.
• Deliver meal trays to the patients/bedsides and report the patients comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian.
• Prepare beverages according to the number of servings required.
• Prepare fresh fruit/cold salads/dressings/sandwich fillings and cold sandwiches and simple cold desserts in specified
  quantities; sort, wash, peel and cut cold foods using knives or other equipment.
• Provide assistance to cooks in the food preparation area, such as weigh, measure and assemble ingredients according to
  standardized recipes; prepare uncooked food items, such as sandwich spread and salad dressings.
• Operate and break down and clean all equipment assigned to food service and related areas; portion other food items into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and specified dishware.
• Prepare boxed/to go meals.
• Make final check of diet trays assembled by lower grade workers for completeness, correct food temperatures; verify that food
  items on the tray are appropriate for the prescribed diet.
• Identify obvious discrepancies between the prescribed diets and the food items designated by the room service menu.
• Decide what food items to serve for the most common diets when the diet card or tray ticket identifies only the kind of diet called for.
• Distributes menus and surveys to patients.
• Provide patients with basic information about nutrition services that are available.
• Prepare individual and bulk nourishments and supplemental foods and beverages for patients; follow directions in assembling, measuring, weighing, or mixing ingredients for basic formulas and supplemental feedings following standardized recipes and using sanitary techniques.
• Determine the quantities of ingredients needed to prepare required yield.
• Take nourishment inventories, stocking using first in-first out procedures, replacing expired items; label and distribute individual nourishments.
• Sterilize equipment and sanitize work areas.
• Work in one or more functional areas of the kitchen such as food preparation, dish and pot washing, dry and refrigerated storage and
  receiving, and the serving line.
• Perform heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas.
• Separate food waste and trash from dishes, glasses and silverware in the dish washing area.
• Store sanitized dishes, glasses and silverware.
• Scrape, soak, scour, and scrub cookware and utensils the disposal area.
• Provide assistance to cooks in the food preparation area including assembling, labeling and arranging completed recipe items in preparation for use by cooks.
• Must be able to lead/guide lower grade employees and communicate effectively.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 6:00 AM - 2:30 PM, 10:30 AM - 7:00 PM, ROTATING.

Position Description Title/PD# Food Service Worker/PD99836S

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Pre-employment physical required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/08/2026.

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 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.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Note: For this position, a Subject Matter Expert (SME) will used the job element method to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities elements needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, "Ability to perform the work of the position without more than normal supervision." Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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