Food Service Worker

Summary

Nutrition and Food Service at VA Hudson Valley seeks a Food Service Worker Leader for food production and service at the Montrose VA Medical Center. The role leads Wage Grade staff in food service and production units, using judgment to plan and organize work. The leader must understand all types of diets, including modified and combination diets.

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Duties

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Training:

• Responsible for training Food Service employees in the Food Service and Production Section.
• Trains lower grade employees and provides on-the-job training of new Food Service and Production employees as requested by the immediate supervisor.
• Trains lower grade employees in safe food handling practices, utilizing programs training programs approved by the FDA Food Code, i.e. ServSafe.
• Trains new employees in departmental standard operating procedures.
• Trains in continuing and new education in food safety, service techniques, customer
• service and Nutrition and Food Service policy.
• Utilizes various training media to deliver necessary training.

Leading Work:

• Encourages and coordinates employees to fully utilize their time and to fulfill their assigned tasks in an efficient and satisfactory manner.
• Works with employees in planning and organizing duties to accomplish work objectives and foster a team effort.
• Makes necessary adjustments when there are unforeseen circumstances that may change the staff needs and methods of the operational needs of the service.
• Checks work while in progress and when finished to see whether the instructions on work sequence, procedures, methods and deadlines have been met by lower-grade employees.
• Maintains a wide knowledge of food service operations, is capable of performing all lower graded tasks.
• Ensures a safe clean area to work and working climate where employees function efficiently and effectively.
• Embodies the concepts of customer service and emphasize its importance with employees in the performance of an individual's duty.
• Performs duties of lower grade food service workers if staffing requires.
• Assists and participates in quality improvement projects assigned from the immediate supervisor.
• Communicates significant day-to-day events to the immediate supervisor and receives instructions should changes in established procedures and policies change.
• Ensures all areas of responsibility are clean and orderly and are left that way at the end of tour of duty.
• Follows up on sanitation inspection action items.
• Assures proper food handling techniques are used and good personal hygiene is used according to established policies and procedures.
• Collaborates with the Food Service Supervisors. Leads food production and delivery activities in the absence of a Supervisor or Food Production Manager.
• Participates and works with the section's supervisors in obtaining needed information and in decision-making to resolve problems that arise within the service and/or have a significant impact with established policies and procedures.
• Identifies existing or potential safety hazards and promptly notifies the immediate supervisor.
• Takes appropriate action by following established policies and procedures and reports to the immediate supervisor if an employee injury occurs on the job.
• Ensures that all equipment and/or tools are operated in a safe manner.
• Participates in various quality improvement projects such as test tray evaluations, safety and sanitation inspections and/or other projects as assigned.
• Serves as backup timekeeper for the site and maintains service record cards for all employees.
• Posts employees time and attendance on a daily basis utilizing VA computerized timekeeping software.

Performs other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

Work Schedule : 6am to 2:30pm; 10:30am-7:00pm

Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/PD99918-A

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved.

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 dentification 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 or 2-year trial 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, 06/23/2026.

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)
• Lead or Supervise
• Materials
• Technical Practices
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• 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.

Preferred Experience: Healthcare food service with leadership 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.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: Required to perform heavy work, such as scouring and scrubbing large size cooking utensils and pushing heavy carts and trucks in unloading, storing, and delivering supplies. Subject to continuous standing and walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling and bending. May be required to work on ladders and news powered cleaning equipment. Frequently lift or move objects waiting weighing 18 kilograms (40 pounds) and occasionally lift or move objects weighing more than 60 pounds. Work is performed in the kitchen areas. Steam and heat from cooking and dishwashing equipment often causes uncomfortably high temperatures and high humidity. Work area is well lighted and noise levels exist from food service activities. Danger of slipping on floors where food or beverages have been dropped. Regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot working surfaces and extreme temperature changes when entering into walking refrigeration or freezing units.

Will be working under stress and pressure in order to meet established schedules with unforeseen circumstances and/or frequent interruptions in the normal production and services of food to patients. Must be able to adjust work pace to meet fluctuating workload while demonstrating the ability to perform all required duties under pressure.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

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.

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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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.