Cook

Cook

The cook is responsible for providing high-quality meals and nutritional care to Veteran patients at the Medical Center. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Weighs, measures, and assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets.
• Cleans and sanitizes work areas, and performs deep cleaning tasks when needed.
• Independently prepares and cooks a variety of items including regular and therapeutic diet (diabetic, low sodium, low protein, gluten free, etc.) entrees and dessert items.
• Uses a variety of methods to prepare meats, fish, and poultry including broiling, roasting, baking, frying, boiling, steaming, stewing, braising, and grilling.
• Follows menus, production sheets, and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed.
• Operates industrial dish machine.
• Operates a variety of kitchen equipment and follows appropriate safety procedures.
• Disassembles and reassembles equipment for cleaning.
• Makes a variety of desserts such as cobblers, brownies, cookies, and pastries.
• Prepares and heats convenience items, and prepares pureed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners.
• Washes, peels, and cuts fruits and vegetables; assembles and mixes salad ingredients and dessert items, including gelatin molds and fruit crisps.
• Follows sanitary food handling procedures.

Work Schedule: Full-Time

• West Roxbury: Two-week rotating schedule (weeks start on Sunday): Working days: 10:45 AM - 7:15 PM (Week 1: Sunday & Thursday off. Week 2: Monday & Tuesday off).
• Brockton: Sunday - Thursday 10:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Thursday - Monday 5:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99818S

Telework/Virtual/Remote Work: Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA. Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).

Working Conditions: Performs work in areas of temperature extremes. Work is carried out in kitchen/dish room areas that are often hot, uncomfortable, and noisy. Environment includes exposure to extreme cold while working in walk-in refrigerators and freezers for extended periods of time to complete duties. Works with other cooks, food service workers, and supervisors. Exposed to stems, cooking odors, and noise from equipment and conversation. Subject to hazards of cuts, bruises, strains, burns and falls in kitchen equipment. Strong cleaning and sanitizing solutions may be skin and respiratory irritants. Performs work in patient care settings where there may be exposure to contagious disease. May have contact with patients who demonstrate verbally and/or physically aggressive behavior. Required to wear proper hair covering and clean uniform. Wear disposable gloves when handling food for service, and proper protective equipment when completing cleaning activities.

Notifications:

• These positions are in the Competitive Service.
• Current Federal employees may submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• These positions are covered by Federal Wage System Special Wage Rates for the Boston, Massachusetts (BOS) Wage Area.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 31, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be October 8th, 2026. After this date, qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. Eligible applications received after the initial cut-off date will be referred as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. This announcement may close at any time once all positions are filled.