Clarification from the agency

Current Permanent Employees of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL and its outreach facilities including CBOCs and VCS employees.

Videos

Major Duties: Duties Include, but not limited to:

• Set up various stations on the central tray-line with all food and non-food items needed to serve the meal-Breaks down and cleans their assigned area, and return food and non-food Items to designated locations.
• Serve food cafeteria style.
• Prepare service stands by setting up condiments, silverware, glassware for table service, serve tables by placing food and beverages on tables, and replenish as necessary.
• Load and delivers food carts to patient care units.
• Distribute trays and/or nourishments to specified locations or directly to patients' bedside or other locations.
• Collect soiled trays and returns same to the dish-room for processing.
• Assemble salads and cold sandwiches from prepared ingredients and pack box lunches.
• Set up and operate the dishwasher, as well as clean and maintain by inspecting the doors, strainer pans, screens, and spray arms as necessary.
• Scrape, soak, and scrub heavier cooking utensils such as pots, mixing bowls, and other large size utensils.
• Heavy duty cleaning is required throughout the food service and related areas such as cleaning exhaust hoods, spaces under and behind kitchen equipment, washing floors and walls with power equipment (Including moving equipment).
• Clean walk-in refrigerators and freezers.
• Unload food from delivery trucks.
• Performing other related duties as assigned

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
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, facility applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 11/04/2024.

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:
Ability to perform reliably and dependably as a Food Service Worker.

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.

Physical Requirements: The work requires light to moderate physical effort with repetitive motion to include continuous standing and walking, frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighting up to 40 pounds unassisted when pushing carts, unloading trucks, cleaning, or other related heavy work. May be 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. May also be required to work on ladders and use powered cleaning equipment. Incumbent may lift objects weighing 50 to 100 pounds or more when covering in the Ingredient Control Room or Warehouse and push/pull carts weighing up to 300 pounds. Sweeps, vacuums and spot mops floors as required. Must be alert and cautious to avoid falls on wet floors and burns or scalds from hot food, equipment and chemicals and cuts from knives.

Working Conditions: The work is performed in kitchen areas where the steam and heat from cooking and dishwashing equipment often causes uncomfortable high temperatures and humidity. The work area is well lit but is usually noisy from food service activities, and there is danger of slipping on floors where food or beverages have been dropped. The worker is regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot working surfaces and extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigeration or freezing units. The employee is required to wear protective shoes and gloves or other items required by food handling guides. Must be clean and neat at all times and in proper uniform.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.