USAJOBS - Job Announcement
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Job Summary
This job is open to Duties Requirements How you will be evaluated Required documents How to apply
Job Summary
This position is a open continuous announcement supporting Nutrition and Food Services located at either Jefferson Barracks or John Cochran VA Facilities in St Louis MO. The incumbent will perform tasks with several steps or a sequence of tasks that requires attention to work operations follow set procedures in accomplishing repetitive assignments and follow an established sequence of work. They can work in one or more functional areas of the kitchen.
Help
Accepting applications Open & closing dates 02262026 to 09302026 Salary19.62 to - 22.89 per hour Pay scale & gradeWG 3 Locationmany vacancies in the following location Saint Louis MO Remote job No Telework eligibleNo Travel RequiredNot required Relocation expenses reimbursedNo Appointment typePermanent Work scheduleFull-time ServiceCompetitive Promotion potentialNone Job family Series 7408 Food Service Working Supervisory statusNo Security clearanceNot Required Drug testNo Position sensitivity and riskNon-sensitive NSLow Risk Trust determination processCredentialing SuitabilityFitnessFinancial disclosureNo Bargaining unit statusNo Announcement numberOCA-FSW-WG-3-2-FY26 Control number859171100
Duties
Set up assigned station with the correct supplies and food items Serve food cafeteria style by placing uniform portions of food on customers/patients/residents plates Break down and clean the station when assigned 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 weighing, measuring, and assembling 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 food items into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and specified dishware Prepare boxed-to-go meals Select and place correct items on patient trays Read and interpret a regular or modified menu, individual diet cards, tray tickets, or patient selections Identify obvious discrepancies between the prescribed diets and the food items designated by the menu Decide what food items to serve for the most common diets Perform heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas Separate food waste, trash, recyclables from dishes, glasses, and silverware Unload food tray delivery carts Store sanitized dishes, glasses, and silverware Scrape, soak, scour, and scrub cookware and utensils Move garbage cans when collecting and transferring trash from the work area to the disposal area Other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center
Requirements
Conditions of employment U.S. Citizenship, non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy Suitable for Federal employment determined by a background investigation All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA Selective Services Registration is required for males born after 12311959 Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Acceptable forms of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents Effective May 7, 2025, drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement 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, 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 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 online 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, religious, 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 FACTOR I SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE Wage Grade 3 Food Service Workers have an understanding of special procedures in preparing food and serving patients Ability to organize work in a logical sequence, execute tasks quickly and accurately, and meet strict meal schedules Working knowledge of procedures to prevent contamination, such as the need to clean equipment previously used for raw food Working knowledge of sanitation standards, such as the need to keep wiping cloths in sanitizing solution Ability to apply knowledge of general sanitation principles to safeguard food against spoilage and waste Working knowledge of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) Knowledge of the temperature range where the potential of bacterial growth in food is greatest, and the requirement to keep hot food in heated holding equipment or immediately refrigerate it Knowledge of the need to use a chemical sanitizer or maintain proper water temperature when cleaning dishes Ability to read and understand written material Understanding of menus, recipes, and basic work instructions Knowledge of basic arithmetic Ability to read and understand diet cards and/or tray tickets when working, assembling trays Knowledge of color codes that signify regular or modified diets or other precautions Knowledge of the most frequently used modified diets to place food items and beverages on the patient tray, where only the diet is known and not a precise listing of foods Understanding of food terminology, measurements, and serving information in standardized recipes and menus Knowledge and skill to portion food items according to approved portion control practices Skill to use correct measuring utensils or a portion control scale Understanding of the routine methods and procedures used in all functional areas of the food service operation Skill to train lower-grade workers in methods and procedures Interpersonal skills to be able to interact appropriately with Veterans, visitors, coworkers, supervisors, and other medical center personnel
FACTOR II RESPONSIBILITY
Wage Grade 3 Food Service Workers complete assignments individually or as part of a team under the general supervision of the immediate supervisor Assignments are made either orally or in writing Detailed instructions are provided only for special projects The work involving diet tray assembly is usually performed as a team with the worker being expected to know the commonly used diets in order to place items on a tray Completed diet trays are checked by a higher-level food service worker Work involving actual food preparation is accomplished under the guidance of a cook who provides technical instruction and checks work in progress and upon completion for conformance with acceptable food service practices