Duties
This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service at the Harry S. Truman Veterans Memorial Hospital. The person in this position prepares nutritious, high quality meals for service to the Veterans.
Major duties and responsibilities include:
Food Preparation:
Performs a full range of simple cooking which entails the preparation and cooking of meals that require little or no processing.
Follows menus, production sheets and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed.
Performs full range of simple cooking by preparing and cooking items requiring little or no processing such as hot cereals, concentrated or dehydrated soups, sauces, and gravies.
Grills eggs, hamburgers, meat patties, pancakes, French toast; broils meats; makes cold sandwich fillings and assembles a variety of sandwiches.
Prepares fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables; bakes frozen potatoes, pre-made cookie dough, muffin batters.
Prepares and heats convenience items such as frozen hash browns, fish fillets, and chicken nuggets; prepares pureed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners. Washes, peels and cuts fruits and vegetables by hand or machine. Assembles and mixes salad ingredients and dessert items including gelatin molds and fruit crisps.
Washes, peels, chops, grinds, pares, cuts, slices, dices, purees, dredges, flours, breads items.
Weighs, measures, assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets. Combines ingredients according to precisely written recipes to produce quality food items, minimizing preparation time and food waste.
Pans foods for bulk rethermalization according to recipe guidelines and production guidelines.
Covers, dates, and stores leftovers according to established local policies/procedures.
Operates a variety of kitchen equipment: oven, combi oven/steamer, grill, slicer, mixer, steam kettles, blender, food processor, scale; follows safety procedures regarding the operation of equipment.
Food Safety/Sanitation:
Follows sanitary food handling procedures; covers, labels and dates food items; utilize or discard ingredients by expiration date.
Disassembles and assembles component parts and accessories for cleaning. Cleans, stores and maintains all kitchen utensils, equipment and work areas practicing a "clean as you go" concept.
Cleans and sanitizes assigned work areas: worktables, sinks, blast chillers, racks, carts.
Achieves certification in ServSafe and can apply knowledge of food safety, food temperatures, etc.
Operates dish machine; checks detergent level and water temperature before washing and sanitizing cook's equipment. Checks equipment to make sure it is free of food residue and soap.
Food Storage:
Rotates and stores perishable and non-perishable items according to service
policies. Removes outdated or damaged goods from stock.
Labels all food items with contents and dates per labeling guidelines.
Weighs, measures, and assembles ingredients accurately and according to standardized recipes or requisitions.
Monitor and maintain proper spacing of food products from floor, ceiling and shelving to ensure adequate air flow and spacing of products for optimal food safety.
Monitor for signs of pest notifying the appropriate individual as determined by your local policy.
Maintain accurate food inventories. Maintains strict security of all areas.
Work Schedule: 11:00 AM-7:30 PM; 20 Hours/Week
Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99819S
Physical Requirements: Subject to continuous standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, pushing and pulling. Lifts or moves objects weighing up to 40 lbs. unassisted. Manipulates cumbersome and heavy objects, such as washing stainless steel mixing bowls, pushing heavy carts on caster, or operating heavy equipment. Manual dexterity needed to safely operate equipment and to handle sharp knives and blades. Hand-eye coordination and ability to concentrate and react quickly to serve food and operate equipment.
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
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/07/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12656884.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.