Summary
Leads a team of 3+ cooks in preparing varied menu items, ensuring procedures, deadlines, and safety standards are met. Assigns tasks, monitors progress, and demonstrates proper methods while also performing NA-06 level cooking. Prepares and portions foods, maintains inventory, operates and cleans kitchen equipment, and ensures sanitation. Skilled in directing staff, adjusting recipes, coordinating mealtime prep, and judging food quality.
Duties
SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:
Works under the supervision of the activity manager who issues instructions on work sequences, procedures, methods, and deadlines, and relies on the incumbent to ensure that other members of the group carry out work assignments. Supervisor is available to provide information or decisions regarding problems that may arise during work. Overall work operations are reviewed for status and progress, causes of delays, quality, and results achieved.
MAJOR DUTIES:
Leads a staff of 3 or more NA-04 and NA-06 cooks in the preparation of a variety of menu items. Receives instructions from manager or supervisor on duty and passes assignments down to individual members of the group being led. Assures that there is enough work to keep all employees on duty busy. Checks work in progress and ensures that all procedures are followed and that deadlines are met. Reports work progress to the supervisor and obtains information to handle problems that arise during work. Demonstrates proper work methods to other employees and answers procedural questions that they may have.
Works along with other workers, setting the pace, performing non-supervisory work at the NA-06 level. Prepares a variety of foods and desserts according to menu requirements. Follows recipes to prepare menu items. Adjusts recipes for larger or smaller quantities. Roasts a variety of meats. Grills, broils, steams, and deep fries foods. Apportions foods for family-style servings as well as for plate service. Prepares vegetables and cold food platters. Makes a variety of salads and sandwiches. Prepares eggs, French toast, and pancakes. Follows health and safety precautions to ensure safe preparation and storage of food items. Monitors and maintains the appropriate temperature of all food items throughout preparation and service.
Bring prepared foods from the preparation area to the refrigerators or the serving area. Picks up items needed for menu preparation, rotating food inventories as appropriate. Takes inventory to determine ordering requirements. Loads hot foods in carts. Sets up and serves food as necessary. Check food for appropriate preparation, temperature, and packaging.
Operates kitchen equipment designed to mix and cook food items. Assures that all equipment is cleaned, maintained, and available to employees. Keeps working area clean in accordance with standard sanitation requirements. Maintains personal hygiene. Performs other duties as assigned.
SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE:
Ability to direct the work activities of cooks during the assigned shift. Ability to plan, coordinate, and time daily assignments for completion at mealtime, and adjust recipes for the number of servings needed. Knowledge of food characteristics to judge freshness, color, consistency, taste, etc., and know when food is properly cooked. Ability to instruct lower-graded cooks on cooking procedures. Ability to operate and maintain kitchen equipment. Knowledge of safety and sanitary requirements.
RESPONSIBILITY:
Incumbent works under the direction of a supervisor who establishes daily work assignments and provides general instructions. Employee analyzes and corrects production problems independently and coordinates the cooking process for food items assigned directly. Within the framework of accepted methods, recipes, and established procedures, the employee makes decisions regarding recipe adjustments for the number of servings and size of equipment to use. Incumbent decides when food items are done and, on occasion, recommends changes or adjustments in recipes for improvement of flavor, texture, and appearance. May work alone in cooking small quantities, e.g, later suppers for a few persons, or in cooking breakfast, or in baking items. Work is subject to spot checks by a supervisor for compliance with instructions and emergency changes, established work methods, and accepted cooking practices, for quality flavor, appearance of prepared foods, and sanitary requirements, and proper use of food service equipment.
PHYSICAL EFFORT:
Work involves continual standing and walking, frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Must be able to lift or move objects up to 40 pounds unassisted and occasionally lift or move objects weighing over 40 pounds with the assistance of other workers or lifting devices.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Work is performed in kitchen areas, which are well-lit but are often hot and noisy. Employees are exposed to steam, fumes, odors from cooking, and extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigerators or freezing units. Must stand on the tile floor. Subject to burns, cuts, and slipping on wet floors.
How to Apply
You may submit your application package using one of the two methods identified below:
Electronically (preferred) at https://www.usajobs.gov/ and search for Vacancy Identification Number (VIN)
Manually: A manual application can be obtained by contacting the servicing NAF Human Resources Office listed on this vacancy announcement. All application requirements must be met by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of this vacancy.
If you would like to apply manually, please contact the servicing NAF Human Resources (HRO) listed on this job announcement to request a copy of the manual application form.
All completed manual application forms (along with resume and other supporting documentation) must be received no later than 3 pm on the closing date of this announcement in order to process your application in a timely manner.
Neglecting to respond to the job related questions will result in an ineligible rating.
Next steps
A rating panel will evaluate referred applicants to determine the quality and extent of total accomplishments, experience, education, and/or certification. The top candidates will be forwarded to the hiring official for selection consideration and may undergo an interview and reference checks.