Duties
DESCRIPTION OF MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Performs a full range of simple cooking by preparing and cooking items that require little or no processing, such as pancakes, sausage, eggs, hamburgers, and fresh or canned vegetables. Prepares hot cereals and concentrated or dehydrated soups, sauces, and gravies. Makes cold sandwich fillings. Sets up and replenishes the salad bar.
Prepares food by peeling, chopping, grinding, paring, cutting, slicing, dicing, pureeing, dredging, flouring, or breading. Weighs, measures, and assembles ingredients for regular and modified menu items. Mixes ingredients according to precisely written recipes, covers, dates, and stores leftovers in accordance with established procedures.
Operates a variety of kitchen equipment using gas, electricity, steam, or microwave heat sources. Disassembles, cleans, and assembles component parts and accessories, following safety procedures to avoid personal injury and damage to the equipment. Uses and cleans a variety of cooking utensils to measure, weigh, and process food items. Cleans, stores, and maintains all equipment and work areas after each use. Cleans other work areas and equipment, such as worktables, floors, walk-in refrigerators, etc., on an established cleaning schedule. Follows established sanitation procedures when handling food. Ensures that foods are stored at the correct temperatures to prevent bacterial growth. Performs other duties as assigned.
Skill and Knowledge:
Basic knowledge of food preparation methods and procedures. Skill to cook a limited variety of prepared foods or short-order foods. Ability to read and understand written food service material, such as food labels, standardized recipes, and basic work instructions. Skill in performing basic mathematical computations to multiply ingredients in a recipe or to determine how many servings a container will hold. Knowledge of the various tables of weights and measures and the ability to follow instructions to convert from standard to metric measurements. Skill in operating, disassembling, and cleaning basic food service equipment such as griddles, broilers, and food grinders. Knowledge of basic sanitation, infection, and spoilage control procedures.
Responsibility:
Assignments are received orally or in writing from the supervisor in the form of a cook's worksheet, menus, standardized recipes, and meal schedules. A supervisor or higher-grade cook provides detailed instructions on cooking methods and the use of equipment for new or more complex assignments. The employee is responsible for the proper use and cleaning of kitchen equipment, adhering to safety practices, maintaining personal hygiene, and ensuring conformance with food service sanitation requirements. A higher-grade cook is available to answer technical questions and ensure that the work is being done properly. Completed work is evaluated in terms of the quality of food cooked and adherence to time schedules and instructions.
Physical Effort:
Work involves continuous standing and walking, as well as 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. Employee is exposed to steam, fumes, odors from cooking, and to extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigerators or freezing units. Must stand on tile floor, subject to burns, cuts, and slipping on wet floors.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Direct Deposit and Social Security Card are required upon appointment
- Meet qualification/eligibility/background requirements for this position
- All required background checks of AR215 -3, Chapter 2, paragraph 213: i. must be satisfactory completed and maintained to include the initiation/completion of Child and Youth National Agency Check with Inquiries (CNACI).
- One year probationary period may be required
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold a valid U.S. passport, and be at least 18 years of age.
- A pre-employment physical is required
- Must be willing to work irregular work schedule (nights/weekends/holidays)
- Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
- Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 4 hours initial food sanitation and safety training is required within 30 days of employment and a minimum of 4 hours refresher training annually.
Qualifications
RESUMES MUST BE TWO PAGES (OR LESS). QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE CLEARLY VERIFIABLE IN YOUR RESUME. GOVERNMENT POSITIONS MUST INCLUDE PAY PLAN, SERIES, GRADE, TO AND FROM DATES, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCY/DEPARTMENT. Must include at least one year of experience performing duties at a level which equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform successfully in the position.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Work experience in preparing food and cooking simple foods and short orders in a cafeteria, restaurant, or mess.
Demonstration of the following work behavior is desirable:
- Neatness and good grooming.
- Dependability.
- Ability to work under pressure.
All Qualified applicants will be rated against the highly qualifying criteria by a rating panel for evaluation of the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience and education. Those applicants determined to be highly qualified will be referred to the hiring official for consideration. The highly qualified candidates may undergo an interview and reference checks.
All answers to the Highly Qualifying Criteria must be demonstrated in your resume to get credit.
Education
High School graduate or equivalent.
All candidates (to include current employees) are required to include transcripts with their application package. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. Only education from accredited and pre-accredited institutions will be accepted. Foreign education must be evaluated for equivalency in the United States. For more information, please click here.
Benefits
Working for Army Non-Appropriated Funds (NAF) can offer numerous advantages. Army NAF employment can provide a sense of pride and fulfillment, as you'll be supporting communities comprised of military and civilian personnel, and their families, which contributes to the Department of Defense's overall mission. We offer a wide range of career opportunities, including jobs in childcare, recreation, hospitality, and more. Many employees have opportunities for professional development, including training, education, and certification programs to help towards career advancement. As an Army NAF employee, you'll have access to some on-base facilities, including fitness centers, libraries, and many other amenities.
Regular full-time and part-time employees are eligible for enrollment in health and life insurance, participation in 401k and retirement plans, and paid personal time off and federal holidays. Some flexible employees may also be eligible to receive health insurance.
For a slideshow presentation regarding these benefits, please click the link below.
Review our benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your Application Matters: How We Will Review It
We want to help you put your best foot forward! Please take time to carefully follow all application instructions - missing information or skipped steps could impact your eligibility.
- Your application will be thoughtfully reviewed to see how well your experience and qualifications align with the requirements listed in this announcement. This includes your resume, supporting documents, and responses to the assessment questionnaire.
- We will consider your responses to our application questionnaire.
- If you're tentatively qualified, we'll take a closer look to ensure your questionnaire responses match the experience reflected in your resume and documentation.
Note: If it's later found that qualifications or experience were overstated, it may affect your consideration for the position - so honesty and clarity are key.
Understanding Eligibilities: What You Can Claim When Applying
When you apply for a federal position through USAJOBS or USA Staffing, you may be eligible for selection preference or priority consideration based on your background or status. These eligibilities can improve your chances of being considered or referred for a position.
Depending on your situation, you may be able to claim one or more of the following eligibilities:
- NAF Preference 1 Spouse Employment Preference (SEP)
- NAF Preference 2 Involuntarily Separated From the Military (ISMP)
- NAF Preference 3 Family Member Preference (FMP) (Foreign OCONUS ONLY)
- NAF Priority Consideration 1 Business Based Action (BBA)
- NAF Priority Consideration 2 Former NAF Employee (FNE)/Current NAF (CNE)/Current APF Employee (CAE)
- NAF Priority Consideration 3 Outside Applicant Veteran (OAV) (Includes spouses and parents)
Tip: Be sure to review each eligibility carefully and provide the required documentation. Claiming an eligibility without proper support may affect your application status. Looking for more details? Refer to the
Who Gets Initial Consideration (Selection Preferences) and the
What Other Considerations are Available sections of our Applicant Information Kit.
How to Apply
You may submit your application package using one of the two methods identified below:
1. Electronically (preferred) at https://www.usajobs.gov/ and search for Announcement # ELRLT20250006112813660
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 10/22/2025 to receive consideration.
- Click Apply to access the online application.
- You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to include in your application.
- Reminder: Federal agencies are required to limit resumes to two (2) pages or less. Please review the Required Documents section of this announcement for more details
- You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the IncludePersonal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application
-
- package and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account and designate the document type when submitting your application
- It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that the application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Click this link to preview the application: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12813660
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the Applicant Manager Online Help (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us) site.
- To verify or check the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account. Once logged in, the Welcome screen lists your applications, your application status and the date it was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status
2.
Manually: Please refer to the "Additional Information" section of this announcement for instructions.
Next steps
Our Next Steps to Review Your Application and Keep You Informed
- Application Review
- Once you submit your application, the system will automatically review your answers to the application questionnaire to determine if you meet the basic qualifications for the job.
- If you meet the qualifications, your application will move to the next step, where our HR representatives will carefully review your experience, skills, education (if applicable), and how well you match the job requirements.
- Keeping You Informed
- If you provided an email address, you'll receive a confirmation email letting you know we've received your application.
- As your application moves through the hiring process, we'll send you updates and notifications via email.
- Processing times may vary, but we'll do our best to keep you informed every step of the way.
Your Next Steps to stay on Top of Your Application
- Check Your Contact Information
- If your contact information changes after the job announcement closes, let us know as soon as possible.
- Ensure You Receive Updates
- Double-check that your email address is accurate and that your inbox can receive messages from us.
- Make sure your mailbox isn't full and check your spam or junk folder to avoid missing important updates about your application.
3.
Sign Up for Text Alerts
- Want to stay ahead in the hiring process? In your USAJOBS profile, you can sign up to receive text alerts about jobs you applied to or tasks you need to complete.
We're excited about your interest in this position and look forward to reviewing your application