Clarification from the agency

United States (U.S.) Citizens who have resided in the U.S. or U.S. territory for three (3) or more continuous years immediately preceding the start of Federal affiliation. In accordance with the NATO Status of Forces Agreement with Germany, citizens of the host country and citizens of a NATO country not married to an active-duty U.S. military member are not eligible for US NAF employment.

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.

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.

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.

About Your Resume:

• Federal agencies are required to limit resumes to two (2) pages or less and it must support the general or specialized experience described in this announcement.
• Your resume must be 5 megabytes (MB) or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to preserve formatting and page count.
• (https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit)
• Please do not include photographs, personal images or other inappropriate content in your application materials.

Expedite Your Hiring

• To better expedite the hiring process, we recommend including contact information (name, email, phone number) for professional references in your application.

Required Documents
Required documents may vary based on the requirements for the position. The below document(s) are required and MUST be submitted with your application by the closing date of this job announcement:

• Resume

Other Accepted Documents
Other accepted documents to support a qualification and/or claimed preference/priority eligibility may include:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• DA Form 3433
• Notification of Personnel Action for NAF Employees (DA Form 3434 or equivalent)
• Other (3)
• Other (4)
• PCS Orders
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Next steps