Cook, NA-08/RFL

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:

Uses a full range of quantity cooking and baking procedures from the common or frequently used to the new or complex recipes.

Prepares a variety of meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, sauces, gravies, and baked goods (including cakes, cookies, pies, buns, biscuits and rolls) by following standardized recipes at different levels of difficulty. On a daily basis, assignments may include preparing a number of menu items for one meal (usually four or more). Plans and coordinates a variety of steps to ensure all items are ready for serving at the same time. Uses special or difficult recipes involving many steps, ingredients, or long preparation time to prepare menu items, e.g. creole shrimp, sweet and sour pork, spaghetti sauce. Examines all food for quality and freshness before preparation. Makes substitutions and adjustments in food preparation procedures and seasonings to make food more attractive and to improve taste. Makes modifications to recipes for ingredient quantities, number of servings, and size of equipment available. Directs and provides technical guidance, as required, to lower graded personnel. Monitors preparation of menu items by lower grade cooks and reviews menus and standardized recipes to ensure food items are made correctly. Cleans utensils and equipment after use, observes established safety procedures, and keeps the work area clean and tidy.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Skill and Knowledge:

Skill to plan, coordinates, and time the sequences of steps needed to have menu items ready for serving at mealtime without overcooking or waste. Knowledge of related procedures to work in large quantities. Incumbent also applies skills necessary to overcome practical production problems, evaluate final food products, and initiate corrective action when an item does not meet established quality standards. Ability to adjust recipes according to the number of servings needed, e.g., when recipe shows four pounds of rice are needed for 50 servings, incumbent knows to prepare 16 pounds of rice for 200 servings. Employee is skilled in the use of bakery tools and equipment, including powered machines. Knowledge of the characteristic of various raw and cooked foods in order to determine when raw materials are fresh and to judge the final product by its color, consistency, temperature, odor and taste. Skill to provide technical guidance to lower graded personnel. Applies knowledge of special and modified diets. Broad knowledge of sanitation regulations and proper food protection procedures.

Responsibility:

Incumbent works under the direction of supervisor who establishes written daily work assignments and who provides general instructions orally or in writing. Employee analyzes and corrects production problems independently and coordinates the cooking process for food items assigned directly. Coordinates the cooking of items prepared by other cooks at one or more work centers. 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 occasions, 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 supervisor for compliance with instructions and emergency changes, established work methods, accepted cooking practices, for quality flavor, appearance of prepared foods and sanitary requirements, and proper use of food service equipment.

Physical Effort:

The work involves frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Required to frequently lift or move objects weighing up to 40 pounds, e.g., utensils or containers of food. Work also involves continual standing and walking. Occasional lifting of over 50 pounds with assistance of lifting devices or other workers, e.g., pans of meat, if required.

Working Conditions:

Kitchens are often uncomfortably warm and noisy. At times, incumbent is exposed to steam, fumes, and odors from cooking. There is danger of falling on floors that have been freshly mopped or where food has been spilled. There is some danger of burns from steam or hot foods and cuts from knives and electrical utensils, and machines. Exposed to extremes in temperatures when entering walk-in refrigerators from a warm kitchen. Observes established safety procedures and use of protective items to reduce dangers from cited conditions.

Conditions of employment

• Direct Deposit and Social Security Card are required upon appointment
• Meet qualification/eligibility/background requirements for this position
• Subject to satisfactory completion of all pre-employment checks in accordance with AR 215-3, para.2 to include a medical examination.
• 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.
• Must comply with established uniform and appearance standards at all times.
• Employee must complete a minimum of 4 hours of initial food sanitation and safety training within 30 days of employment and a minimum 4 hour refresher training annually.
• Incumbent may be required to complete a Tier 1 background investigation for a Common Access Card for physical access to federally-controlled facilities.

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:

Applicant must have one year of post-high school experience in the hospitality industry or one year of post-high school education.

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
• License
• DA Form 3433
• Notification of Personnel Action for NAF Employees (DA Form 3434 or equivalent)
• Other (3)
• Other (4)
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Reasonable Accommodation Documentation
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Next steps