Cook Steward Job in Portland, OR

Vacancy No. CERH258725075395 Department U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Salary $35.80 to $41.79 Grade 4 to 4
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/8/2025 Close Date 7/18/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Portland, OR


Summary

About the Position: This position is aboard a hopper dredge. The Portland District's hopper dredges Yaquina and Essayons, work to ensure a safe "highway" for ships and other vessels. The hopper dredge is a specialized sea-going vessel designed to dredge and transport dredged material from ocean bars, fast flowing rivers and isolated harbors to open-water disposal areas.Serves as Cook-Steward in charge of the Galley Department operations on board a seagoing, automated hopper dredge.

Duties

  • Prepare and serve meals aboard a Hopper Dredge to all Crew Members.
  • You will prepare various meats such as poultry, fish, chops, steaks, roasts.
  • You will prepare various vegetables and fruits in a variety of ways such as cutting, grinding, dicing, and slicing.
  • You will prepare foods in a variety of ways such as soups, stews, gravies and sauces.
  • You will bake bread, cakes and pastries.
  • You will maintain all areas in a clean and orderly condition.
  • Conducts personnel administration by assigning work to subordinates.
  • Counsel employees regarding conduct, leave, benefits, and performance and initiates necessary disciplinary action.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • Heavy lifting, up to 45 lbs, is required from time to time.
  • You must have a current United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC), Steward's Department (SD), Food Handler (FH) endorsement or higher AND a Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC).
  • You will be required to complete and pass a pre-employment physical examination and an annual examination thereafter.
  • This is a mandatory drug Testing Designated Position (TDP), in accordance with EP 600-1-300, USACE Drug Testing Procedures for the Army's Drug-Free Federal Workplace (DFW) Program, dated 28 Feb 01.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.
  • 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans
  • Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
  • Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
  • Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
  • Executive Order (E.O.) 12721
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
  • Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI)
  • Non-Department of Defense (DoD) Transfer
  • Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Interchange Agreement Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
  • Reinstatement
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998


Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

There is no specific length of training or experience required. However, you must be able to demonstrate, through experience shown in your written application materials that you possess the sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position without more than normal supervision.

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (SCREEN OUT) for a Cook Steward, WJ-7404-04. Qualified applicants for this position must have the ability or potential ability to take responsibility for completing an assignment. I have been viewed as an informal group leader or carried out tasks as an informal group leader such as leading a Team to complete a special project or assignment or advising coworkers with less experience when asked for guidance. I have knowledge of materials, tools and equipment used when cooking for groups of people. Failure to meet the screen out element will result in an ineligible rating.


You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc.
  • Ability To Lead or Supervise
  • Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
  • Dexterity and Safety
  • Food Service
  • Knowledge of Materials
  • Work Practices


WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is performed primarily in the galley where there is constant exposure to above average temperatures. Subject to cuts when working with power equipment, or to burns when working near the range. Subject to falls when food is spilled on deck, or when the dredge is in rough water. Incumbent is required to exert moderate to heavy physical effort storing and handling galley supplies and materials. Must possess sufficient agility to climb ladders in all sea conditions.


PHYSICAL EFFORT: Incumbent is required to exert moderate to heavy physical effort storing and handling galley supplies and materials. Must possess sufficient agility to climb ladders in all sea conditions. Lifts and carries equipment normally up to 45 pounds and occasionally over 45 pounds. Work requires prolonged standing, walking, sitting and climbing, all of which can cause exertion of the lower back. The employee must maintain good lower back physical condition. Incumbent must possess color and depth perception and be able to see by low visibility conditions in order to perform duties.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a(n) Cook Steward Career Field position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • The following incentives may be authorized to a highly qualified candidate: Recruitment, Relocation, Advance in Hire, Student Loan Repayment, and/or Advanced Leave Accrual.
  • INCLUDE REQUIRED US Coast Guard Documentation in your application package.
  • A current United States Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant Mariners Credentials (MMC) with a Master Unlimited Oceans endorsement AND a current Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC)

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/Merit Promotion Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
  • Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
  • This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/18/2025 to receive consideration.

  • To begin, 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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12755395).
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. 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 Include Personal 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 in order 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 or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your 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.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Address
RH-W2SJ01 USARMY ENGINEER DISTRICT-PORTLAND
DO NOT MAIL
Portland, OR 97208
US

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


© 2006-2025, exclusive of U. S. government job opportunity announcements