Supervisory Food Services Specialist

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to STATUS applicants to include: permanent Department of Veterans Affairs Employees Nationwide; Current, permanent Federal employees from Other Federal Services Nationwide; All other applicants to include Former Federal Employees with Reinstatement rights, Veterans, and Persons with Disabilities.

Major duties and responsibilities will include:

• Serves as the technical and quality expert of culinary standards
• Provides direct supervision to Food Service Worker Supervisors and Production Supervisors, including the development of performance standards, writing position descriptions, evaluating work performance, counseling of employees and initiating discilinary action when necessary.
• Analyzes and performs quality improvement tasks for menus and food service arrangements
• Oversees and continually improves food service operations
• Identifies and resolves difficult issues and challenges in a complex environment
• Applies advanced culinary techniques which minimize the use of restricted nutrients to develop refined and patient pleasing flavors, textures and presentations
• Plans future advancement in food services, new techniques, procurement and production needs
• Identifies culinary and food service developmental and training needs of employees
• Develops culinary performance, technical standards, and quality improvement initiatives for food service operations
• Ensures compliance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points principles, Joint Commission Standards and food safety principles
• Provides budgetary input on food service operations and culinary program advancements
• Serves as Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for food service, food distribution, and purchase and maintenance of equipment contracts and oversees subsistence/supply ordering
• Conducts studies and investigations to include problem analysis and development of logical/documented recommendations on corrective actions
• Performing related duties as required.

Work Schedule: Variable shifts between 5:00am and 6:30pm, Includes some weekends and holidays.
Telework: No
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Food Services Specialist/PD114510
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Services Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet one of the following:

Specialized Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. To be creditable, experience must have been equivalent the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: overseeing food service operations; identifying and resolving issues; knowledge of culinary procedures; maintaining inventory; knowledge of food service production equipment; assisting with inspecting food for quality; using a computer to perform administrative duties; and providing courteous and efficient customer service.

NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

~OR~

Education: Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three (3) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field. This education must include courses that demonstrate the knowledges, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. This education must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university.
NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

~OR~

Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond a master's degree) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience requirements.

NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Food Service - Knowledge of preparing and serving food for consumption

• Quality Management - Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools of quality assurance, quality control, and reliability used to ensure that a project, system, or product fulfills requirements and standards

• Technical Competence - Knowledge of how to perform one's job. Refers to specialized knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience

• Administration and Management - Knowledge of planning, coordination, and execution of business functions, resource allocation, and production

Physical Demands and Work Environment: Requires physical exertion when lifting, bending, pushing, frequent walking, standing, stooping, reaching, stretching; and also when unpacking and/or tagging supplies and equipment and carrying moderately heavy items such as personal computers, equipment, subsistence, supplies and chemical supplies. Work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks and discomforts associated with production areas, such as exposure to heat, odors or fumes used in work processes; works near operating kitchen equipment (knives, slicers, ovens, stoves, kettles, etc.). Some situations require you to continually stay alert and to take special safety precautions, including wearing special protective items of clothing.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:

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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.

WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Documents Required:

• Resume

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

Next steps