Summary ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has granted the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Direct Hiring Authority for Food Service Worker positions based on a critical hiring need identified within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This authority does not require the application of Veterans' preference or rating and ranking. Applicants will be assessed in the order in which they are received and qualified selections made in that order. Responsibilities The Food Service Worker perform tasks with several steps or a sequence of tasks that requires attention to work operations. They follow set procedures in accomplishing repetitive assignments and follow an established sequence of work such as working in the dish room, passing trays, portioning cold foods and dipping hot foods. Duties include: Set up cafeteria lines, steam tables, dining room tables, and side service stands with hot and cold food items Serve food cafeteria style by placing uniform portions of food on customers'/patients' plates Break down and clean assigned area when the meal is finished and return food to the kitchen Set up dining room tables for service, place food and beverages on tables, and replenish items as necessary Return soiled trays and dishes to the dish room after meals Deliver meal trays to the patients' bedsides Brew coffee according to the number of servings required Assemble and toss fresh fruit or green salads in quantity using prepared dressings and portions into standard serving sizes Apportion other food items into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and containers Make cold sandwiches using prepared ingredients and pack box lunches Work in one or more functional areas of the kitchen such as food preparation, dish and pot washing, dry and refrigerated storage and receiving, and the serving line Sort, wash, peel and cut fresh fruits and vegetables Operate and break down equipment Perform heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas Separate food waste and trash from dishes, glasses and silverware in the dish washing area Remove inspection doors, strainer pans, screens and spray arms for preventive maintenance of the dish machine Unload delivery trucks Store sanitized dishes, glasses and silverware Scrape, soak, scour, and scrub the heavier cooking utensils Move heavy garbage cans when collecting and transferring trash from the work area to the disposal area Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Sunday through Saturday - 7:00 am - 3:30 pm and/or 11:00 am - 7:30 pm - 40 hours a week with a Rotating Schedule that may include weekends, holiday's, evenings, and nights Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/PD08010A, PD99921A, and PD08009A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Pre-employment physical required Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element (WG-2 and higher only; screen-outs are not applicable to WG-1). Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume. You will be rated on the following Job Elements as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position. Dexterity and Safety Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Technical Practices Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Without more than normal supervision Work Practices 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. Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: Food Service Workers perform work requiring light to moderate physical effort. They may be required to perform heavy work, such as scouring and scrubbing large size cooking utensils and pushing heavy carts and trucks in unloading, storing, and delivering supplies. They are subject to continuous standing and walking, and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. They frequently lift or move objects weighing up to 20 pounds unassisted and occasionally lift or move objects weighing more than 40 pounds with the assistance of others. Working Conditions: The work is performed in kitchen areas where the steam and heat from cooking and dishwashing equipment often cause uncomfortably high temperatures and humidity. The work area is well-lighted but usually noisy from food service activities, and there is danger of slipping on floors where food or beverages have been dropped. Food service workers are regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot working surfaces, and extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigeration or freezing units Education Not applicable. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at pm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.