Food Service Worker

About the role

The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is recruiting for a Food Service Worker. The Food Service Worker will function under the Nutrition & Food Service.

What you will do

• The duties of the position may include but, are not limited to: - Set up assigned station with the correct supplies and food items - Serve food cafeteria style by placing uniform portions of food on customers'/patients'/residents' plates - Break down and clean the station when assigned - 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 - Deliver meal trays to the patients' bedsides and report the patients' comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian - Prepare beverages according to the number of servings required - Prepare fresh fruit cold salads/dressings/sandwich fillings and cold sandwiches and simple cold desserts in specified quantities - Sort, wash, peel and cut cold foods using knives or other equipment - Provide assistance to cooks in the food preparation area, such as weigh, measure and assemble ingredients according to standardized recipes - Prepare uncooked food items, such as sandwich spread and salad dressings - Operate and break down and clean all equipment assigned to food service and related areas - Portion food items into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and specified dishware - Prepare boxed/to go meals - Select and place correct items on patient trays - Read and interpret a regular or modified menu, individual diet cards, tray tickets or patient selections - Identify obvious discrepancies between the prescribed diets and the food items designated by the menu - Decide what food items to serve for the most common diets - Perform heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas - Separate food waste, trash/recyclables from dishes, glasses and silverware - Unload food/tray delivery carts - Store sanitized dishes, glasses and silverware - Scrape, soak, scour, and scrub cookware and utensils - Move garbage cans when collecting and transferring trash from the work area to the disposal area - Other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 5:30am -2:00pm or 11:00am -7:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/PD99920A Physical Requirements: Wage Grade 3 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.
• May be required to work on ladders and use powered cleaning equipment.
• 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.
• Preferred Experience: Healthcare food service experience preferred

Requirements

• 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 (***).
• 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.

How you will be evaluated

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. Area of Consideration -Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order: 1. Current permanent employees of the Battle Creek VA Medical Center and employees of the outpatient clinics located in Muskegon, Lansing, Wyoming and Benton Harbor.

"Smoke-free Facility: All Department of Veterans Affairs facilities are smoke-free. Patients, visitors, and employees are not allowed to smoke in or near any facilities or on the grounds. "VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers.

This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran.

This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Documents you must provide

• Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) Other (2) Other (3) 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.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• Any applicants who are current Federal employees (including current VA employees) must submit a copy of their SF-50/Notification of Personnel Action form (version Jan 2026 or later) showing their current grade/step/salary An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.
• If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement.
• In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include: Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

What to expect next

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted.

HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties.

VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities.

HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities.

HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies.

To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at ***

Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service.

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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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.