Food Service Worker Leader

About the role

This position is responsible for leading and training directing wage grade personnel working in the food service and food production units. In this capacity employee encourages and coordinates employees to fully utilize their time and to complete their assigned tasks in a satisfactory manner. This position reports to the Supervisory Dietitian.

What you will do

• This position is located at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VA Medical Center, in the Nutrition and Food Service (N&FS) department.
• The primary purpose of this position is to plan, produce, direct, coordinate and monitor all phases of food production.
• In the absence of the Food Service Section Supervisor, the employee is responsible for the operation of both the Food Production/Service areas and the administrative duties within those areas.
• Major duties and responsibilities include: Trains food service personnel in safe food handling practices.
• Trains new employees in departmental standard operating procedures.
• Trains in continuing and new education in food safety, service techniques, customer service and Nutrition and Food Service policy.
• Uses proper cleaning solutions to sanitize food preparation surfaces.
• Maintains a wide knowledge of food service operations, is capable of performing all lower graded tasks.
• Conducts final check of trays to ensure correct foods, temperature and portions as appropriate.
• Ensures trays appear appetizing, and contents are complete including condiments and utensils.
• Leads the food service activities of production and service areas to ensure proper work methods are utilized.
• Prepares and serves specialized foods and beverages for modified diets.
• Mixes liquid formulas/beverages in accordance to label instructions.
• Converts metric measurements to the U.S. standard system.
• Adjusts quantities of ingredients used when preparing food for individual or larger groups.
• Plans, organizes and completes food service to patients/customer according to established schedule/regulations.
• Instructs others in sanitation regulations and procedures to prevent bacteria contamination.
• Reads and understands standard recipes when preparing simple or complex menu items.
• Applies sanitation guidelines to safeguard food against spoilage and waste.
• Ensures food service staff adheres to customer service standards.
• Works with employees in planning and organizing duties to accomplish work objectives and foster a team effort.
• Collaborates with the Food Service Supervisors.
• Leads food production and delivery activities in the absence of a Supervisor or Food Production Manager.
• Performs duties of lower grade food service workers if staffing requires.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor.
• Preferred Experience: Experiences in leading and/or supervising a team, maintaining a safe working environment for food service staff by enforcing established safety protocols, identifying hazardous conditions, and ensuring that proper procedures are followed during high-risk activities such as safe equipment operation, chemical handling, and food production under time pressure.
• Onboarding new food service employees, conducting skills-based training on food preparation, sanitation, therapeutic diet protocols, and equipment operation, and evaluating staff competency on an ongoing basis.
• Active ServSafe manager certification.
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker Leader/PD99918S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Physical Requirement: The employee is subject to continuous standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling.
• Lifts or moves objects weighing up to 40 lbs. unassisted and occasionally lifts or moves objects weighing more than 40 lbs. with assistance of a lifting device or other workers.
• Manipulates cumbersome, heavy objects, such as washing stainless steel mixing bowls, pushing heavy carts on casters or operating heavy equipment.
• Possesses manual dexterity to operate equipment and to handle sharp knives and blades safely.
• Utilizes eye-hand coordination and the ability to concentrate and react quickly to serve food and operate equipment Working Conditions: Performs work in areas of extremes of temperature, such as walk-in refrigeration or freezing units.
• Work is carried out in kitchen/dish room areas that are often hot, uncomfortable and noisy.
• Environment includes exposure to extreme cold while working in walk-in refrigerators and freezers for extended periods of time to complete duties.
• Works with other cooks, food service workers and supervisors.
• Is exposed to steam, cooking odors, and noise from equipment and conversation.
• Is subject to hazards of cuts, bruises, strains, burns and falls in kitchen environment.
• Uses strong cleaning and sanitizing solutions which may frequently be skin and respiratory irritants.
• Performs work in patient care settings where there may be exposure to contagious disease.
• May have contact with patients who demonstrate verbally and/or physically aggressive behavior.
• Required to wear proper hair covering and clean uniform.
• Wear disposable gloves when handling food for service and proper protective equipment when completing cleaning activities.

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 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.

Education

This position does not have an education qualification requirement.

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. Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.

Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion.

The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Documents you must provide

• Incomplete packets will not be considered.
• Failure to submit the required documentation may make you ineligible for this position.
• The following documents are required from all applicants: Résumé: For each job/position listed, you must include a job title, detailed duties, month and year for each start/end date and if full-time or part-time status, include the number of hours worked each week.
• Responses to the questionnaire The following additional supporting documents may be submitted, if applicable: SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action 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.

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met.

If initial application submission is updated and resubmitted with a new resume, only the most current resume will be considered. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview.

All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and 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.

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.