The position is in the Central Virginia VA Healthcare System in Richmond Virginia Nutrition and Food Service. As Food Service Specialist, the incumbent is fully responsible for the culinary technical standard ensuring that efficient, safe and high-quality food services are provided to the Veteran, both inpatient and outpatient. The incumbent reports to the Supervisory Dietitian GS-0630, working independently, in conformance with established practices and prescribed procedures.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities of the Food Service Specialist includes but is not limited to the following: Culinary Quality Management. 35% Serves as the technical and quality expert of culinary standards. Analyzes and performs quality improvement tasks for menus and food service arrangements. Identifies current culinary industry trends and incorporates state-of-the art processes, equipment, and programs in the delivery of customer-focused feeding operations. Creates and tests specialized recipes and develops specialized food preparation methods to meet the needs of the Veteran population Applies advanced culinary techniques which minimize the use of restricted nutrients to develop refined and patient pleasing flavors, textures and presentations. Creates specialized food service menus, recipes and service techniques offered in a hospital setting to include diets for multiple medical conditions, including modifications in micro and or macro nutrients, food allergies, sensitivities and food consistencies, which are reviewed and approved by the Supervisory Dietitian. Adjusts menus for cultural and religious practices and preferences. Culinary Consulting Work 35% Provides forecasts of required food items based on advanced understanding of edible portions of yield and waste factors. Identifies culinary and food service developmental and training needs of employees, providing or arranging for needed development and training. Performs quality control on plate presentations, recipe compliance, taste quality control, plate waste studies and overall culinary controls. Develops culinary performance and quality improvement initiatives for food service operations. Attends focus groups and implements strategies to closer meet customer desires within clinical parameters, while partnering with Clinical Nutrition Section. Performs administration responsibilities. 30% Serves as lead culinary specialist, researching, advising, training and educating in the advancement of culinary arts for the service. Develops culinary technical standards for food service team. Advises on all culinary standards of food service and contract matters related to food and subsistence matters and operations. Provides budgetary input on food service subsistence needs, advises on future budgetary requests for food service and culinary program advancements Coordinates all resources including the equipment, labor and ingredients in the consistent delivery of high-quality foods. Identifies issues, deficiencies or improvements, especially in the area of food production, productivity, safety and quality, taking immediate corrective action which can vary from one-to-one training to procedural changes Serves as Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for food service and food distribution contracts and oversees subsistence/supply ordering daily. Also serves as the COR for purchase and maintenance of equipment contracts. Conducts product samplings with vendors, keeps current on new food product availability. Provides long-range planning advice to ensure efficient and effective provision and updating of equipment; food preparation, quality and facilities equipment, facilities, training, and personnel concerns. Identifies new equipment to bring into food service systems, determines equipment replacement schedules and established budget for equipment replacement. Work Schedule: 0800-4:30pm Monday - Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Food Services Specialist/PD99847S Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/27/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For this position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9 grade level . The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education, as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: 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: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Culinary Arts (preferred) or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and ManagementFood ServiceQuality ManagementTechnical Competence 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. Physical Requirements: The work requires physical exertion such as lifting, bending, pushing, frequent walking, standing, stooping, reaching, stretching. Also unpacking and/or tagging supplies and equipment and carrying moderately heavy items such as personal computers, equipment, subsistence, supplies and chemical supplies For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Central Virginia VA Health Care System 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard Richmond, VA 23249 US
• Name: Danielle Muse
• Phone: 202-745-8000 X54287
• Email: [email protected]