This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service at the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care Systems (VAMHCS) in Baltimore, MD, The person in this position prepares nutritious, high quality meals for service to the Veterans. The position has a sequence of steps that require attention to work operations, sanitation and safety; work assignments may require knowledge and judgment.

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Independently prepares and cooks a variety of items including regular and therapeutic diet (diabetic, low sodium, low protein, gluten free, etc.) entrees and dessert items Follows menus, production sheets, and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed Grills eggs, meat patties, pancakes, French toast; broils meats; makes cold sandwich fillings and assembles a variety of sandwiches Uses a variety of methods to prepare meats, fish, and poultry including broiling, roasting, baking, frying, boiling, steaming, stewing, braising, and grilling Slices meat items by hand, confirming to specific size requirements or weight specifications Prepares fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables; bakes frozen potatoes, pre-made cookie dough, and muffin batters Prepares and heats convenience items, and prepares pureed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners Washes, peels, and cuts fruits and vegetables; assembles and mixes salad ingredients and dessert items, including gelatin molds and fruit crisps Plans cooking processes to produce meals on time and at the proper temperature which may require coordination of cooking several items with different cooking times Makes a variety of desserts such as cobblers, brownies, cookies, and pastries Weighs, measures, and assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets Operates a variety of kitchen equipment and follows appropriate safety procedures Follows sanitary food handling procedures Disassembles and reassembles equipment for cleaning Cleans and sanitizes work areas, and performs deep cleaning tasks when needed Operates industrial dish machine Other duties as assigned Preferred Experience Transports food carts to patient units. Delivers meal trays and nourishments to patient's bed and retrieves soiled trays and service ware from the areas to the dishwashing area. Loads and operates mechanical dish machine including breaking it down and cleaning the machine as instructed. Portions and serves prepared foods by neatly arranging and placing items on patient tray. Uses portion control utensils as assigned. Follows written recipes and verbal instruction. Routinely maintains food temperatures during food service and at point of food delivery according to established procedures. Utilizes Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) methodology to prevent foodborne illness and food contamination and safeguard food through the workflow. Records data as required. Maintains an uncluttered, clean and sanitary work area by following the "clean as you go" sanitary food preparation and handling procedures to prevent foodborne illness and food contamination. Recognizes the need for extra housekeeping, prompt attention to spills and follows equipment cleaning schedules without neglecting assigned duties. Follows acceptable personal hygiene practices as instructed and promotes the proper appearance required in Nutrition and Food Services. Follows instructions and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the safe and proper use of cleaning and sanitizing agents. Cleans pots and pans and performs other heavy duty cleaning tasks. Transports trash from the work area to designated disposal area. Uses powered cleaning equipment as instructed. Replenishes supplies in working area. Discusses and reports all system problems to Room Service Supervisors, Cook Supervisor or Site Manager. Notifies Clinical Nutrition Staff of any problems related to nutritional care. Work Schedule: Full-Time, hours vary, rotating shifts, weekends and Holidays Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99818S Physical Requirements: Subject to continuous standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling. Lifts or moves objects weighing up to 40 lbs. unassisted. Manipulates cumbersome and heavy objects, such as washing stainless steel mixing bowls, pushing heavy carts on caster, or operating heavy equipment. Manual dexterity needed to safely operate equipment and to handle sharp knives and blades. Hand-eye coordination and ability to concentrate and react quickly to serve food and operate equipment.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/02/2024. RESUME REQUIREMENTS -Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: Job Title (for each position)Description of duties (be as detailed as possible) Month and year start/end dates (e.g. June 2018 to April 2020) of employment Full-time or part-time status (include average hours worked per week) EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards. 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: Dexterity and SafetyInterpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)MaterialsTechnical PracticesUse and Maintain Tools and EquipmentWithout more than normal supervisionWork 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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Contacts

• Address VA Maryland Health Care System 10 North Greene Street Baltimore, MD 21201 US
• Name: Larry Choice
• Phone: (410)-691-6340
• Email: [email protected]