This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service of a Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Nutrition and Food Services is responsible for providing meals and nutritional care to Veteran patients at the Medical Center. The primary purpose of the Cook, WG-6, is to prepare nutritious, high quality meals for service to the Veterans. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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 Safety Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading) Materials 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. ["Food Preparation . Works independently to prepare and cook 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. . Cooks hot cereals, concentrated or dehydrated soups, sauces, gravies. . Grills eggs, hamburgers, meat patties, pancakes, French toast; 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, muffin batters. . Prepares and heats convenience items; prepares pureed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners. . Washes, peels and cuts fruits and vegetables by hand or machine. Assembles and mixes salad ingredients and dessert items including gelatin molds and fruit crisps. . Plans cooking processes to produce complete meals on time and at the proper temperature which may require coordination of cooking several items with different cooking times. . Attractively presents and garnishes food. . Makes a variety of desserts such as cobblers, brownies, cookies and pastries. . Washes, peels, chops, grinds, pares, cuts, slices, dices, purees, dredges, flours, breads items. . Weighs, measures, assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets. . Combines ingredients according to recipes to produce quality food items, minimizing preparation time and food waste. . Pans foods for bulk rethermalization according to recipe guidelines and production guidelines. . Covers, dates, and stores leftovers according to established local policies/procedures. . Operates a variety of kitchen equipment: oven, combi oven/steamer, grill, slicer, mixer, steam kettles, blender, food processor, scale; follows safety procedures regarding the operation of equipment. . Gathers test data to assist management in making purchasing and menu pricing decisions. Food Safety/Sanitation . Follows sanitary food handling procedures; covers, labels and dates food items; utilize or discard ingredients by expiration date. . Disassembles and assembles component parts and accessories for cleaning. . Cleans, stores and maintains all kitchen utensils, equipment and work areas practicing a \"clean as you go\" concept. . Cleans and sanitizes assigned work areas: worktables, sinks, blast chillers, racks, carts. . Achieves certification in food safety such as ServSafe and is able to apply knowledge of food safety, food temperatures, etc. . Operates dish machine; checks detergent level and water temperature before washing and sanitizing cook's equipment. Checks equipment to make sure it is free of food residue and soap. . Cleans ovens, combi oven/steamer, slicer, mixer, steam kettles, grill daily. . Collects trash, sorts and prepares items for recycling. . Cleans floors, walls, shelves as assigned. . Performs deep cleaning tasks such as cleaning walk-in refrigerators and freezers. May operate powered floor cleaning or steam equipment for deep cleaning. . Prepares food production worksheets from computerized recipe files. Food Storage . Receives, rotates and stores perishable and non-perishable items according to service policies. Removes outdated or damaged goods from stock. . Labels all food items with contents and dates per labeling guidelines. . Weighs, measures, and assembles ingredients accurately and according to standardized recipes or requisitions. . Monitor and maintain proper spacing of food products from floor, ceiling and shelving to ensure adequate air flow and spacing of products for optimal food safety. . Monitor for signs of pest notifying the appropriate individual as determined by your local policy. . Maintain accurate food inventories. . Provides assistance to supervisor or higher-grade worker in ordering food in accordance with daily and weekly menu requirements. . Maintains strict security of all areas. Work Schedule: Tour of duty varies between, Sunday - Saturday, 5:00am to 8:00pm. This will be discussed during the interview. Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99818-S and PD99818S Physical Requirements: Continuous standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, pushing and pulling. Lifts or moves objects weighing up to 40 lbs."]
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?Readying Warriors and Caring for Heroes! This position is located within Surgical Services at the CAPT James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, IL. The FHCC is a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), and Department of Navy (DoN)/Department of Defense (DoD). It is larger than just a single facility, but rather it is a fully-integrated medical care facility with a single combined VA and Navy mission. The combined mission of the FHCC means active duty military and their family members, military retirees, and eligible veterans receive health care at this facility.VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Join the FHCC team of energetic, career-minded professionals! For additional information, click onhttp://www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov/index.asp.