<p>This Food Service Worker position is located within the VA Central Iowa Health Care System, Des Moines, IA. The Food Service Worker performs tasks involved in serving food and beverages and preparing simple food. Assignments include tasks with several steps or a sequence of tasks requiring close attention to procedure. Work is repetitive and requires some judgment in maintaining established standards of sanitation, safety, and service to our Veterans.</p> <p>Major duties and responsibilities include (but are not limited to):</p> <ul> <li>Sets up and breaks down assigned station with the correct supplies and food items; </li><li>Portions food items into standard serving sizes using the proper utensils and specified dishware; </li><li>Decides what food items to serve for the most common diets when the diet card or tray ticket identifies only the kind of diet called for; </li><li>Provides patients with basic information about modified diets and the nutrition services that are available; </li><li>Identifies obvious discrepancies between the prescribed diets and the food items designated by the menu; </li><li>Follows directions in assembling, measuring, weighing, or mixing ingredients for basic formulas and supplemental feedings following standardized recipes and using sanitary techniques; </li><li>Delivers meal trays to the patients' bedsides; reporting the patients' comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian; </li><li>Provides assistance to cooks in the food preparation area including assembling, labeling and arranging completed recipe items in preparation for use by cooks; </li><li>Prepares fresh fruit/cold salads/dressings/sandwich fillings and cold sandwiches and simple cold desserts along with individual and bulk nourishments and supplement foods and beverages for patients; </li><li>Makes final check of diet trays assembled by lower grade workers for completeness, correct food temperatures; </li><li>Works in one or more functional areas of the kitchen such as food preparation, dish and pot washing, dry and refrigerated storage and receiving, and the serving line; </li><li>Performs heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas; </li><li>Performing other duties as assigned. </li></ul> <p>Work Schedule: 6:00am - 2:30pm or 10:30am - 7:00pm, five (5) days per week, rotating shifts.</p> <p>Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/ PD99836S</p> <p>Physical Effort and Work Conditions: Work is performed in kitchen areas where the steam and heat from cooking and dishwashing equipment often cause uncomfortably high temperatures and humidity. Food service workers are regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot working surfaces and extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigeration units. Performs work requiring light to moderate physical effort. 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. Subject to continuous standing and walking, and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds unassisted and occasionally lift or move objects weighing more than 40 pounds with the assistance of others.</p> <p>Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualifications. For this position, the job element method is used to match what you, the applicant, can do against what the work calls for. Your knowledge, skills and abilities will be compared to the knowledge, skills and abilities (called job elements) needed for success. Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, "Ability to perform the work of the position without more than normal supervision." Applicants who appear to meet the screen out element are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated from consideration. The potential eligibles are rated against the remainder of the job elements. While a specific length of training and experience is not required, your responses to the questionnaire must be supported by detailed descriptions of your experience on your resume.</p> <p>The VA Midwest Health Care Network 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.</p>