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Cook

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Nutrition & Food Service of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Fayetteville, NC. The primary purpose of the Cook, WG-06, is to prepare 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. The work of this position is involved in the preparation of regular or special diet foods and meals.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
04/25/2025 to 05/06/2025
Salary
$24.04 to - $28.05 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WG 6
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Fayetteville, NC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
6
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBTA-12727988-25-LW
Control number
835940400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

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Duties

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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.
  • Performs other related duties

Work Schedule: Varies from 5:00am to 7:00am 7 days a week including holidays.
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not available
Position Description Title/PD#: Cook / 9918-S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/06/2025.

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.

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.

Working Conditions: Performs work in areas of temperature extremes. 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. Exposed to stems, cooking odors, and noise from equipment and conversation. Subject to hazards of cuts, bruises, strains, burns and falls in kitchen equipment.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

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 qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

  • 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



Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

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