Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to current permanent G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center employees including satellites and CTAP eligibles.

Videos

The duties of the Food Service Worker Leader position include:

Food Service Worker Related Duties:

• Sets up assigned station on the tray line with the correct supplies and food items.
• Breaks down and clean the station when assigned.
• Sets up dining room tables for service, place food and beverages on tables, and replenish items as necessary.
• Delivers meal trays to the patients' bedsides and report the patients' comments and complaints to the supervisor or dietitian.
• Prepares fresh fruit/cold salads/dressings/sandwich fillings and cold sandwiches and simple cold desserts in specified quantities.
• Sorts, washes, peels and cuts cold foods using knives or other equipment.
• Provides assistance to cooks in the food preparation area, such as weigh, measure and assemble ingredients according to standardized recipes.
• Makes final check of diet trays assembled by lower grade workers for completeness, correct food temperatures.
• Verify that food items on the tray are appropriate for the prescribed diet.
• Provides patients with basic information about modified diets and the nutrition services that are available.

Leader Related Duties:

• Communicates instructions and information about getting work started and accomplished to other employees
• Communicates with supervisors, managers and employees about problems and events, and actively participates in the implementation of problem resolution after obtaining needed information or decisions from supervisors and/or managers.
• Maintains a current knowledge, and answers questions of other workers on procedures, policies, written instructions, and other directives.
• Leads the activities of the production and service areas. Leads food production activities in the absence of a Supervisor or Food Production Manager. May work along with employees so that proper work methods are demonstrated, and the pace of the work can be established and sustained.
• Adheres to facility customer service standards with all staff and patient interactions. In the absence of a Supervisor, follows up on patient feedback as needed, to assure high quality patient/customer service is maintained.
• Provides on the job training to lower graded food service workers and documents training provided.
• Completes safety and sanitation inspection check lists of the food service and food production areas, documents problems, and initiates action to resolve them. This includes advising and communicating to employees' instructions for accomplishing corrective actions.
• Reviews the daily work assignment sheets and makes adjustments in assignments and work sequence as necessary so that work coverage is provided, and employees are kept busy and productive. This involves setting priorities. possessing the knowledge about the number and types of employees needed, and knowledge about the materials and equipment required,

Work Schedule: Monday - Sunday, 5:00AM - 1:30PM, including weekends and holidays; Subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker Leader/PD99919S
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Pre-employment physical required
• 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)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/29/2025.

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)
• Lead or Supervise
• Materials
• Technical Practices
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• 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/Working Conditions:

The Food Service Worker Leader performs work requiring light to moderate physical effort. They 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. They are subject to continuous sitting, standing and walking, and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. They frequently lift or move objects weighing up to 20 pounds unassisted and occasionally lift or move objects weighing more than 40 pounds with the assistance of others.

The work is performed in kitchen areas where the steam and heat from cooking and dishwashing equipment often cause uncomfortably high temperatures and humidity. The work area is well-lighted but usually noisy from food service activities, and there is danger of slipping on floors where food or beverages have been dropped. Food service workers are regularly exposed to hot liquids, sharp cutting blades, hot working surfaces, and extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigeration or freezing units. May be unknowingly exposed to patients who have contagious disease.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

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.