Are you seeking a better work-life balance? Join an exceptional organization that prioritizes Veterans for an outstanding career! With 80 years of serving our nation's Veterans, the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) is currently seeking a dynamic Cook for our Danville, IL, VA Medical Center Canteen. Join our fast-paced environment if you have a passion for our Veterans and their families, along with prior multi-unit experience.
Summary
Are you seeking a better work-life balance? Join an exceptional organization that prioritizes Veterans for an outstanding career! With 80 years of serving our nation's Veterans, the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) is currently seeking a dynamic Cook for our Danville, IL, VA Medical Center Canteen. Join our fast-paced environment if you have a passion for our Veterans and their families, along with prior multi-unit experience.
Cooking and Meal Preparation: Independently prepares and cooks regular and therapeutic diet meals using standardized recipes, menus, and production sheets. Applies various cooking methods to prepare meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, soups, sauces, and desserts.
Meal Production and Quality Control: Coordinates cooking times, accurately measures ingredients and portions, and prepares meals in required quantities while ensuring proper temperatures, food quality, presentation, and minimal waste.
Food Safety and Sanitation Standards: Follows established food safety and sanitation procedures, including proper food handling, temperature monitoring, labeling, dating, and storage to prevent contamination and ensure food quality.
Kitchen Cleaning and Equipment Maintenance: Cleans, sanitizes, and maintains kitchen equipment, utensils, and work areas, including ovens, grills, mixers, slicers, and other food preparation equipment, in accordance with established procedures.
Food Storage and Inventory Control: Receives, inspects, rotates, labels, and stores perishable and nonperishable food items according to established food safety and storage requirements. Removes outdated or damaged products and maintains accurate inventory.
Supply Management and Food Security: Assists with monitoring food supplies and ordering ingredients based on daily and weekly menu requirements while maintaining proper storage conditions, product organization, and security.
Additional Responsibilities & Flexibility: Perform and adapt to additional responsibilities as needed.
As a Condition of Employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-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
- Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Additional Conditions of Employment include:
-Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
-Subject to background/security investigation.
Qualifications
Food Preparation and Cooking Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of food preparation principles, cooking methods, seasoning, and the physical changes that occur during cooking, including baking, grilling, steaming, roasting, and determining proper food doneness.
Meal Planning and Production Coordination: Ability to coordinate multiple food preparation tasks, calculate cooking times and food yields, and adjust production schedules to ensure meals are prepared in the required quantities and served on time.
Therapeutic Diet and Nutrition Knowledge: Knowledge of modified diets, nutritional requirements, restricted ingredients, standardized recipes, and portion control to ensure meals meet prescribed dietary guidelines.
Food Safety and Sanitation: Knowledge of sanitation principles, proper food handling, and temperature controls to prevent contamination, spoilage, and food waste while maintaining food quality.
Measurement, Reading, and Recipe Interpretation: Ability to read and follow menus, recipes, production sheets, and written instructions; accurately measure ingredients, calculate portions, and determine appropriate food quantities.
Equipment Operation and Physical Requirements: Ability to safely operate, disassemble, clean, and maintain commercial food service equipment, including combi-ovens and blast chillers, and perform physical tasks requiring lifting or moving objects weighing up to 40 pounds, with assistance for heavier items.
Certifications & Credentials:
ServSafe certification required (or must be obtained within 90 days of hire).
A current, valid REAL ID is required to work with the Veterans Canteen Service.
Additional information
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
NOTE:A formal pay-setting process will be used to determine your salary. The salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. 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.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package that includes:
Resume
The following documents are accepted and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal Employees), etc.
Most recent SF-50
Performance Appraisal
Separation Notice (RIF)
Veterans' Preference: Since the Veterans Canteen Service falls under 38 U.S.C. 7802, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/23/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted before the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account, or your application will be incomplete.
VCS Central Office
1 Jefferson Barracks Drive Bldg. 25
St. Louis, MO 63125
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package that includes:
Resume
The following documents are accepted and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal Employees), etc.
Most recent SF-50
Performance Appraisal
Separation Notice (RIF)
Veterans' Preference: Since the Veterans Canteen Service falls under 38 U.S.C. 7802, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified Veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/23/2026 to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted before the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account, or your application will be incomplete.
VCS Central Office
1 Jefferson Barracks Drive Bldg. 25
St. Louis, MO 63125
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
