Demo

Food Service Worker

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Des Moines, IA Full Time
POSTED ON 4/23/2025
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/22/2025
Summary

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.

Help

Duties

Duties include, but not limited to:

  • Set up cafeteria lines, steam tables, dining room tables, and side service stands with hot and cold food items.
  • Serve food cafeteria style by placing uniform portions of food on customers'/patients' plates.
  • Break down and clean assigned area when the meal is finished and return food to the kitchen.
  • Set up dining room tables for service, place food and beverages on tables, and replenish items as necessary.
  • Return soiled trays and dishes to the dish room after meals.
  • Deliver meal trays to the patients' bedsides.
  • Brew coffee according to the number of servings required.
  • Assemble and toss fresh fruit or green salads in quantity using prepared dressings and portions into standard serving sizes.
  • Make cold sandwiches using prepared ingredients and pack box lunches.
  • Work 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.
  • Sort, wash, peel and cut fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Operate and break down equipment.
  • Perform heavy-duty cleaning tasks throughout the food service and related areas.



Work Schedule:
6:00am - 2:30pm or 10:30am - 7:00pm, five (5) days per week, rotating shifts.

Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker/PD99836S

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Physical Requirements: Wage Grade 4 Food Service Workers perform 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 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.

Working Environment/Conditions: 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.

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.

Help

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation
  • May serve a probationary period
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete a pre-employment physical examination

Qualifications

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 eligible 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.

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.

Education

There is no educational substitution for this position.

Additional information

Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

Read more

  • Help 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.

Review our 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.

Salary : $20 - $23

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Food Service Worker?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Food Service Worker career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$30,417 - $40,552
Income Estimation: 
$29,500 - $36,608
Income Estimation: 
$57,620 - $74,708
Income Estimation: 
$44,630 - $63,234
Income Estimation: 
$30,417 - $40,552
Income Estimation: 
$29,500 - $36,608
Income Estimation: 
$57,620 - $74,708
Income Estimation: 
$44,630 - $63,234
Income Estimation: 
$70,778 - $99,774
Income Estimation: 
$89,783 - $130,279
Income Estimation: 
$109,459 - $143,369
Income Estimation: 
$42,502 - $55,251
Income Estimation: 
$83,534 - $111,245
Income Estimation: 
$55,286 - $68,894
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Hired Organization Address Detroit, MI Full Time
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program....
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Hired Organization Address Round Rock, TX Full Time
The North Texas Veterans Health Care System is seeking a highly qualified Physician to fill the Interventional Cardiolog...
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Hired Organization Address Stockton, CA Full Time
The Diagnostic Radiological Mammography Technologist is responsible for the performance and coordination of diagnostic r...
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Hired Organization Address Palo Alto, CA Full Time
The position of Chief, PM&RS, is a full-time position. A board-certified physician in Physical Medicine & Rehab, with ex...

Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Food Service Worker jobs in the Des Moines, IA area that may be a better fit.

Food Service Worker

Veterans Canteen Service, Des Moines, IA

Substitute - Food Service

Food Service Office, Cedar, IA

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!