Food Service Worker

Role overview

This position is based at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center within the Nutrition and Food Service department. The role centers on managing food production from planning through monitoring, coordinating, and directing the full workflow. When the Food Service Section Supervisor is unavailable, this worker also handles the day-to-day operation of both food production and service areas, including related administrative tasks.

Key duties

• Prepare service stations on the tray line with the correct supplies and menu items.
• Serve cafeteria-style meals by portioning food for patients, residents, and customers.
• Set up and clear dining areas, including tables, beverages, trays, and dish return.
• Deliver meal trays to patient rooms and share feedback or complaints with the supervisor or dietitian.
• Prepare beverages, fruits, cold salads, sandwiches, dressings, fillings, and simple cold desserts in specified amounts.
• Wash, peel, cut, sort, and handle cold food items using knives and equipment.
• Support cooks by measuring, weighing, assembling, and preparing ingredients according to standardized recipes.
• Prepare simple uncooked items such as sandwich spreads and salad dressings.
• Operate, dismantle, and clean food service equipment and related tools.
• Portion food into standard serving sizes using proper utensils and dishware.
• Pack boxed or takeout meals.
• Perform final tray checks for completeness, proper temperature, and diet compliance.
• Spot mismatches between prescribed diets and menu items and help determine food items for common diets when only the diet type is shown.
• Distribute menus and patient surveys, and provide basic guidance on modified diets and available nutrition services.
• Prepare individual and bulk nourishments and supplemental foods and beverages using safe, standardized methods.
• Calculate ingredient quantities, convert between metric and standard units, and manage nourishment inventory using first-in-first-out rotation.
• Label and distribute nourishments, sterilize equipment, sanitize work areas, and maintain cleanliness across kitchen and service spaces.
• Handle dishwashing, storage, unloading carts, trash removal, and heavy-duty cleaning tasks.
• Use a computer terminal to enter, retrieve, and report on recipe, menu, and inventory information.
• Perform additional duties as required to support the medical center.

Working conditions

Work takes place in kitchen and food service environments where heat, steam, humidity, and temperature shifts are common. The job involves exposure to hot liquids, sharp blades, hot surfaces, and cold storage areas. Duties require light to moderate physical effort, with possible periods of heavy work such as scrubbing large utensils and moving carts. The role includes constant standing and walking, along with frequent bending, reaching, pushing, pulling, and stooping. Lifting requirements include up to 20 pounds regularly without assistance and more than 40 pounds occasionally with help.

Schedule

The regular work schedule is Thursday through Monday, from 5:00 am to 1:30 pm.

Qualifications

No specific length of training or prior experience is required, but applicants must demonstrate through their resume that they have the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the work. Evaluation is based on federal wage system qualification standards and a screen-out requirement. Candidates must meet all requirements by the closing date. Relevant paid, unpaid, volunteer, and service-based experience may be counted if it is clearly described, including duties, responsibilities, and weekly hours. A full year of work is treated as 35 to 40 hours per week, and part-time experience is credited based on actual hours worked.

Assessment factors

Applicants are evaluated on job-related elements such as manual dexterity and safety, following instructions and specifications, material handling, technical practices, tool and equipment use, working with limited supervision, and work practices.

Additional information

Position description title/ID: Food Service Worker / PD99836S.

Other duties may be assigned to meet the needs of the medical center.

The source provided no salary, vacancy count, or start date.

The position is a full-time, on-site job in Martinsburg, WV.