Food Service Worker Leader - Phoenix Arizona
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Oct 13, 2026
Job Description
Food Service Worker Leader
Summary
This position is located within the Nutrition & Food Service at the VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The primary purpose of this position is to perform and lead employees in food service operations including food handling, preparation, storage and delivery.
This job is open to
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Federal employees - Competitive service
Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.
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Federal employees - Excepted service
Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria.
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Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.
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Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
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Land and base management
Current or former employees of a base management agency.
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Veterans
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference
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Military spouses
Military spouses relocating under PCS orders or whose spouse is 100% disabled or died while on active duty.
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Individuals with disabilities
Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.
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Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.
Clarification from the agency
Qualified candidates will be referred in the following order: 1) Current, Permanent employees of the Phoenix VA Health Care System, 2) Current, Permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 3) All other Status Candidates.
Duties
Major duties include, but are not limited to:
Lead duties and responsibilities include:
- Leads the activities of the production and service areas
- Reviews daily work assignments and makes adjustments accordingly
- Communicates instructions and information to employees concerning work to be accomplished
- Relays any problems and/or events to supervisors and managers
- Provides on the job training to lower graded food service workers and documents training
- Completes safety and sanitation inspection checks
- Ensures food production and service areas are properly set up
- Performs final check of trays for proper temperature and accuracy as indicated on tray ticket
- Observes work performance of employees and provides feedback to supervisors
- Participates in performance improvement programs and documents quality improvement data
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
- Sets up tray line station with correct supplies and food items
- Serves food, cafeteria style
- Breaks down and cleans assigned station
- Sets up dining room tables for service
- Delivers meal trays to patients' bedside and reports comments and/or complaints to supervisor or dietitian
- Prepares individual and bulk nourishments and supplemental foods/beverages
- Determines the quantities of ingredients needed
- Makes conversions between the metric system to standard system
- Performs heavy duty cleaning tasks throughout food service areas
- Provides assistance to cooks in the food preparation areas
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Position Description Title/PD#: Food Service Worker Leader/PD99919A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
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
Qualifications
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.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement- As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required exception from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
COVID-19 Pandemic Expanded Telework Program - Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.
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.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
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.
Financial disclosure not required.
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.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/04/2022 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11342953.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details 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 USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- Other (1)
- Performance Appraisal
- Proof of Marriage Status
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
650 East Indian School Road
Phoenix, AZ 85012
US
Geoff Partridge
A Legacy of Service. The Future of Care
In 1946, just months after taking over as Administrator of the Veterans Administration, General Omar Bradley, along with VA’s first medical director, Major General Paul Hawley, M.D. laid the groundwork for today’s Veterans Health Administration by creating the Department of Medicine and Surgery (DM&S). Bradley and Hawley expanded access to care for Veterans during the post-World War II era and instituted a range of changes and initiatives to create what is now known as the ‘third generation’ of Veteran’s health care.
While the Veterans Administration had provided care to some Veterans since the first Soldier’s Home opened after the Civil War in 1866, the post-World War II era saw the need to dramatically re-envision the role of VA in caring for nearly 16 million new Veterans. For the first time, the U.S. military saw more casualties due to combat injuries than diseases and improved battlefield medical care meant more service members returned home with wounds that were not previously survivable.
The lesson learned from the wave of WWI Veterans was likely a significant factor in the minds of Bradley and Hawley in creating an expansive program at the end of WWII. With only one-third the number of Veterans, the ‘Great War’ introduced complexities to care and Veteran benefits that shaped events of 75 years ago. In addition, Bradley and Hawley also had no interest in repeating the mistakes that led to the 1932 bonus marches and other controversies. Within this context, Bradley and Hawley embarked on a radical reorganization of VA health care services, undertaking key initiatives including:
- Establishing new Veterans’ hospitals to accommodate caring for Veterans of all eras and conflicts and converting former military hospitals into Veterans facilities
- Locating VA hospitals alongside major medical schools to promote research and innovation, responding both to the US physician shortage and providing training for Veterans pursuing medical education after the war
- Incorporating mental health services and facilities into the design and operations of new VA hospitals for the first time, re-envisioning the concept of the modern general hospital
- Creating a pilot program known as the Michigan Plan to allow Veterans to be treated by local physicians, expanding access to care where VA care was not available
- Absorbing VA’s research and development capacity, committing to spend more than $1 million each year, beginning with a focus on improving prosthetics for Veterans with limb loss
- Establishing the VA Voluntary Service to augment and complement VA’s professional health care staff
- Establishing the Veterans Canteen Service to provide low-cost goods to Veterans, their families, and caregivers
- Hiring the first women doctors in VA history
Today’s Veterans Health Administration (VHA) continues to meet Veterans’ changing medical, surgical, and quality of life needs. New programs provide treatment for traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide prevention, women Veterans, and more. VHA operates one of the largest health care systems in the world and provides training for a majority of America’s medical, nursing, and allied health professionals. Roughly 60% of all medical residents obtain a portion of their training at VA hospitals and our medical research programs benefit society at-large.
Though Bradley and Hawley’s tenures were brief (both departed VA in 1947 to return to the Department of Defense) their vision had a lasting impact on the organization that would later become the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Many of Hawley’s key initiatives have evolved into the core, foundational care that VHA provides to Veterans today.