Cook - Full-time

Summary

This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service at the VA Illiana Health Care System (550), Danville, IL, a Complexity Level 3 VHA facility. The primary purpose of the Cook, WG-04, is to prepare nutritious, high quality meals for service to the Veterans. The position has a sequence of steps that require attention to work operations, sanitation and safety; work assignments may require knowledge and judgment.

Duties

Food Preparation
- Performs a full range of simple cooking which entails the preparation and cooking of meals that require little or no processing.
- Follows menus, production sheets and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed.
- Prepares and heats convenience items such as frozen hash browns, fish fillets, and chicken nuggets; prepares pureed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners
- Washes, peels, chops, grinds, pares, cuts, slices, dices, purees, dredges, flours, breads items.
- Operates a variety of kitchen equipment.

Food Safety/Sanitation
- Follows sanitary food handling procedures; covers, labels and dates food items; utilize or discard ingredients by expiration date.
- Disassembles and assembles component parts and accessories for cleaning.
- Achieves certification in ServSafe and can apply knowledge of food safety, food temperatures, etc.
- Performs deep cleaning tasks such as cleaning walk-in refrigerators and freezers. May operate powered floor cleaning or steam equipment for deep cleaning.

Food Storage
- Rotates and stores perishable and non-perishable items according to service policies.
- Monitor and maintain proper spacing of food products from floor, ceiling, and shelving to ensure adequate air flow and spacing of products for optimal food safety.
- Monitor for signs of pests, notifying the appropriate individual as determined by local policy.

Work Schedule: Full-Time / 10:45 am - 7:15 pm with rotating weekends
Position Description Title/PD#: Cook - Full-time/PD99819S

Physical Requirement/Working Conditions: The work requires lifting, carrying, pushing and moving heavy items routinely. Sweeps, vacuums, and spot mops floors as requires. During most of tour of duty, incumbent works standing or moving about on tile floors. Must possess sufficient physical stamina to report for duty regularly and perform full range of required duties. The work requires adherence to defined safety rules to avoid hazards associated with operation and cleaning of electricity operated equipment used in Nutrition and Food Service. Must use proper procedures in lifting and moving heavy objects to avoid bruises, strains and other bodily injury. Must be alert and cautious to avoid falls on wet floors; cuts from sharp equipment; burns from hot food, equipment and chemicals. Must work efficiently to meet meal hour schedules and established time schedules. Is required to wear protective clothing provided. Is subject to temperature change, as work requires incumbent to frequently enter refrigerator/freezers or go outside in inclement weather. Discomforts may exist due to ventilation system and/or humidity changes. May have hands in water and/or detergent for periods of time. Must be clean and neat at all times and in proper uniform.

---