Cook

Cook

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Madison, Wisconsin

Salary Range: $26.08 - $30.44 Per Hour

Job Summary: The Cook position is located within the Nutrition & Food Service (N&FS) at the William S Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, WI. N&FS is responsible for providing meals and nutritional care to Veteran patients at the Medical Center. The Cook is responsible for organizing and coordinating inventory controls and food production of lower-grade cooks in a production kitchen. Independently prepares nutritious, high-quality meals for service to the Veterans.

Major Duties:

• Major duties and responsibilities include: Independently prepares and cooks a variety of items including regular and therapeutic diet (diabetic, low sodium, low protein, gluten free, etc.) entrees and dessert items Follows menus, production sheets, and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed Grills eggs, meat patties, pancakes, French toast; broils meats; makes cold sandwich fillings and assembles a variety of sandwiches Uses a variety of methods to prepare meats, fish, and poultry including broiling, roasting, baking, frying, boiling, steaming, stewing, braising, and grilling Slices meat items by hand, confirming to specific size requirements or weight specifications Prepares fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables; bakes frozen potatoes, pre-made cookie dough, and muffin batters Prepares and heats convenience items, and prepares pureed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners Washes, peels, and cuts fruits and vegetables; assembles and mixes salad ingredients and dessert items, including gelatin molds and fruit crisps Plans cooking processes to produce meals on time and at the proper temperature which may require coordination of cooking several items with different cooking times Makes a variety of desserts such as cobblers, brownies, cookies, and pastries Weighs, measures, and assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets Operates a variety of kitchen equipment and follows appropriate safety procedures Follows sanitary food handling procedures Disassembles and reassembles equipment for cleaning Cleans and sanitizes work areas, and performs deep cleaning tasks when needed Operates industrial dish machine Performs other related duties Approved Job Elements: Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (Screen-out Element) Work Practices (including keeping things neat, clean, and in order) Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic) Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (other than blueprints) Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Knowledge of Materials Dexterity and Safety Physical Effort: Subject to continuous standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling. Lifts or moves objects weighing up to 40 lbs. unassisted. Manipulates cumbersome and heavy objects, such as washing stainless steel mixing bowls, pushing heavy carts on caster, or operating heavy equipment. Manual dexterity needed to safely operate equipment and to handle sharp knives and blades. Hand-eye coordination and ability to concentrate and react quickly to serve food and operate equipment. Working Conditions: Performs work in areas of temperature extremes. Work is carried out in kitchen/dish room areas that are often hot, uncomfortable, and noisy. Environment includes exposure to extreme cold while working in walk-in refrigerators and freezers for extended periods of time to complete duties. Works with other cooks, food service workers, and supervisors. Exposed to stems, cooking odors, and noise from equipment and conversation. Subject to hazards of cuts, bruises, strains, burns and falls in kitchen equipment. Strong cleaning and sanitizing solutions may be skin and respiratory irritants. Performs work in patient care settings where there may be exposure to contagious disease. May have contact with patients who demonstrate verbally and/or physically aggressive behavior. Required to wear proper hair covering and clean uniform. Wear disposable gloves when handling food for service, and proper protective equipment when completing cleaning activities. Work Schedule: 10:30 am- 7:00 pm with rotating weekends and holidays Position Description Title/PD#: Cook/PD99818S

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 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 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited based on time 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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 05/14/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12948647. 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. 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. 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. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility): Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade Examples of appropriate SF-50's include: Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old

Application Deadline: 2026-05-14