Clarification from the agency

United States (U.S.) Citizens who have resided in the U.S. or U.S. territory for three (3) or more continuous years immediately preceding the start of Federal affiliation. In accordance with the NATO Status of Forces Agreement with Germany, citizens of the host country and citizens of a NATO country not married to an active-duty U.S. military member are not eligible for US NAF employment.

DESCRIPTION OF MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

Works under the supervision of the activity manager, who issues instructions on work sequences, procedures, methods, and deadlines, and relies on the incumbent to ensure that work assignments are carried out by other group members. The supervisor is available to provide information or guidance on decisions regarding any problems that may arise during work. Overall work operations are reviewed for status and progress, causes of delays, quality, and results achieved.

MAJOR DUTIES:

Leads a staff of 3 or more NA-04 and NA-06 cooks in the preparation of a variety of menu items. Receives instructions from the manager or supervisor on duty and passes assignments down to individual members of the group being led. Assures that there is enough work to keep all employees on duty busy. Checks work in progress and ensures that all procedures are followed and that deadlines are met. Reports work progress to the supervisor and obtains information to handle problems that arise during work. Demonstrates proper work methods to other employees and answers procedural questions that they may have.

Works collaboratively with other team members, setting the pace and performing non-supervisory work at the NA-06 level. Prepares a variety of foods and desserts according to menu requirements. Follows recipes to prepare menu items. Adjusts recipes for larger or smaller quantities as needed. Roasts a variety of meats. Grills, broils, steams, and deep fries food. Apportions foods for family-style servings as well as for plate service. Prepares vegetables and cold food platters. Makes a variety of salads and sandwiches. Prepares eggs, French toast, and pancakes. Follows health and safety precautions to ensure safe preparation and storage of food items. Monitors and maintains the appropriate temperature of all food items throughout preparation and service.

Bring prepared foods from the preparation area to the refrigerators or the serving area. Picks up items needed for menu preparation and rotates food inventories as necessary. Takes inventory to determine ordering requirements. Loads hot foods in carts. Sets up and serves food as required. Check food for appropriate preparation, temperature, and packaging.

Operates kitchen equipment designed to mix and cook food items. Ensures that all equipment is clean, properly maintained, and readily available to employees. Keeps working area clean in accordance with standard sanitation requirements. Maintains personal hygiene.

Performs other duties as assigned.

SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE:

Ability to direct the work activities of cooks during the assigned shift. Ability to plan, coordinate, and time daily assignments for completion at mealtime, and adjust recipes for the number of servings needed. Knowledge of food characteristics to judge freshness, color, consistency, taste, etc., and know when food is properly cooked. Ability to instruct lower-graded cooks on cooking procedures. Ability to operate and maintain kitchen equipment. Knowledge of safety and sanitary requirements.

RESPONSIBILITY:

Incumbent works under the direction of a supervisor who establishes daily work assignments and provides general instructions. The employee analyzes and corrects production problems independently and coordinates the cooking process for assigned food items. Within the framework of accepted methods, recipes, and established procedures, the employee makes decisions regarding recipe adjustments for the number of servings and the size of equipment to use. Incumbent decides when food items are done and, on occasion, recommends changes or adjustments in recipes for improvement of flavor, texture, and appearance. May work alone in cooking small quantities, such as later suppers for a few people, or in preparing breakfast, or in baking items. Work is subject to spot checks by a supervisor for compliance with instructions and emergency changes, established work methods, and accepted cooking practices, as well as for quality, flavor, appearance of prepared foods, and sanitary requirements, and the proper use of food service equipment.

PHYSICAL EFFORT:

Work involves continuous standing and walking, as well as frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Must be able to lift or move objects up to 40 pounds unassisted and occasionally lift or move objects weighing over 40 pounds with the assistance of other workers or lifting devices.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work is performed in kitchen areas, which are well-lit but are often hot and noisy. Employees are exposed to steam, fumes, odors from cooking, and extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in refrigerators or freezing units. Must stand on tile floor. Subject to burns, cuts, and slipping on wet floors.

Conditions of employment

• Direct Deposit and Social Security Card are required upon appointment
• Meet qualification/eligibility/background requirements for this position
• All required background checks of AR215 -3, Chapter 2, paragraph 213: i. must be satisfactory completed and maintained to include the initiation/completion of Child and Youth National Agency Check with Inquiries (CNACI).
• One year probationary period may be required
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold a valid U.S. passport, and be at least 18 years of age.
• A pre-employment physical is required
• Must be willing to work irregular work schedule (nights/weekends/holidays)
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 4 hours initial food sanitation and safety training is required within 30 days of employment and a minimum of 4 hours refresher training annually.
• Must adhere to strict dress and grooming standards.

Qualifications

RESUMES MUST BE TWO PAGES (OR LESS). QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE CLEARLY VERIFIABLE IN YOUR RESUME. GOVERNMENT POSITIONS MUST INCLUDE PAY PLAN, SERIES, GRADE, TO AND FROM DATES, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCY/DEPARTMENT. Must include at least one year of experience performing duties at a level which equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform successfully in the position.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant must have one year of post-high-school experience in the hospitality industry or one year of post-high-school education.

Ability to do the work of the position under normal supervision. Demonstrated work experience directly related to the duties to be performed. Possess the ability to lead employees engaged in cooking duties.

Highly preferred applicants will possess a culinary degree from an accredited school.

All Qualified applicants will be rated against the highly qualifying criteria by a rating panel for evaluation of the quality and extent of your total accomplishments, experience and education. Those applicants determined to be highly qualified will be referred to the hiring official for consideration. The highly qualified candidates may undergo an interview and reference checks.


All answers to the Highly Qualifying Criteria must be demonstrated in your resume to get credit.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your Application Matters: How We Will Review It

We want to help you put your best foot forward! Please take time to carefully follow all application instructions - missing information or skipped steps could impact your eligibility.

• Your application will be thoughtfully reviewed to see how well your experience and qualifications align with the requirements listed in this announcement. This includes your resume, supporting documents, and responses to the assessment questionnaire.
• We will consider your responses to our application questionnaire.
• If you're tentatively qualified, we'll take a closer look to ensure your questionnaire responses match the experience reflected in your resume and documentation.

Note: If it's later found that qualifications or experience were overstated, it may affect your consideration for the position - so honesty and clarity are key.

Understanding Eligibilities: What You Can Claim When Applying

When you apply for a federal position through USAJOBS or USA Staffing, you may be eligible for selection preference or priority consideration based on your background or status. These eligibilities can improve your chances of being considered or referred for a position.

Depending on your situation, you may be able to claim one or more of the following eligibilities:

• NAF Preference 1 Spouse Employment Preference (SEP)
• NAF Preference 2 Involuntarily Separated From the Military (ISMP)
• NAF Preference 3 Family Member Preference (FMP) (Foreign OCONUS ONLY)
• NAF Priority Consideration 1 Business Based Action (BBA)
• NAF Priority Consideration 2 Former NAF Employee (FNE)/Current NAF (CNE)/Current APF Employee (CAE)
• NAF Priority Consideration 3 Outside Applicant Veteran (OAV) (Includes spouses and parents)

Tip: Be sure to review each eligibility carefully and provide the required documentation. Claiming an eligibility without proper support may affect your application status. Looking for more details? Refer to the Who Gets Initial Consideration (Selection Preferences) and the What Other Considerations are Available sections of our Applicant Information Kit.

About Your Resume:

• Federal agencies are required to limit resumes to two (2) pages or less and it must support the general or specialized experience described in this announcement.
• Your resume must be 5 megabytes (MB) or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to preserve formatting and page count.
• (https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/page-limit)
• Please do not include photographs, personal images or other inappropriate content in your application materials.

Expedite Your Hiring

• To better expedite the hiring process, we recommend including contact information (name, email, phone number) for professional references in your application.

Required Documents
Required documents may vary based on the requirements for the position. The below document(s) are required and MUST be submitted with your application by the closing date of this job announcement:

• Resume

Other Accepted Documents
Other accepted documents to support a qualification and/or claimed preference/priority eligibility may include:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• DA Form 3433
• Notification of Personnel Action for NAF Employees (DA Form 3434 or equivalent)
• Other (3)
• Other (4)
• PCS Orders
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Next steps