Cook

Navy Region Southeast Fleet and Family Readiness (FFR); Key West (FL); On-site; USD 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, life insurance

Retirement benefits

Tuition assistance or reimbursement

Job summary

Navy Region Southeast Fleet and Family Readiness (FFR) is seeking a skilled cook to support the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Department in Key West, FL. The role involves preparing and cooking a range of menu items, including regular entrees and desserts, with emphasis on quality and safety.

The candidate will work in a dynamic kitchen, coordinating food preparation schedules, maintaining proper temperatures, and ensuring accurate portioning and inventory control.

Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of food preparation principles.
• Planning process for cooking an entire meal including different methods and timing.
• Ability to evaluate raw and cooked food items for freshness.
• Knowledge of yield testing formulas and food spoilage, foodborne illness, and food safety.
• Methods for ordering, issuing, and storing food items per inventory and sanitation requirements.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and cooks a variety of menu items including regular entrees and dessert items.
• Roasts, broils, bakes, fries, boils, steams, and stews meats, fish, and poultry with supervision as needed.
• Prepares soups, stocks, gravies, sauces, and puddings without packaged mixes.
• Maintains proper temperatures during holding, transport, reheating, and serving for quality control and safety.
• Prepares cold food platters and sauces, glazes, and salads; carves garnishes for platters.
• Maintains rotation of food inventories to prevent spoilage.

Skills

Food preparation

Food safety

Inventory management

Yield testing

Job description

Summary

Performs a variety of duties in support of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Department. Prepares and cooks a variety of menu items including regular and special entrees and dessert items.

Duties

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In order to qualify for this position, resumes must provide sufficient experience and/​or education, knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of the position. Applicant resumes are the key means for evaluating skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position therefore, applicants are encouraged to be clear and specific when describing experience.

Performs a variety of duties in support of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Department. Prepares and cooks a variety of menu items including regular and special entrees and dessert items.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepares and cooks a variety of menu items including regular and special entrees and dessert items. Works alone or with a higher grade cook to roast, broil, bake, fry, boil, steam, and stew meats, fish, and poultry.
• Prepares soups, stocks, broths, gravies, sauces, and puddings without the use of packaged mixes.
• Makes a variety of dessert items such as baked Alaska, crepes, and mousses.
• Adjusts standardized recipes for the number of servings required in large quantity cooking. Maintains proper temperature for all foods during holding, transport, reheating, and serving to assure quality control and food safety.
• Prepares cold food platters; mixes and prepares cold sauces, meat glazes, molded aspics, and salad dressings.
• Carves vegetables and fruits as garnishes for food platters and dishes.
• Maintains rotation of food inventories to prevent spoilage.
• May assist management in purchasing and menu pricing decisions by performing yield tests for selected foods, in ordering items in accordance with daily and weekly menu requirements and preparing food production worksheets from computerized recipe files.
• Receives work assignments orally and in writing from supervisor or higher-level cook.
• Plans, coordinates, and times assignments to assure food items are prepared on time and are at the proper temperature.
• Makes judgments about necessary recipe modifications.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Physical Effort

Required to lift or move objects weighing up to 40 pounds on a frequent basis (utensils or containers of food) as well as stand and walk constantly; on occasion lifts items over 50 pounds e.g.; pans of meat.

Working Conditions

Exposed to warm and noisy kitchens, steam, fumes and cooking odors; danger of falling on freshly mopped floors; burns from steam or hot foods; cuts from knives; shocks from electrical machines; and extremes in temperatures.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Must meet Federal Employment suitability requirements and successful completion of background investigation. Background investigations are conducted using fingerprint identification and completion of background inquiry forms.
• Must successfully pass the E-verify employment verification check. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of employment.
• You must go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9.
• May be required to pass pre-employment examinations.
• A valid State driver's license is required to operate motor vehicles.
• Must have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• Must currently reside within a 50-mile radius of the hiring base. This information will be based on the address listed on your resume and USAJOBS. Or military spouses as applicable to the law.
• Irregular working hours may be required to include early shift, late shift, evenings, weekends and holidays when the need arises.
• Must be willing and able to work a Flexible work schedule. This schedule describes work performed without a regularly scheduled tour of duty; hours are from 0-40 hours per week.
• As of May 7, 2025, The REAL ID act requires visitors to have a REAL ID or passport to access to Government Facilities. This will be a requirement for employment.

Qualifications

Resumes must include information which demonstrates experience and knowledge, skills, and ability (KSAs) as they relate to this position. Applicants are encouraged to be clear and specific when describing experience level and KSAs.

All non-government positions identified on your resume must include complete address and to and from dates. Government positions must include pay plan, series, grade, to and from dates and address of the agency/organization.

A qualified candidate must possess the following

• Basic knowledge of food preparation principles and a practical understanding of the physical changes that occur during the processing and cooking of food.
• Working knowledge of the planning process involved in cooking an entire meal including different preparation methods for various food items, the necessary time for cooking these different items, and how to schedule and coordinate preparation to produce a properly cooked meal on time.
• Ability to evaluate a variety of raw and cooked food items to ascertain their freshness.
• Knowledge of standard formulas used in yield testing. Knowledge of principles of food spoilage, food borne illness, and food safety.
• Practical knowledge of methods and procedures necessary for ordering, issuing, and storing food items in accordance with inventory and sanitation requirements.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, 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.

As part of the application process, you must complete and submit an occupational questionnaire and your RESUME MUST SUPPORT AND VALIDATE YOUR ANSWERS or you may be removed from consideration.

ONLY THE MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WILL BE REFERRED. IF MANAGEMENT DOES NOT WISH TO SELECT A HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE, THEY MAY REQUEST A REFERRAL LIST INCLUDING WELL OR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating and/or appointment eligibility.

PLEASE READ THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY TO ENSURE ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE ADDRESSED IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE.

RELOCATION:

• NO Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest

Key Requirements/Conditions Of Employment

• Males must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. https://www.sss.gov/register/
• Selectee must be determined suitable for federal employment.
• Selectee may be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
• Selectee is required to participate in the direct deposit pay program.
• Social Security Card is required.
• Satisfactorily complete an employment verification (E-VERIFY) check. As of May 7, 2025, The REAL ID act requires visitors to have a REAL ID or passport to access to Government Facilities. This will be a requirement for employment.
• A favorable background is a requirement of this position. Failure to obtain and maintain a favorable background may result in the withdrawal of the position offer or removal.

NOTE:

Applicants have the ability to perform an E-Verify Self Check to confirm employment eligibility at http://www.uscis.gov/mye-verify/self-check. Although a Self-Check is not mandatory, it can be a useful tool for applicants to find out if there is a problem with their employment eligibility records and resolve any issues before taking a job.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement.

Additional information

The Federal government offers a number of exceptional benefits to its Regular Full Time employees. Benefits you get to enjoy while working for our TEAM include but are not limited to:

• Comprehensive benefits package (medical, dental, life insurance, spouse & dependent life insurance, long-term disability, retirement, and 401(k) savings plan, annual and sick leave, tuition reimbursement, etc.).
• Stability of Federal Civilian Service
• People with passion for doing work that matters
• Quality of Work Life Balance

Some positions have special requirements- Position is a non-critical, sensitive, position requiring access to IT II system and/or access to PII. An access National Agency Check investigation (ANACI) is required via the SF 86 security form.- Required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450. Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report upon entering the position and annually, in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7R, Joint Ethics Regulation, dated 23 March 2006.- Salary is dependent on experience and/or education.- For positions requiring travel more than twice per year, selectee may be required to obtain and maintain in good standing a Government-issued Travel Card for official government travel purposes.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies within 90 days of closing date. The Department of the Navy (DON) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Applicants are assured of equal consideration regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, reprisal, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or any other non-merit factor. This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Applicants with disabilities who believe they may require reasonable accommodations should email their request to [e-mail] to ensure proper consideration is given. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will