Job Summary: The Nutritional Services Manager is responsible for the daily operational management of Food & Nutrition Services, ensuring high-quality, safe, cost-effective, and compliant food service operations across assigned facilities. The Manager supports patient food services, retail/cafeteria operations, and catering services as applicable, while aligning departmental operations with Pipeline Health's mission, vision, and values. This role works in collaboration with the Food & Nutrition Services System Director, Registered Dietitians, and interdisciplinary teams to ensure departmental goals, regulatory compliance, and patient satisfaction standards are met. Menus are reviewed and approved by the Registered Dietitian, and the Manager ensures accurate implementation and execution of approved menus in daily operations. Actively and consistently contributes to department operations and communications, upholding standards of AIDET (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, Thank You) patient communication.
This position has been granted the authority and delegated responsibility by the hospital's governing board and medical staff for the operation of the dietary services and includes all items delineated in this job description.
Essential Functions:- Directs and coordinates daily food service operations to ensure services are provided on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with quality and regulatory standards.
- Oversees staffing, scheduling, workflow planning, and operational coverage to support patient care and service needs.
- Ensures compliance with all applicable Joint Commission, CMS, Title 22, state, federal, and local regulatory requirements, as well as facility policies, confidentiality standards, HIPAA regulations, and patient rights.
- Collaborates with the System Director on operational goals, performance improvement initiatives, and strategic planning.
- Supervises and supports food service supervisors and frontline staff, including hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, performance evaluation, and corrective action as appropriate.
- Participates in departmental and hospital-wide Performance Improvement (PI) activities, including audits, quality monitoring, and event reporting.
- Ensures proper implementation of approved menus and diet orders in coordination with Registered Dietitians and clinical teams.
- Monitors patient satisfaction, service quality indicators, and operational metrics, implementing corrective actions as needed.
- Supports budget oversight, cost control initiatives, inventory management, and waste reduction efforts.
- Coordinates with nursing, clinical staff, and other departments to resolve patient- and staff-related concerns.
- Maintains operational readiness by ensuring adequate supplies, equipment functionality, and safe work environments.
- Uses clear, concise, and professional communication with coworkers, patients, families, and internal/external customers.
- Demonstrates cultural awareness and effectively addresses the multicultural and socio-economic diversity of the community served by Pipeline Health.
- Acts with a sense of urgency and accountability in daily operations and problem resolution.
- Participates in on-call, weekend, or holiday coverage as operational needs require.
- Completes assigned training and attends meetings as required.
- On-call, weekend and holiday coverage participation required as needed.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Behavioral Standards: - Serves as a role model for Pipeline Health's Mission, Vision, and Values.
- Treats everyone as their customer and consistently applies AIDET principles.
- Demonstrates professionalism, integrity, accountability, and teamwork.
- Uses a lens of equity in all aspects of service delivery and staff engagement to promote inclusive and respectful care environments.
- Responds promptly to requests, concerns, and operational challenges.
Communication/Knowledge: - Demonstrates effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact with diverse stakeholders.
- Possesses strong leadership and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage competing demands.
- Demonstrates working knowledge of food service operations, regulatory compliance, and healthcare workflows.
- Maintains up-to-date knowledge of current food and nutrition service practices.
Collaboration/Teamwork:
- Contributes to positive, effective working relationships with internal and external colleagues.
- Demonstrates cooperation, flexibility, reliability, and a willingness to collaborate for the benefit of patients, staff, and the organization.
- Participates in interdisciplinary committees, meetings, and departmental communications assigned.
Qualification/Experience: - Two (2) years' experience in food and nutrition service management, preferred.
- Experience in planning and coordinating menus and recipes utilizing quantity food production standards preferred.
- Critical thinking, service excellence and good interpersonal communication skills, ability to read/comprehend written instructions, strong organizational skills, ability to follow verbal instructions, and PC (computer) skills.
- A capacity to learn, synthesize, make critical judgments, work independently, place patients and families first, and collaborate with the team members who are recognized leaders within health care.
