Full-time Dietary Manager

Lexington Regional Health Center•Lexington, NE

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Dietary Manager is responsible for ensuring that patient meal service supports the patient’s plan of care and that individual nutritional needs are met in accordance with recognized dietary practices, prescribed diets, and approved menu standards. This role plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the daily operations of the Dietary Department to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant food and nutrition services. The manager oversees food, supply, and equipment inventory, places orders as needed, limits waste, and manages departmental resources in a fiscally responsible manner. They ensure dietary services staff follow departmental and hospital policies and procedures and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and accrediting standards. Collaboration with the Registered Dietitian and appropriate practitioners is key for menu planning, therapeutic diet implementation, diet substitutions, nourishments, texture modifications, and patient meal services. The manager oversees operational processes for receiving, storing, preparing, holding, labeling, and serving food, and maintains operational records. They also prepare and enter employee schedules, coordinate staff recruitment and training, and monitor compliance with infection prevention and control practices. Maintaining the physical dietary environment, participating in committees and performance improvement activities, and ensuring a safe, clean kitchen and dining environment are also core responsibilities. The role provides day-to-day work direction and operational support for dietary staff, coordinates services during emergencies, and promotes safe work practices. Readiness for survey or regulatory review is maintained through monitoring policies, procedures, and documentation. Patients and visitors are ensured to follow infection control guidelines. Participation in patient care activities that could include blood exposure and risk to bloodborne pathogens is expected, using standard precautions. The manager is responsible for ensuring the environment meets appropriate governing body standards and maintains patient and staff safety through specific tools and communication methods. Regular attendance at the assigned work location is required. All other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Knowledge of food preparation, food service management, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles, sanitation and food safety procedures, allergen awareness, and nutrition and diet therapy for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric populations.
Completion of a high school diploma or equivalent.
Ability to perform routine office work.
Ability to supervise, train, and evaluate workers in food preparation and food service operations.
Ability to pay close attention to detail, including supervising food trays and temperatures, monitoring diet accuracy, ordering and processing inventory, reviewing records, and entering payroll or meal charge information.
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality with regard to protected health information and other sensitive information.
Ability to complete reports, records, correspondence, and other departmental documentation at a professional level.
Ability to respond appropriately to common inquiries and complaints from patients, employees, visitors, and regulatory agencies.
Ability to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including dietary staff, patients, visitors, providers, nurses, and other hospital personnel.
Successful completion of required education and training related to standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, food safety, sanitation, and department-specific competencies required for the role.

Nice To Haves

Completion of a Dietary Management course approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is preferred, or ability to obtain within two and a half (2.5) years of employment.
Two years of food service experience, including supervisory responsibilities preferred.

Responsibilities

Ensures that patient meal service supports the patient’s plan of care and that individual nutritional needs are met in accordance with recognized dietary practices, prescribed diets, and approved menu standards.
Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the daily operations of the Dietary Department to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant food and nutrition services.
Oversees food, supply, and equipment inventory; places orders as needed; limits waste; and manages departmental resources in a fiscally responsible manner.
Ensures dietary services staff follow departmental and hospital policies and procedures and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and accrediting standards relevant to food and nutrition services.
Collaborates with the Registered Dietitian and appropriate practitioners to support menu planning, therapeutic diet implementation, diet substitutions, nourishments, texture modifications, and patient meal services.
Oversees the operational processes for receiving, storing, preparing, holding, labeling, and serving food in a manner that supports safe meal production and service.
Maintains and oversees operational records required for daily department functions, including meal counts, production records, inventory records, temperature logs, cleaning logs, and equipment monitoring records.
Prepares and enters employees’ schedules into the electronic time and attendance system and maintains appropriate staffing to meet departmental needs.
Coordinates staff recruitment support, orientation, schedule training, and day-to-day coaching to promote consistent dietary operations.
Monitors compliance with current infection prevention and control practices applicable to dietary services and reinforces required precautions for staff, patients, and visitors within assigned areas.
Maintains the physical dietary environment, including kitchen, storage, and serving areas, to support safe operations, cleanliness, equipment access, and compliance with environmental safety expectations.
Participates in committees, performance improvement activities, audits, tracers, and survey readiness activities as assigned.
Ensures a safe, clean kitchen and dining environment and that equipment is maintained in proper working order.
Provides day-to-day work direction, task coordination, and operational support for dietary staff to ensure timely meal production and service.
Coordinates dietary services during emergencies or utility disruptions and helps maintain continuity of food and nutrition services.
Promotes safe work practices, promptly addresses identified hazards, and reports food safety, sanitation, equipment, or environmental concerns through appropriate channels.
Maintains readiness for survey or regulatory review by monitoring that departmental policies, procedures, and required documentation are current, available, and consistently implemented.
Ensures patients and visitors follow current infection control guidelines.
Participates in patient care activities that could include blood exposure and risk to bloodborne pathogens.
Uses standard precautions and other required safety practices when performing assigned duties that may involve exposure to bloodborne pathogens or other occupational hazards.
Responsible for ensuring the environment meets appropriate governing body standards.
Maintains patient and staff safety through the use of patient safety tools and communication methods, including TeamSTEPPS, Just Culture, and related organizational practices.
Regular attendance at the assigned work location is required.
Performs all other duties as assigned.