Food Operations Manager 2

Sodexo Careers•Montclair, NJ

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Lead with purpose. Elevate the patient experience. Grow your healthcare leadership career. Sodexo is seeking a Food Operations Manager 2 to join our healthcare team at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey. Mountainside is a 325-bed acute care facility and part of the Hackensack Meridian Health and Ardent Health Services joint venture, delivering high-quality care to patients throughout northern New Jersey. This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated healthcare food service leader who is passionate about patient satisfaction, food quality, and employee engagement. The Food Operations Manager 2 will play a key role in overseeing retail and catering operations while partnering closely with patient dining and clinical teams to deliver an exceptional dining experience. The successful candidate will lead and develop a team of approximately 45 union frontline employees and will be an integral member of a collaborative leadership team consisting of a General Manager, Clinical Nutrition Manager, Executive Chef, Retail Manager, and Patient Services Operations Manager. If you're a hands-on healthcare leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about creating outstanding patient experiences, we'd love to hear from you.

Requirements

Healthcare food service leadership experience strongly preferred, particularly within acute care settings
Experience managing unionized frontline teams preferred
Passion for patient satisfaction, food quality, and customer service excellence
Experience with patient dining operations and familiarity with Press Ganey or similar patient satisfaction programs
Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach, motivate, and develop employees
Experience with scheduling, payroll, labor management, and operational reporting
Knowledge of HACCP, food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance
Excellent communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships across interdisciplinary teams
Flexibility to support opening and closing shifts as needed; typical schedule is 7:00 AM – 4:00 PM with rotating weekends
Associate's Degree or equivalent experience
2 years management experience
2 years work experience in food or culinary services including restaurants, fast food, vending, catering services, institutional services, mall food courts, etc.

Responsibilities

Lead daily retail dining, catering, and floor stock operations while supporting patient meal service initiatives
Coordinate frontline staffing, scheduling, and payroll activities to ensure efficient operations and labor management
Motivate, coach, and develop a team of approximately 45 union frontline employees
Deliver high-quality food services that exceed client and patient expectations
Collaborate with fellow managers, clinical teams, and hospital leadership to drive patient satisfaction and service excellence
Monitor food quality and presentation to ensure consistency and exceptional patient experiences
Support Press Ganey patient satisfaction initiatives and implement action plans for continuous improvement
Achieve company and client financial goals, including labor and operational targets
Ensure compliance with HACCP guidelines, regulatory requirements, and Sodexo standards
Assist with opening and closing responsibilities as needed and participate in rotating weekend coverage