Food Service Lead - Evenings

Trinity Health•MMCIA - MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Central IA, IA

About The Position

The Food Service Lead provides leadership and accountability for the daily operation of the Patient Services area of Clinical Nutrition Services. The role supervises staff and helps ensure compliance with regulatory and accrediting requirements, safe food handling practices, and the organization’s mission, vision, and values. The lead oversees patient meal preparation and service, including cold menu items, tray assembly, nourishments, and tube feedings. The role monitors food quality, accuracy, timeliness, inventory, equipment, sanitation, temperatures, documentation, and customer service. It also handles requisitions, supply and food usage records, cash register and cash-handling activities, and expense monitoring within budgetary limits. The lead may orient staff, cover staff or supervisory positions as needed, and resolve or refer patient and customer concerns. Work takes place in an indoor food-service environment and may involve food spills and wet floors, noise, cleaning products, and hazardous chemicals. The position requires travel to Trinity Health sites as needed. Physical demands include frequent walking and standing, lifting and moving objects up to 40 pounds occasionally and up to 20 pounds frequently, and other activities such as reaching, pushing, stooping, and repetitive hand and wrist motions. The role also requires reading menus and records, calculations, data entry, prioritization, adaptability, and effective interaction with patients, visitors, and coworkers in a hospital environment.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Ability to prepare reports, perform calculations, communicate effectively with others, read and write, and perform math skills.
Two years of experience in a large-scale food-service operation with progressive responsibility.
Comfort operating in a collaborative, shared-leadership environment.
Personal presence characterized by honesty, integrity, and caring, with the ability to inspire and motivate others in support of Trinity Health’s philosophy, mission, vision, goals, and values.
Ability to travel to various Trinity Health sites as needed.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands, including prolonged standing and walking and moving objects up to 40 pounds occasionally and up to 20 pounds frequently.
Ability to maintain courtesy and cooperation with coworkers, patients, and visitors; organize and reprioritize work; manage varied concurrent tasks in a potentially stressful environment; and comply with Trinity Health policies and procedures.

Nice To Haves

Completion of a 250-hour dietary manager course.
Certified Dietary Manager credential.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee daily operations of the Patient Services area of Clinical Nutrition Services.
Supervise dietary staff preparing cold menu items, assembling patient meal trays, serving meals, and performing related activities; supervise other Dietary Services areas as needed.
Maintain productivity and expenses within budgetary limits.
Requisition food and supplies and calculate food preparation quantities.
Operate the cash register, enter menus and pricing, count and secure money for deposit, and ensure accurate cash handling.
Inspect equipment and the department for safety, code compliance, sanitation, and proper operation; report and document issues and resolutions.
Coordinate and maintain temperature logs for equipment, production, and patient foods, and document and file findings and corrective actions.
May conduct initial departmental orientation for staff.
Complete supply and special-function requisitions, sign packing slips, record galley usage, and maintain departmental utilization statistics and documentation.
Fill in for staff or other supervisory positions as needed or requested.
Ensure nourishments and tube feedings are accurately prepared, labeled, and delivered.
Ensure patient-care-area galleys are stocked, clean, rotated, labeled, dated, covered, cleared of expired products, and monitored for equipment temperatures as required.
Document after-hours meals and wasted food.
Monitor inventory and notify the appropriate supervisor or Director of concerns or issues.
Monitor the accuracy, timeliness, and quality of patient meals; inspect trayline assembly for accuracy.
Support continuous customer service and high-quality food services that meet customer needs.
Complete quality-control monitoring and documentation to meet food-service quality and regulatory requirements.
Ensure meal service begins promptly and according to schedule; monitor preparation, production, and delivery times.
Resolve patient and customer complaints or concerns, or refer them to management as appropriate.
Perform other duties assigned to support departmental and organizational goals.
Maintain working knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, organizational integrity standards, codes of conduct, and policies and procedures, and adhere to them through honest, ethical, and professional behavior.