Director Nutrition and Food Services

Under the general direction of hospital administration, to plan, administer and direct the functions and staff of the Nutrition and Food Services Department. The Nutrition and Food Services Department is responsible for food production for patients, visitors, guests and employees and for screening patients, obtaining nutritionally relevant data, planning and modifying diets, consulting with physicians and other Health and Hospital System staff regarding special diets, instructing patients in diet modification and monitoring patient compliance with nutritional recommendations.

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• Prepares and monitors budget for the Nutrition and Food Services Department;
• Ensures that adequate numbers of competent staff are available to deliver services;
• Selects, orients, schedules, and evaluates staff or delegates as appropriate;
• Initiates and follows through with progressive disciplinary process; documents as required;
• Plans, directs and coordinates daily operations of food services and clinical nutrition services including dietitians and other staff;
• Develops, reviews and analyzes food accounting operation;
• Reviews and approves specifications, estimates and purchases of food, equipment, materials and supplies;
• Coordinates food production with County purchased food items;
• Assesses, plans and advocates for needs of services;
• Develops standards of care, methods of service delivery, and reporting systems for inpatient and outpatient clinical nutrition services;
• Monitors quality of clinical nutrition services through developing study methods, collecting and analyzing data, and regularly reviewing dietitians and support staff for compliance with departmental standards;
• Develops and follows through on quality improvement/correction plans based on monitoring results;
• Prepares reports and correspondence;
• Develops policies and procedures for Nutrition and Food Services Department, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, including Title 22 and JCAHO;
• Coordinates development of policies and procedures and educational materials;
• Coordinates activities of Nutrition and Food Services Department to ensure product availability and nutritional menu adequacy and consistency with diet manual guidelines and restrictions;
• Ensures that employee training is planned and implemented to assure compliance with regulations and departmental/agency policies;
• Coordinates student programs in the departments;
• Collaborates and communicates with other departments to solve problems and provide education;
• Works collaboratively with ambulatory services staff and management to develop and evaluate educational programs;
• Represents Nutrition and Food Services Department on various hospital committees and task forces;
• Develops and monitors customer service delivered by Nutrition and Food Services Department;
• Performs other related responsibilities as assigned.

Sufficient education, training and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks and the possession and application of the following knowledge and abilities.
Possession of current registration by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association. Experience in food service management in a hospital setting is highly desirable.

Note: A candidate would normally acquire the knowledge and abilities listed below through graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics or a related field and completion of an approved internship in institutional management or dietetics, and three years of experience in a position comparable to that of a nutritionist or food service manager of a large food service program, including supervisory responsibility for a program of food preparation, serving, buying, storage and nutritional accounting in a large organization.

Knowledge of:

• Modern principles and practices of nutrition, dietetics and food production;
• Legal requirements of a food program serving hospitalized patients and outpatients;
• Specifications and plans for suitable buildings, work areas and equipment for culinary departments;
• Sanitation and safety measures pertinent to large scale food control and feeding programs;
• Principles and practices of organization, administration, personnel management, labor relations and budgeting;
• Biochemistry, food service, diet therapy and the interrelationship of nutrition and medicine;
• Computers and computer technology as used in food and nutrition services.

  Ability to:

• Formulate and establish uniform procedures of food control and processing, considering the differing needs of a diverse patient population;
• Plan and direct in-service training programs;
• Speak and write effectively;
• Keep records, prepare reports and develop and analyze statistics and accounting controls;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.