Director - Food and Nutrition Services - MRH and JDCH

The Director of Food and Nutrition Services provides strategic and operational leadership for Food and Nutrition Services at Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. This role is accountable for the delivery of high-quality patient nutrition services, retail and culinary operations, regulatory compliance, financial performance, workforce management, and an exceptional patient and customer experience. The Director partners closely with clinical, nursing, hospital operations, and administrative leaders to ensure food and nutrition services support organizational goals for quality, safety, service, people, and financial stewardship.

Responsibilities

Collaborates with physicians, nursing, clinical dietitians, infection prevention, quality, facilities, supply chain, and other key stakeholders to ensure nutrition and food service operations effectively support patient care and clinical needs; Oversees all aspects of patient meal services, clinical nutrition operations and infant nutrition, food production, retail dining, catering, and other food service functions within the assigned hospitals; Leads continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the patient dining experience, improve workflows, optimize technology and equipment, standardize practices across facilities, and strengthen overall operational performance; Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, food safety and sanitation requirements, accreditation standards, and organizational policies and procedures; Provides oversight of vendor relationships, contracts, purchasing, inventory management, equipment planning, and supply utilization; Establishes and monitors performance standards related to patient satisfaction, food quality, service delivery, meal accuracy, food safety, productivity, and operational efficiency; develops and implements corrective action plans when needed; Maintains a strong culture of safety, accountability, service excellence, teamwork, and regulatory readiness across both hospital departments; Provides leadership and oversight for department managers, clinical nutrition leaders, culinary teams, and other Food & Nutrition Services staff, including workforce planning, performance management, employee engagement, leadership development, and succession planning; Develops and manages departmental operating and capital budgets, monitors financial performance, and identifies opportunities to improve productivity, reduce waste, and manage food and labor costs; Provides overall leadership and direction for Food & Nutrition Services across two hospital facilities

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics, Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required; Masters (Required); Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) - Certifying Board for Dietary Managers (CBDM) or Registered Dietitian (RD) - Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); Minimum of five (5) years of progressive leadership experience in food and nutrition services, including significant management responsibility within a hospital, healthcare system, or similarly complex food service environment; Strong operational judgment, leadership, problem-solving, and ability to manage competing priorities

Nice to have

Multi-site leadership experience (strongly preferred); Master's degree preferred