Dietary Director

Sterling Healthcare Management, LLC; Elwood (IN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterling Healthcare Management, LLC seeks a Dietary Director to lead the dietary department, ensuring high-quality, regulation-compliant food service for residents. You will manage staffing, purchasing, food preparation, and delivery in accordance with policies, physician orders, and care plans.

Responsibilities include planning menus with the Dietician Dietary Consultant, coordinating with Nursing, overseeing budgets, and maintaining safety and sanitation standards.

Qualifications

• Must read and understand work instructions, recipe directions and diet orders.
• Strong numerical ability for budgeting, inventory, and planning.
• Ability to lead a team and coordinate dietary staff.
• Excellent communication with residents, families, and regulators.
• Excellent coordination and dexterity for safe food handling and equipment use.
• Ability to manage time, schedules, and deadlines.
• Knowledge of safety, sanitation, and infection control procedures.
• Experience in food service operations and resident meal service is preferred.
• Ability to prioritize duties and work as a team.
• Comfort with computer-based timekeeping, documentation, and reporting.
• Ability to implement menus in line with diet orders and seasonal availability.
• Capable of handling capital expenditures and equipment purchases.
• Engage with residents and regulators to ensure compliance and quality.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the dietary department to meet regulatory standards.
• Assist in food prep, service, and cleanup per procedures.
• Attend required trainings and web modules.
• Direct and plan resident nutritional needs and care plans.
• Attend care conferences and document nutritional assessments.
• Coordinate dietary with Nursing to meet individual resident needs.
• Update resident nutritional information as needed.
• Monitor food temps, portions, and tray accuracy.
• Gather resident feedback on food quality and service.
• Participate in budget planning and staff scheduling biweekly.
• Plan menus with Dietician Dietary Consultant and adjust for seasonal availability.
• Manage department purchasing and annual budgeting.
• Ensure sanitation, safety, and infection control policies are followed.
• Supervise staff and enforce policies; coordinate with HR as needed.

Skills

Reading procedures

Numerical ability

Team leadership

Communication skills

Coordination

Time management

Safety and sanitation

Food service teamwork

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Certified Dietary Manager

Job description

*** Come be a part of something different - Join the Elwood Health and Living team TODAY!***

The Dietary Director is responsible for providing quality food service in accordance with all State and Federal regulations and to meet the nutritional and individual needs of the residents. They will manage the operation of the Dietary department to include staffing, department purchasing, food preparation, food delivery and clean-up in accordance with facility policies, physician orders, resident care plans and appropriate regulations.

Qualification:

1. 1.Highschoolgraduateorequivalent.
2. 2.Successfulcompletionofstate-approvedfoodservicemanagementcourse Certified Dietary Manager.
3. 3.Caringpersonwithadesiretoworkwiththefrailandelderly.
4. 4.Previousinstitutionaldietaryserviceexperiencepreferred.
5. 5.Abilitytoreadandunderstandproceduresusedforworkassignments, instructions, recipe directions and diet order cards.
6. 6.Ability to make various computations in planning department objectives, keepingworkrecordsandschedules,preparingbudgets,orderingofsupplies and monitoring inventory control
7. 7.Numericalabilityforrecipepreparationandpropermeasuringofcleaning agents and chemicals.
8. 8.Adequate strength, endurance and coordination to meet the strenuous physicaldemandsofsuchresponsibilitiesaspreparingfooditems,carrying quantity foods, serving meals, handling soiled dishes, operating dietary equipment and cleaning assigned work areas.
9. 9.Coordinationanddexterityforpreparingfoodandoperatingdietaryequipmentsafely.
10. 10.Abilitytosafelyperformtheessentialfunctionsofthejobwithoutharmtoself or others.
11. 11.Abilitytoprioritizeduties.
12. 12.Abilitytoworkaspartofateamandleader.
13. 13.Abilitytoestablishandmaintainoptimumrapportwithresidents,family members and regulatory agencies.
14. 14.Abilitytoutilizecomputersandotherelectronicdevicesfortaskssuchas timekeeping, in-servicing and documentation.

Essential Functions:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• a. Oversees Dietary department and ensures department is meeting the highest standard attainable in accordance with State and Federal regulations.
• b. Assists in defined food preparation, serving of meals and cleaning duties according to proper procedures, using various dietary equipment and supplies.
• c. Attends required in-services and completes assigned on-line modules, if applicable.
• d. Directs and oversees all resident nutritional needs planning and programs.
• Responsible for designated nutritional aspects of resident care planning, including attending and participating in resident care conferences, to include Quarterly, Annual, and Initial Assessments, completing MDS (nutritional section), nutritional assessments, and all documentation necessary for compliance with State and Federal Regulations.
• Contact with residents through routine and special visits; documentation of all pertinent dietary information (i.e.; diet changes, eating habits and diet order changes).
• Coordinates dietary services with Nursing Department goals concerning individual resident nutritional needs in accordance with physician orders.
• Oversee and delegate the updating of all resident nutritional information, as needed.
• Oversees food preparation and serving of regular therapeutic meals on designated shifts; monitors food temperatures, portion control, palatability and attractiveness; inspects special diet trays for conformance to physician's diet orders prior to delivery.
• Oversee and/or delegate the observation of meal service dining areas; obtains resident feedback on food quality, taste, appearance, temperature and service.
• Responsible for obtaining approval for Capital expenditures and approval for any large equipment purchases for the department.
• follows reporting procedures for the following:
• Observed resident concerns.
• Observed changes in resident conditions.
• Damaged, unsafe, malfunctioning equipment.
• Conditions related to breeding insects, rodents, and/or other vermin.
• Interviews, and hires department personnel; supervises orientation; counsels and/or disciplines employees on infractions of established rules; partners with Human Resources and/or designee to terminate employees when needed.
• Conducts performance evaluations and recommends wage changes.
• Schedules dietary staff to maintain budgeted staff hours every two (2) weeks.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of work routines.
• Plans, develops and executes facility and individual resident menus in conjunction with Dietician Dietary Consultant in accordance with State and Federal regulations; implements substitutions of menu items dependent upon seasonal availability, individual preferences and principles of economy.
• Oversees all department purchasing and maintains set budgets for the fiscal year.
• Attends required in-services and completes assigned on-line modules.
• Supplies input and/or information on a monthly basis concerning department functions, activities, needs, goals and objectives; completes annual reports.
• Supervises and assists in workflow and food handling techniques of staff as needed.
• Ensure equipment and work areas are clean, safe and orderly; and strict adherence to procedures regarding cleaners, hazardous materials. Ensures universal precautions and infection control, isolation, fire safety and sanitation practices and procedures are followed.
• Supervise Food Preparation and Serving:Ensure food is nutritional appetizing, prepared as planned and served in a timely and pleasant manner.
• Ensure appropriate meals/snacks are served to residents with special dietary needs.
• Responsible for sanitation and safety procedures, practices and training of dietary department of conformance to quality standards and health regulations.
• Ensure proper storage of foods and supplies.