Healthcare Dietary Director: Culinary Leadership

DeKalb Health; Safford (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

DeKalb Health seeks a Dietary Director to lead the hospital's Dietary Department, overseeing patient meals, staff, budgets, and compliance to deliver safe, nutritious, and cost-effective meals.

This exempt leadership role partners with dietitians, nursing, physicians, and hospital leadership to support positive patient outcomes and exceptional dining experiences in a fast-paced healthcare setting.

Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, Nutrition, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive food service management experience, with at least two years in a healthcare setting.
• Experience managing budgets, staffing, and regulatory compliance programs.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Direct and supervise all food service operations, including patient dining, cafeteria services, catering, and special events.
• Recruit, train, coach, and evaluate dietary and culinary staff.
• Develop staffing schedules and ensure appropriate departmental coverage.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and customer service excellence.
• Lead department meetings and ongoing staff development initiatives.
• Monitor patient satisfaction scores and implement service improvements.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and accreditation standards (CMS, Joint Commission, OSHA).
• Develop and manage departmental budgets and control costs.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Communication

Multitasking

Financial analysis

POS software

Education

Culinary Arts or Nutrition degree

Tools

POS Systems

FMS Software

Job description

DeKalb Health seeks a Dietary Director to lead the hospital's Dietary Department, overseeing patient meals, staff, budgets, and compliance to deliver safe, nutritious, and cost-effective meals.

This exempt leadership role partners with dietitians, nursing, physicians, and hospital leadership to support positive patient outcomes and exceptional dining experiences in a fast-paced healthcare setting.