Manager, Patient Food Services

University Hospital; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 101,292,000 - 168,818,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

HSA

FSA

Disability Insurance

Pension Plan

Pet Insurance

EAP

Professional Development

Job summary

University Hospital is seeking a Manager of Patient Food Services to oversee day‑to‑day patient dining operations and staff training within the Food & Nutrition Services Department. You will implement a patient-first concept, manage staffing, and ensure high patient satisfaction while maintaining safety and resource efficiency.

The role requires leadership to train tray-line and hospitality staff, manage scheduling, and ensure dietary guidelines are followed across units, with accountability to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics or Nutrition or Culinary Arts or related field is required.
• Four (4) years of progressive food services or patient food services experience at a managerial/supervisory level required.
• National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation for ServSafe Certification is required or must be obtained within six months.
• Certified as a Dietary Manager or Registered Dietitian.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations of patient dining and supervise tray line staff.
• Plan and supervise patient food assembly and service within diet order limitations.
• Hire, train, and evaluate staff; ensure compliance with policies.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and safety in line with Joint Commission requirements.
• Visit patients and support patient satisfaction initiatives and performance improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Training

Communication

Customer service

Team building

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics or Nutrition

ServSafe Certification

Dietary Manager Certification

Registered Dietitian

Tools

CBORD

Job description

About The Role

The Manager Patient Food Services reports to the Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition. The Manager Patient Food Services will assist the Food Service Director in all aspects of the patient dining in the Food & Nutrition Services Department. The Manager will manage the day-to-day operations of patient dining, help to develop a patient first concept, and train staff in patient services to ensure the highest level of patient satisfaction and good public relations through the safe and efficient use of resources. The Manager will perform a variety of duties to include the planning and supervision of patient food assembly and service, scheduling, hiring, dismissal, and training of tray line, and hospitality personnel.

The Manager Patient Food Services reports to the Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition. The Manager Patient Food Services will assist the Food Service Director in all aspects of the patient dining in the Food & Nutrition Services Department. The Manager will manage the day-to-day operations of patient dining, help to develop a patient first concept, and train staff in patient services to ensure the highest level of patient satisfaction and good public relations through the safe and efficient use of resources. The Manager will perform a variety of duties to include the planning and supervision of patient food assembly and service, scheduling, hiring, dismissal, and training of tray line, and hospitality personnel.

Responsibilities

What You’ll Do

• Processes are patient centered by actively contributing to creating a friendly, welcoming, and safe environment for UH customers; driving collaboration with leadership, including physicians; organizing and monitoring operations to accommodate and respond to patient needs, concerns, and complaints within 24-48 hours; continuously displaying a “can do” attitude; monitoring and analyzing patient satisfaction data; acting as a role model for Service Excellence; maintaining professional composure during stressful situations; ensuring customer service scores meet/exceed targets; and ensuring all staff demonstrates respect for patient rights and commitment to the uniqueness of the individual patient.
• Establishes goals and oversees implementation of patient food services needs based upon medical direction, patient population, and contract, while complying with dietary restrictions on special or modified diets to ensure optimal food preferences are met within guidelines of diet order limitations.
• Hires, leads, directs, coaches, trains, and develops patient services team members and ensures staff are trained and evaluated on their knowledge of and adherence to compliance policies and procedures specific to their jobs.
• Complies with regulatory agencies, including federal, state, and Joint Commission requirements as evidenced by successful completion of surveys with no deficiencies, and follows facility, department, and UH safety policies and procedures, including occurrence reporting.
• Visits patients in nursing units and helps ensure that every patient is visited by a member of the management or professional team at least once during their hospital stay; ensures patient services staff assists in achieving stated patient satisfaction goals; and monitors and ensures compliance, progression, and follow-up of patient satisfaction initiatives.
• Participates in facility-wide and department Performance Improvement Programs and teams, attends departmental meetings, staff development and professional programs, works closely with the management team to reach operational goals, and collaborates in the development of annual goals and objectives, operating and capital budgets, and continuous performance improvement standards and processes.
• Participates in the planning, coordination, and supervision of the delivery of nutrition services to all inpatient units and admissions to the Emergency Department, and maintains, monitors, and updates the dietary electronic patient food service system (CBORD) to ensure efficient and accurate processing of patient menus, trayline tickets, nourishments, enteral feedings, special patient satisfaction initiatives, system upgrades, and interfaces with hospital electronic supporting systems.
• Understands and adheres to University Hospital’s compliance standards as outlined in the Corporate Compliance Policy, Code of Conduct, and Conflict of Interest Policy; keeps abreast of all pertinent federal, state, and University Hospital regulations, laws, and policies as they exist and change; and performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s Degree in Dietetics or Nutrition or Culinary Arts or related field is required. Four (4) years of progressive food services or patient food services experience at a managerial/supervisory level required. Experience in an acute care hospital preferred.
• National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation for ServSafe Protection Certification is required or must be obtained within six (6) months of hire.
• Certified as a Dietary Manager required or must obtain Certificate within twelve (12) months of employment or Registered Dietician.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills required and the ability to build a team. Basic understanding of diet principles, understanding of food preparation methods. Previous experience with computerized diet office systems (CBORD) preferred.
• Ability to guide others in understanding guest service principles as it pertains to patients. Strong leadership skills with the ability to supervise and train employees. Experience working in a unionized environment a plus. Additional related experience may be substituted for the degreeon a year for year basis.

What We Offer

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Medical & Prescription Drug Coverage
• Dental & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) & Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Short- & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Pension Plan
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional Development

Compensation

The expected salary range for this position is $81,697.00 – $122,545.00 per hour, in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Law; final compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

About Us

University Hospital is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. As the principal teaching affiliate of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and the only state-certified Level 1 Trauma Center in Northern New Jersey, University Hospital is training the next generation of physicians and advancing science to discovery while taking exceptional care of patients, regardless of their financial situation.