Full-time Dietary Manager

Description

Lexington Regional Health Center
Title: Dietary Manager
Effective Date: May 20, 2026
Supervisor: Registered Dietitian

Department: Dietary
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Principle duties and responsibilities 

1. Ensures that patient meal service supports the patient’s plan of care and that individual nutritional needs are met in accordance with recognized dietary practices, prescribed diets, and approved menu standards.
2. Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the daily operations of the Dietary Department to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant food and nutrition services.
3. Oversees food, supply, and equipment inventory; places orders as needed; limits waste; and manages departmental resources in a fiscally responsible manner.
4. Ensures dietary services staff follow departmental and hospital policies and procedures and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and accrediting standards relevant to food and nutrition services.
5. Collaborates with the Registered Dietitian and appropriate practitioners to support menu planning, therapeutic diet implementation, diet substitutions, nourishments, texture modifications, and patient meal services.
6. Oversees the operational processes for receiving, storing, preparing, holding, labeling, and serving food in a manner that supports safe meal production and service.
7. Maintains and oversees operational records required for daily department functions, including meal counts, production records, inventory records, temperature logs, cleaning logs, and equipment monitoring records.
8. Prepares and enters employees’ schedules into the electronic time and attendance system and maintains appropriate staffing to meet departmental needs.
9. Coordinates staff recruitment support, orientation, schedule training, and day-to-day coaching to promote consistent dietary operations.
10. Monitors compliance with current infection prevention and control practices applicable to dietary services and reinforces required precautions for staff, patients, and visitors within assigned areas.
11. Maintains the physical dietary environment, including kitchen, storage, and serving areas, to support safe operations, cleanliness, equipment access, and compliance with environmental safety expectations.
12. Participates in committees, performance improvement activities, audits, tracers, and survey readiness activities as assigned.
13. Ensures a safe, clean kitchen and dining environment and that equipment is maintained in proper working order.
14. Provides day-to-day work direction, task coordination, and operational support for dietary staff to ensure timely meal production and service.
15. Coordinates dietary services during emergencies or utility disruptions and helps maintain continuity of food and nutrition services.
16. Promotes safe work practices, promptly addresses identified hazards, and reports food safety, sanitation, equipment, or environmental concerns through appropriate channels.
17. Maintains readiness for survey or regulatory review by monitoring that departmental policies, procedures, and required documentation are current, available, and consistently implemented.
18. Ensures patients and visitors follow current infection control guidelines.   
19. Participates in patient care activities that could include blood exposure and risk to bloodborne pathogens. Uses standard precautions and other required safety practices when performing assigned duties that may involve exposure to bloodborne pathogens or other occupational hazards. 
20. Responsible for ensuring the environment meets appropriate governing body standards. 
21. Maintains patient and staff safety through the use of patient safety tools and communication methods, including TeamSTEPPS, Just Culture, and related organizational practices.
22. Regular attendance at the assigned work location is required.
23. Performs all other duties as assigned.

Minimum knowledge, skill, and abilities

1. Requires knowledge of food preparation, food service management, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles, sanitation and food safety procedures, allergen awareness, and nutrition and diet therapy for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric populations, as typically acquired through completion of a high school diploma or equivalent. 
2. Completion of a Dietary Management course approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is preferred, or ability to obtain within two and a half (2.5) years of employment.
3. Ability to perform routine office work and supervise, train, and evaluate workers in food preparation and food service operations, as is typically acquired through completion of two years of food service experience, including supervisory responsibilities preferred.
4. Ability to pay close attention to