Location: Newark Campus

Department: Food and Nutrition Services

Schedule: Full Time

Shifts:

Hostess/Host shifts - 7:30am-6pm; 7:45am-6:15pm; 8am-6:30pm; 8:15am-6:45pm; 8:30am-7pm

Manager shifts – 6:30am-5pm; 9am-7:30pm; 11am-9:30pm

ChristianaCare is seeking a highly organized and customer-focused Dietary Lead to support daily patient nutrition operations. This role serves as a key liaison between patients, nursing staff, clinical dietitians, and Food & Nutrition Services caregivers to ensure accurate meal delivery, therapeutic diet compliance, and an exceptional patient experience.

The successful candidate will provide leadership support for patient meal service operations, oversee meal assembly quality, manage diet orders and menu selections, maintain CBORD records, coordinate staff coverage, and assist in the absence of supervisory leadership. This position combines patient service, nutrition support, operational oversight, and team leadership responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Nutrition & Meal Service

• Assist patients with menu selections while ensuring compliance with physician-ordered diets and therapeutic nutrition requirements.
• Review and process diet orders, menu changes, and tray modifications accurately and timely.
• Round on patients to assess meal satisfaction, identify nutritional concerns, and provide service recovery when necessary.
• Support patients with basic dietary questions and nutritional education.
• Collaborate with clinical dietitians to promote positive patient nutrition outcomes.
• Monitor the delivery of supplements and tube feeding formulas and assist with follow-up regarding patient tolerance.

Leadership & Operational Support

• Coordinate daily work assignments and staffing coverage in the absence of management.
• Serve as the first point of escalation for meal service concerns and operational issues.
• Provide coaching, training, and support to Diet Clerks, Host/Hostess staff, Trayline personnel, and Dishroom caregivers.
• Monitor departmental performance indicators and assist leadership with operational improvements.
• Document performance-related concerns and support ongoing staff development initiatives.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Conduct meal tray accuracy audits and monitor meal assembly processes to ensure quality and compliance.
• Verify completion of temperature logs, sanitation records, and food safety documentation.
• Ensure adherence to food safety regulations, infection prevention protocols, and departmental standards.
• Participate in patient satisfaction surveys, performance improvement initiatives, and quality assurance activities.
• Assist with developing and implementing process improvements that enhance patient satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Technology & Administrative Functions

• Maintain accurate patient diet and menu information within the CBORD system.
• Generate meal tickets, reports, production sheets, and operational documentation.
• Process inventory transactions, requisitions, production records, and general ledger billing requests.
• Review reports for accuracy and communicate discrepancies to appropriate staff.

Collaboration & Customer Service

• Partner with nursing staff, dietitians, physicians, and Food & Nutrition Services caregivers to ensure accurate communication of patient nutrition needs.
• Demonstrate exceptional customer service while interacting with patients, families, visitors, and colleagues.
• Promote ChristianaCare's Core Values of Love and Excellence through compassionate and professional interactions.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with all organizational policies and procedures.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Associate degree preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of food service and clerical experience, preferably within a hospital or healthcare environment.
• Experience working with therapeutic diets and patient meal service required.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience using CBORD or similar food service management software.
• Lead, supervisory, or team coordination experience in healthcare food service.
• Knowledge of clinical nutrition and therapeutic diet modifications.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of food service operations and nutrition principles.
• Understanding of modified and therapeutic diets.
• Ability to assess patient dietary needs and support nutritional goals.
• Knowledge of menu management and meal service processes.
• Ability to calculate and support tube feeding formulations.
• Strong computer, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with patients, families, healthcare professionals, and multidisciplinary teams.

Work Environment

• Hospital patient care units and office settings.
• Frequent interaction with patients, family members, nursing staff, physicians, and nutrition professionals.
• Potential exposure to infectious diseases in a healthcare environment.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, twist, lift, push, pull, carry, and perform other physical activities consistent with patient food service operations.

Why Join ChristianaCare?

At ChristianaCare, we are guided by our mission of serving our neighbors as expert, caring partners in their health. Join a team committed to excellence, innovation, compassion, and creating an exceptional experience for every patient we serve.

Apply today and help make a difference through outstanding patient nutrition and service excellence.

Christiana Care Health System is an equal opportunity employer, firmly committed to prohibiting discrimination, whose staff is reflective of its community, and considers qualified applicants for open positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, pregnancy, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Post End Date

EEO Posting Statement

ChristianaCare offers a competitive suite of employee benefits to maximize the wellness of you and your family, including health insurance, paid time off, retirement, an employee assistance program.  To learn more about our benefits for eligible positions visit https://careers.christianacare.org/benefits-compensation/