DIRECTOR OF PATIENT SERVICES, FOOD & NUTRITION - St. Vincent Hospital Indianapolis

The Director of Patient Dining Services provides leadership and oversight for all patient meal service operations within a large acute care hospital. This role is responsible for ensuring an exceptional patient dining experience while supporting clinical nutrition goals, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, financial performance, and team development.   The Director leads a team responsible for serving approximately 500+ patients daily, delivering meals across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This position serves as a key liaison between Food & Nutrition Services, Nursing, Clinical Nutrition, and hospital leadership to ensure patients receive safe, accurate, and high-quality meal service.

• Lead the day-to-day patient dining and meal service operations for a high-volume healthcare environment
• Ensure patients receive meals that are accurate, timely, compliant with prescribed diets, and delivered with a hospitality-focused approach
• Manage departmental budgets, labor productivity, and operational efficiencies while maximizing value for the client
• Drive patient satisfaction initiatives and continuously improve the overall patient dining experience
• Ensure food quality, presentation, service standards, and patient meal accuracy meet or exceed expectations
• Direct and maintain safety, sanitation, infection prevention, and regulatory compliance programs
• Develop, coach, and mentor managers, supervisors, and frontline associates to build a high-performing team
• Foster strong working relationships with Clinical Nutrition, Nursing, Environmental Services, and hospital leadership
• Oversee inventory management, purchasing controls, and resource utilization to achieve financial and operational goals
• Support departmental strategic initiatives, quality improvement efforts, and performance metrics
• Promote a culture of service excellence, accountability, patient-centered care, and continuous improvement

• Five years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare food service, hospitality, patient dining, or a related operational environment
• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Healthcare Administration, Foodservice Management, Nutrition, Business, or related field preferred
• Experience managing large teams in a high-volume patient dining or food service setting
• Strong knowledge of food service operations, patient satisfaction initiatives, sanitation, food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance
• Experience managing budgets, labor costs, inventory, purchasing, and operational performance metrics
• Strong leadership, communication, relationship-building, and team development skills
• Healthcare and/or contract-managed service experience preferred
• ServSafe® Certification preferred
• Forward-thinking, proactive leader with a strong focus on patient experience, operational excellence, and employee engagement
• Proficient computer skills and knowledge of MS Office products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and internet