Northern California Behavioral Health System

Inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care

Director Dietary Services

Food & Beverage Operations ManagementConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeSacramento, CA, USA$90k - $108kIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

At least one of the following qualifications is required: Registered Dietitian (RD); a bachelor's degree in food and nutrition, dietetics, or food management plus at least 1 year of dietetic-services experience in a licensed healthcare facility; Certified Dietary Manager credentialed by the Certifying Board for Dietary Managers, with active certification maintained and at least 6 hours of training on California Title 22 dietary-service regulations completed before starting full-time duties; or graduation from a state-approved Dietetic Supervisor Training Program approved by the California Department of Public Health or an equivalent regulatory authority, including at least 90 hours of classroom instruction or a combination of classroom and instructor-led web-based training focused on dietetic-service supervision, plus at least 1 year of experience managing food services and nutrition care in a hospital setting.
Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
Be willing and able to interact sensitively with people from varied social, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds.
Be proficient with software and/or equipment, including Microsoft Office applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Be proficient in documenting in an Electronic Medical Record (Best Care).
Have strong organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize projects, work relatively independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
Have strong written and verbal communication skills.
Be able to work independently and as part of a team.
Have good judgment and problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Demonstrate commitment to collaboration and the ability to lead, influence, and motivate others.
Be able to work in a fast-paced, expanding organization.
Meet the physical requirements of the role, including the specified mobility, tactile, spoken communication, hearing, lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds, and visual acuity capabilities.

Responsibilities

Oversee all operations related to food and nutrition services.
Oversee planning and execution of menu-related activities, including analysis and purchasing, in consultation with a Registered Dietitian.
Develop and revise dietetics policies and procedures in consultation with the Registered Dietitian, Nursing, and other health professionals as needed.
Hire, train, orient, and manage Dietary staff to meet patient-care standards.
Comply with all hospital policies and procedures.
Participate in select hospital committees, including QAPI, Patient Safety/EOC, and Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Participate in program development.
Maintain regulatory compliance for the Dietary Department.
Lead the organization's food and nutrition services to ensure patient meals meet clinical standards, regulatory requirements, and the organization's philosophy of care.
Collaborate with the Registered Dietitian to support individualized patient nutrition plans and maintain departmental policies and procedures, including keeping the Dietary Manual current and approved by Medical Staff.

Desired Qualifications

Have 2–5 years of supervisory or management experience.
Have experience in a behavioral health or psychiatric hospital setting.
Be familiar with trauma-informed nutrition care and culturally responsive meal planning.

Director, Dietary Services

Northern California Behavioral Health System · Sacramento, United States · Full-time · Posted 2026-08-12

Salary: USD 90,000–108,000

Workplace: on_site

Department: Dietary and Nutrition

Description

POSITION TITLE: Director of Dietary Services

REPORTS TO (TITLE): Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

PAY RANGE: $90K - $108K, Exempt

DESCRIPTION OF POSITION:

The Director of Dietary leads the organization’s food and nutrition services, ensuring all patient meals meet clinical standards, regulatory requirements, and the organization’s philosophy of care. Serving as a key member of the management and treatment teams, this role is accountable to Medical Staff and Administration for the delivery of safe, high‑quality dietary services. The Director collaborates closely with the Registered Dietitian to support individualized patient nutrition plans, oversees daily dietary operations, and maintains all departmental policies and procedures, including ensuring the Dietary Manual remains current and approved by Medical Staff.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oversees all operations related to food and nutrition services.
Oversees the planning and execution of all menu-related activities including analysis and purchasing in consultation with a Registered Dietician.
Development/revision of policies and procedures relating to dietetics in consultation with Registered Dietician, Nursing, and other health professionals as needed.
Hires, trains, orients, and manages Dietary staff to meet patient care standards.
Complies with all hospital policy and procedures.
Participates in select hospital committees including QAPI, Patient Safety/EOC, and Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Participates in program development.
Maintaining regulatory compliance for Dietary Department.

Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Knowledge and Experience:

Qualifications include at least one of the following:

1) Registered Dietitian (RD)

2) Bachelor’s Degree in food and nutrition, dietetics, or food management
AND at least 1 year of experience in dietetic services in a licensed healthcare facility

3) Certified Dietary Manager (CDM)

a. Credentialed by the Certifying Board for Dietary Managers

b. Must maintain active certification

c. Must complete at least 6 hours of training on California Title 22 dietary service regulations before starting full-time duties

4) Graduate of a State-Approved Dietetic Supervisor Training Program

a. Must have completed a program approved by the California Department of Public Health or equivalent regulatory authority

b. The program must include at least 90 hours of classroom instruction, or a combination of classroom and instructor-led web-based training focused on dietetic service supervision

c. AND must have at least 1 year of experience managing food services and nutrition care in a hospital setting

Preferred Qualifications

2–5 years of supervisory or management experience
Experience in behavioral health or psychiatric hospital setting.
Familiarity with trauma-informed nutrition care and culturally responsive meal planning

Skills and Abilities:

Maintains confidentiality of patients at all times.
Sensitivity to, and willingness to interact with, persons of various social, cultural, economic and educational backgrounds.
Proficiency with software and/or equipment (Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
Proficiency in documenting in an Electronic Medical Record (Best Care).
Strong organizational skills with ability to prioritize projects, work relatively independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Good judgment, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively as well as possessing the skills to lead, influence, and motivate others.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, expanding organization.

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job, this position is frequently required to do the following:

Stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, grasp, and be able to perceive the attributes of objects such as size, shape, temperature, and/or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips.
Express and exchange ideas via spoken word during activities in which they must convey detail or important spoken instructions to others accurately, sometimes quickly and loudly.
Hear to perceive the nature of sounds with no less than 40db loss @ HZ, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction; ability to perceive detailed information through oral communication and to make fine discriminations in sound.
Exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and to be able to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
Work requires a minimum standard of visual acuity with, or without, correction that will enable people in the row to complete administrative and clerical tasks and visually observe patients on the unit and in therapeutic activities.

Benefits

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
Short Term & Long Term Disability

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About the Company

Northern California Behavioral Health System

Inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care

Operates inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services at two Northern California campuses, Sacramento Behavioral Healthcare Hospital and Santa Rosa Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, with 117 and 144 acute psychiatric beds respectively. Care is provided through a multidisciplinary team that creates individualized treatment plans for adolescents and adults with conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and co-occurring substance use disorders, including 24-hour monitoring and stabilization. As part of Signature Healthcare Services, it connects to a nationwide network of 19 psychiatric hospitals to coordinate broader regional care. The goal is to help patients recover by delivering continuous, patient-centered care within a regional mental health system.

Company size: Not listed
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Not listed
Founded: Not listed

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