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Dietary manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Timothy Edwards,

Jaunelle Celaire

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical dietary manager skills. We ranked the top skills for dietary managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.1% of dietary manager resumes contained kitchen equipment as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a dietary manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 dietary manager skills for your resume and career

1. Kitchen Equipment

Kitchen Equipment refers to all those essential items which are crucial for the task of cooking.

Here's how dietary managers use kitchen equipment:

Update and maintain inventories of food and kitchen equipment and supplies; Make timely stock orders from vendors and suppliers.
Purchased all hardware and software, performed application upgrades, and trained staff in use of Kitchen Equipment.

2. Patients

Here's how dietary managers use patients:

Analyzed diet requirement of patients and prepared nutritional balanced menus accordingly.
Monitor nursing staff in initial nutritional assessments of patients.

3. Dietary Services

Here's how dietary managers use dietary services:

Operated dietary services within budget guidelines and requirements.
Recruit and hire sufficient number of qualified staff to deliver adequate, efficient dietary services.

4. Infection Control

Infection control describes the principles and practices used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities to control and minimize the spread of infections with the aim of lowering rates of infection. Infection control refers to the process of detecting and controlling pathogens in order to reduce their spread.

Here's how dietary managers use infection control:

Ensured sanitary conditions and infection control were maintained in the kitchen to prevent cross contamination.
Educate staff on proper sanitation and infection control.

5. Food Preparation

Here's how dietary managers use food preparation:

Provided administrative direction for food preparation, service, purchasing, sanitation standards, safety practices and personnel utilization.
Hired, trained and managed six kitchen personal and achieved significant improvements in their productivity in food preparation.

6. Federal Regulations

Federal regulations refer to the set of rules, both general and permanent that are published in the Federal Register by the agencies of the federal government and the executive departments. Federal regulations are the large body of rules that govern federal practice. Examples of these laws include taxes and financial regulation, discrimination law, wages law, and so on.

Here's how dietary managers use federal regulations:

Executed daily operations of sanitation according to federal regulations.
Maintain compliance with local, state and federal regulations and standards Supervises, develops and schedules food service staff.

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7. Food Safety

Here's how dietary managers use food safety:

Demonstrated excellent customer service skills and trained employees in food safety/regulations.
Handled successfully food safety standards.

8. Good Communication

Here's how dietary managers use good communication:

Maintained good communication between department heads, medical staff and governing boards by attending board meetings and synchronizing interdepartmental functions.
Conducted monthly patient case conferences, in-services and staff meetings to educate staff and facilitate good communication.

9. State Regulations

State regulations are the rules made by the state authorities under a specific Act. When a government intervenes in the private market to implements policies, they are known as state regulations. These policies help in achieving the economic, political, and social targets which might not be able to achieve otherwise.

Here's how dietary managers use state regulations:

Prepare all meals in accordance with state regulations and abiding by safety/sanitation guidelines.
Enforce facility policies, procedures and federal/state regulations pertaining to food service.

10. Meal Planning

Here's how dietary managers use meal planning:

Assisted in planning, organizing, meal planning, budgeting, purchasing, and directing dietary Department.
Worked closely with a dietitian to ensure that all dietary needs were met when meal planning.

11. OSHA

Here's how dietary managers use osha:

Ensured compliance with state and federal regulatory guidelines, including OSHA AND ISDH, through departmental policy and daily diligence.
Served on Committees for retraining staff on such regulations as HIPAA, MRSA, OSHA, and MSDS.

12. Food Handling

Here's how dietary managers use food handling:

Ensured that both facilities were meeting state and company standards and regulations for safe food handling and sanitation.
Followed proper food handling methods and maintained correct temperature of all food products served and stored.

13. MDS

Minimum Data Set or MDS refers to a standardized assessment tool used in Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing facilities. It assists social services specialists with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to resolve and prevent problems relevant to substance abuse, human relations, or dependent care.

Here's how dietary managers use mds:

Communicated effectively in medical charts, and completed MDS assessments for Medicare reimbursement with proficiency.
Inventory, purchasing and budget management * Clinical Nutrition Documentation, MDS

14. Food Preferences

Here's how dietary managers use food preferences:

Prepare Special Diets/Cook/Follow Menus/recipes/diet orders/food preferences/Wash dishes/clean/Order/receive food and supplies/Care Plans/Progress Notes/Write menus/modify recipes/Calorie counts/tube feedings/Supervise/train employees
Interviewed residents to establish food preferences and created relationships to enhance a better customer service experience.

15. Budget Guidelines

Here's how dietary managers use budget guidelines:

Order raw food and supplies as needed and within budget guidelines.
Maintain cost records and works to meet budget guidelines.

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What skills help Dietary Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on dietary manager resumes?

Dr. Timothy Edwards

Professor, Interim Director, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Writing and research skills. Analytical and critical thinking skills. Technical skills such as web design, graphic design, audio and video production skills. Employers are interested in potential employees knowledge, intelligence and skills.

What dietary manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Jaunelle Celaire

Chair, Professor of Voice, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Never stop learning! This may consist of going back to school, earning new certifications in your field of study, attending conferences and seminars, and making sure that your time management is always at its finest level of excellence.

Do you want to know more?

List of dietary manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a dietary manager resume and required skills for a dietary manager to have include:

Kitchen Equipment
Patients
Dietary Services
Infection Control
Food Preparation
Federal Regulations
Food Safety
Good Communication
State Regulations
Meal Planning
OSHA
Food Handling
MDS
Food Preferences
Budget Guidelines
Federal Guidelines
Plan Menus

Food Production
Local Regulations
Diet Changes
Therapeutic Diets
Bed Facility
Tray Line
ServSafe
Payroll
Dishwashers
CDM
Care Conferences
Care Plan
Food Service Operations
Meal Service
Order Food
Nutritional Care
Diet Orders

QA
RD
Meal Preparation
Inventory Control
Nutritional Assessments
Sanitation Standards
Quality Standards
State Guidelines
Dietary Aides
Medicare
Weight Loss
HACCP
Fine Dining
Allergies
Dietary Functions
Portion Sizes

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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