How to hire a director of food and nutrition services

How to hire a director of food and nutrition services, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of food and nutrition services hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of food and nutrition services job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of food and nutrition services
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of food and nutrition services do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the director of food and nutrition services you need to hire. Certain director of food and nutrition services roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of food and nutrition services's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of food and nutrition services from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of director of food and nutrition services salaries for various roles:

   Type of Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Food And Nutrition Services	Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.	$26-85
   Swing Manager	A swing manager is a person who supervises people and manages restaurants during designated times. Swing managers oversee personnel and the equipment and products to achieve high-quality standards... Show more	$12-25
   Bar Manager	Bar managers are also called bar owners or supervisors of bar establishments. The managers are in charge of managing customer complaints, ensuring stocks in the bar, and in scheduling the jobs of employees... Show more	$15-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Healthcare
   • Patients
   • Infection Control
   • Nutrition Services
   • Customer Service
   • Culinary
   • Quality Improvement
   • Patient Care
   • OSHA
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Food Cost
   • RD
   • Food Safety
   • HACCP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and monitor daily operational duties of full service dining room for patients including creating and maintaining department budget.
   • Implement HACCP guidelines for all locations, ensuring the safety and quality of food deliver to on-site and community-base satellite operations.
   • Maintain patient confidentiality under HIPAA.
   • Utilize WebDenis to verify Medicaid insurance.
   • Follow confidentiality laws and HIPAA privacy policies.
   • Streamline billing of claims to infusion contractors and implement NJ Medicaid electronic billing.

   More director of food and nutrition services duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of food and nutrition services job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A director of food and nutrition services salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, directors of food and nutrition services' average salary in kansas is 42% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of food and nutrition services earn 69% less than senior-level directors of food and nutrition services.
   • Certifications. A director of food and nutrition services with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a director of food and nutrition services's salary.

   Average director of food and nutrition services salary

   $100,887yearly

   $48.50 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of food and nutrition services salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average director of food and nutrition services salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$128,904	$62
   2	New Jersey	$127,522	$61
   3	Connecticut	$115,531	$56
   4	New York	$113,874	$55
   5	Virginia	$112,462	$54
   6	Delaware	$111,508	$54
   7	Washington	$110,016	$53
   8	North Carolina	$108,715	$52
   9	West Virginia	$106,156	$51
   10	Illinois	$102,341	$49
   11	Ohio	$101,247	$49
   12	Louisiana	$96,560	$46
   13	Texas	$90,284	$43
   14	Arizona	$85,436	$41
   15	Tennessee	$77,998	$38
   16	Florida	$77,497	$37

   Average director of food and nutrition services salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$182,710	$87.84
   2	Washington Regional Medical Center	$177,647	$85.41	3
   3	Kaiser Permanente	$168,324	$80.92	40
   4	Lake Charles Memorial Health System	$158,057	$75.99	1
   5	NORTHERN MONTANA HOSPITAL	$147,460	$70.89	1
   6	Hawaii Pacific Health	$143,928	$69.20	8
   7	Temple Health	$140,079	$67.35	9
   8	Washington Hospital Healthcare System	$134,465	$64.65
   9	Loma Linda University Health	$131,441	$63.19	7
   10	Prime Healthcare	$123,658	$59.45	18
   11	Mission Regional Medical Center	$120,759	$58.06	26
   12	Baptist Health Care	$120,494	$57.93	4
   13	Texas Health Resources	$119,485	$57.44	18
   14	Riverside Community Hospital	$119,389	$57.40	14
   15	H-E-B	$117,971	$56.72	19
   16	Boston Public Schools	$117,745	$56.61	3
   17	Auburn City Schools	$114,939	$55.26	1
   18	Hackensack Meridian Health	$105,978	$50.95	86
   19	St. Luke's Hospital	$104,068	$50.03	6
   20	HCA Health Services of Virginia Inc	$101,553	$48.82

4. Writing a director of food and nutrition services job description

   A good director of food and nutrition services job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a director of food and nutrition services job description:

   Director of food and nutrition services job description example

   : Dietitian / Director of Food & Nutrition Services Are you looking to have fun in a work environment where you can express your talents and creativity, while making a difference in the lives of others? Come join our Food Nutrition Service Team! The Registered Dietitian will ensure that the nutritional status of all patients is assessed accurately and to plan approaches to improve status if needed. The Registered Dietitian (RD) will provide guidance to the Director of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), FNS Manager, and/or the staff of FNS Department. Although the emphasis of this position is in the clinical area, duties include all aspects of food and nutrition services. Qualifications: Must have a sincere interest in food service & nutrition and enjoy working with the senior care living population and other healthcare patients. Must have SC State RD Licensure and RD Credentials. Long Term Care experience preferred but not required. Must have a thorough knowledge of and be able to apply nutrition principles. Must be able to accurately use this knowledge to assess nutritional status and plan care for the patients. NHC HealthCare Clinton offers a competitive compensation package for full time employment including health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance, uniforms, paid time off, 401 (k) with generous company match, stock options, and more. National HealthCare Corporation is recognized nationwide as an innovator in the delivery of quality long-term care. Our goal is to provide a full range of extended care services, designed to maximize the well-being and independence of patients of all ages. We are dedicated to meeting patient needs through an interdisciplinary approach combining compassionate care with cost-effective health care services. The NHC environment is one of encouragement and challenge, innovation and improvement, teamwork and collaboration, and honesty and integrity. All NHC employees are committed as partners, not only to the health of our patients, but to the well-being of the communities we serve. If you are interested in working for a leader in senior care and share NHC's values of honesty and integrity , please apply today and find out more about us at nhccare.com/locations/Clinton Benefits
   Earned Time Off
   Holiday Incentive Pay
   Health, Dental, Vision, Disability and Life insurance
   401k with generous company contributions
   Flexible Schedule
   Uniforms
   Tuition Reimbursement Opportunities
   Advancement Opportunities
   No Late Nights Work Location:
   NHC HealthCare Clinton
   304 Jacobs Highway
   Clinton, SC 29325 If you are interested in joining a leading senior care company and share our values of honesty, integrity and professionalism, apply on line at nhccare.com/locations/Clinton "Care is our business" -Join our family and see why we strive to provide "care in a better way"! "50 years Committed, 50 years Caring, 50 years Strong" EOE

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find directors of food and nutrition services for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of food and nutrition services job on Zippia to find and recruit director of food and nutrition services candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting directors of food and nutrition services requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of food and nutrition services

   Once you have selected a candidate for the director of food and nutrition services position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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