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What does a nutrition services manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A nutrition services manager is responsible for overseeing food planning and preparation for healthcare organizations. Your duties will include ensuring that culinary staff adheres to quality nutrition, safety, and sanitation standards set by the government, developing the dietary and food preparation guidelines, and overseeing the operations, budget, menu plans, and purchasing of clinical food service. Other duties include participating in programs that will broaden your knowledge and improve your performance, training employees in maintaining and operating equipment safely, and maintaining an inventory of supplies, food, and necessary equipment in food preparation.

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Nutrition services manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real nutrition services manager resumes:

  • Manage food allergies and special diets by providing nutritious alternatives and creating student-specific menus.
  • Inventory, QA information and meetings.
  • Advise clients on FDA regulations and labeling compliance.
  • Design and teach culinary arts and nutrition curriculum for all ages.
  • Develop, conduct and oversee quality assurance (QA) audits.
  • Review patient menus to check for portion/dietary restrictions, allergies or special instructions.
  • Prepare and serve student meals, tend POS systems, deposits and reports, maintain sanitation and health procedures.
  • Update payroll records by entering changes in exemptions, insurance coverage, savings deductions, and job title and department/division transfers.
  • Compute financial transactions accurately in POS system
  • Joint replacement, rehabilitation and primary stroke center.
  • Visit patients conducting written evaluations following special events; reviewing patient suggestions.
  • Supervise sanitation and storage activities ensuring cleanliness within the food service operation.
  • Communicate daily with various medical personnel regarding patients' diet and medical status.
  • Manage food allergies and special diets by providing nutritious alternatives and creating student-specific menus.
  • Design and put into action a catering extension to district cafeterias.

Nutrition services manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 18% of Nutrition Services Managers are proficient in Patients, Customer Service, and Nutrition Services. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Technical skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Nutrition Services Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 18%

    Provide clinical registered dietitian services as needed for long-term, high-acuity patients.

  • Customer Service, 10%

    Directed subordinates in implementing departmental policies and procedures while providing excellent customer service satisfaction for our internal and external customers.

  • Nutrition Services, 8%

    Planned and implemented quality assurance program activities for nutrition services at clinical sites.

  • Food Preparation, 6%

    Monitor compliance with food safety regulations regarding food preparation and service.

  • Kitchen Equipment, 5%

    Utilized knowledge and followed all proper usage and care instructions of industrial kitchen equipment.

  • Meal Service, 5%

    Prepared, maintained and distributed as necessary, bar-coded identification cards for students meal service.

"patients," "customer service," and "nutrition services" are among the most common skills that nutrition services managers use at work. You can find even more nutrition services manager responsibilities below, including:

Communication skills. nutrition services managers are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to nutrition services manager responsibilities, because "food service managers must give clear orders to staff and be able to convey information effectively to employees and customers." A nutrition services manager resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "implemented rounding for outcomes and aidet communication in patient care areas. "

Leadership skills. Another common skill required for nutrition services manager responsibilities is "leadership skills." This skill comes up in the duties of nutrition services managers all the time, as "managers must establish good relationships with staff to maintain a productive work environment." An excerpt from a real nutrition services manager resume shows how this skill is central to what a nutrition services manager does: "provided clinical oversight, leadership and coordination for nutrition services in lthhcp and other programs. "

Business skills. While "business skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to nutrition services manager responsibilities. Much of what a nutrition services manager does relies on this skill, seeing as "food service managers must understand all aspects of the restaurant business, including how to budget for supplies, comply with regulations, and manage workers." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of nutrition services managers: "planned and presented business management and nutrition education webinars and meetings on disease management, medicare, medicaid and private insurance. "

All nutrition services manager skills

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Compare different nutrition services managers

Nutrition services manager vs. Director of food and beverage

A director of food and beverage is responsible for ensuring the quality of foods and services to maintain the guests' overall satisfaction on their dining experience. Food and beverage directors manage menu selections, analyzing current food trends to meet guests' demands. They also handle budget allocation, negotiating with reliable suppliers for high-quality materials and ingredients for minimal costs. A director of food and beverage must have excellent leadership and communication skills, observe strict sanitary standards and hygienic regulations for adherence of all personnel during operations.

The annual salary of directors of food and beverage is $44,731 higher than the average salary of nutrition services managers.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both nutrition services manager and director of food and beverage positions are skilled in customer service, food preparation, and culinary.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a nutrition services manager are more likely to require skills like "patients," "nutrition services," "kitchen equipment," and "meal service." On the other hand, a job as a director of food and beverage requires skills like "wine," "bars," "beverage operations," and "guest service." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Directors of food and beverage earn the highest salaries when working in the real estate industry, with an average yearly salary of $87,404. On the other hand, nutrition services managers are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $46,176.On average, directors of food and beverage reach similar levels of education than nutrition services managers. Directors of food and beverage are 4.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Nutrition services manager vs. Manager

Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department. Managers are responsible that the department they are handling is functioning well. They set the department goals and the steps they must take to achieve the goals. They are also in charge of assessing the performance of their departments and their employees. Additionally, managers are responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for department vacancies and assessing their fit to the needs of the department. Managers also set the general working environment in the department, and they are expected to ensure that their employees remain motivated.

On average, managers earn a $14,728 higher salary than nutrition services managers a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both nutrition services managers and managers have skills such as "customer service," "food preparation," and "customer satisfaction. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that nutrition services manager responsibilities requires skills like "patients," "nutrition services," "kitchen equipment," and "meal service." But a manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "payroll," "food safety," "financial statements," and "management."

On average, managers earn a higher salary than nutrition services managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, managers earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $71,781. Whereas nutrition services managers have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $46,176.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Managers tend to reach similar levels of education than nutrition services managers. In fact, they're 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Nutrition services manager vs. Restaurant manager

A restaurant manager is responsible for handling the overall restaurant operations. These include monitoring revenues and daily restaurant sales, checking inventories and supplies, negotiating with third-party vendors, and managing customers' inquiries and complaints. Other duties include creating promotional offers, developing and improving sales strategies, organizing staff duties, maintaining the highest sanitary standards for everyone's strict compliance, and controlling operational expenses. A restaurant manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills and exceptional knowledge of food industry management.

An average restaurant manager eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of nutrition services managers. The difference in salaries amounts to restaurant managers earning a $8,279 higher average salary than nutrition services managers.nutrition services managers and restaurant managers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "customer service," "food preparation," and "food handling," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from nutrition services manager resumes include skills like "patients," "nutrition services," "kitchen equipment," and "meal service," whereas a restaurant manager is more likely to list skills in "guest satisfaction," "restaurant management," "guest service," and "restaurant operations. "

Restaurant managers earn the highest salary when working in the hospitality industry, where they receive an average salary of $51,432. Comparatively, nutrition services managers have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $46,176.restaurant managers typically earn lower educational levels compared to nutrition services managers. Specifically, they're 5.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Nutrition services manager vs. Shift manager

Shift managers are employees assigned to oversee the operations of the business during a specific time or work shift. They manage the employees assigned in a particular shift and ensure that the employees are working on their specific tasks. They also ensure that the needed manpower is met. Shift managers are also in charge of checking the sales, ensuring that the finances are properly balanced, and maintaining records during the work shift. They also respond to any challenges that may occur during the time period. Shift managers should have good organization skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.

Shift managers tend to earn a lower pay than nutrition services managers by an average of $11,813 per year.According to resumes from nutrition services managers and shift managers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "food preparation," and "food handling. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between nutrition services managers and shift managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a nutrition services manager might have more use for skills like "patients," "nutrition services," "kitchen equipment," and "meal service." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of shift managers require skills like "management," "leadership," "help support," and "excellent interpersonal. "

Shift managers enjoy the best pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $31,448. For comparison, nutrition services managers earn the highest salary in the health care industry.The average resume of shift managers showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to nutrition services managers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 7.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.2%.

Types of nutrition services manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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