Dietary Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a dietary manager. Feel free to use our dietary manager job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a dietary manager.
Who is a Dietary Manager?
A dietary manager is a food service professional who oversees a facility’s food service operations. Most dietary managers work in public facilities such as cafeterias, schools, and hospitals that provide food for patients. Dietary managers may also consult with nutritionists and dietitians to help them improve their practices. Before becoming dietary managers, they undergo special training to learn about nutrition and business practices in the food service sector.
Dietary managers have a background in nutrition and can ensure foodservice protocols are safe and food products remain high-quality. Dietary managers can help organizations design their menus and verify that the information is correct. They are also able to make purchases for the company they work for in terms of food ingredients and stock. Dietary managers are responsible for overseeing the food preparation processes in a facility and adjusting protocol to ensure compliance with federal and local food safety laws.
A dietary manager must also document nutrition information about the food they serve. This will allow them to track the nutritional content of their products and help them decide whether or not to sell them.
There are many responsibilities that a dietary manager has to fulfill. The manager usually oversees all operations and performances of the dietary department. Hospitals, schools, colleges, and nursing homes are all likely to employ dietary managers. They are ultimately responsible for the analysis of the needs of every resident, client, student, or patient in the facility. Other responsibilities include budget, safety, and compliance with regulations.
A hospital dietary manager oversees all aspects of food service, including budgeting and supply purchasing. This person will also schedule and conduct staff meetings. To stay current with government regulations, the manager might attend workshops or seminars. He/she also consults with patients to help them plan healthy meals.
Similar responsibilities are shared by nursing home dietary managers. Many of their patients are elderly, so their training focuses on the special nutritional needs of the elderly. Managers are responsible for overseeing kitchen operations and must visit each resident regularly to ensure that their individual needs are met. This supervisory role may also include periodic in-service training sessions to other staff members at nursing homes and dietary department training regarding changes in food service regulations.
Schools often require that school nutrition managers follow the guidelines for each grade level they are responsible for. Managers are responsible for hiring, training, and scheduling staff members. The school’s food budget is usually managed by the dietary manager. This person is responsible for planning and organizing the production and serving of food and cleaning up after every meal in the school cafeteria.
Depending on student enrollment, most college campuses have at least one cafeteria. The college’s governing body will dictate the job requirements for the dietary manager. The dietary manager will still be responsible for budget, food, and non-food purchases, hiring, training, and scheduling staff, as well as any other aspects of the cafeteria.
Any dietary manager position may also require additional responsibilities. These may include catering for special occasions, providing food service at meetings, or engaging the community in public relations. Businesses that provide employee catering, theme parks, or charity food service managers may also be able to hire them.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of foodservice managers will grow by 11 percent between 2018 and 2028. The same is true for nutritionists and dietitians. This is faster than the average growth rate for all occupations. This is due to the increased interest in nutrition and food in health promotion and wellness. In the next few years, there will be many dietary managers.
Dietary Manager Job Description
Below are the dietary manager job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a dietary manager job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a dietary manager include the following:
- Providing daily food service operations management.
- Interviewing, training, firing, and recruiting staff.
- Interacting with customers to ensure customer satisfaction
- Organizing staff working schedules.
- Providing nutritional consultation for customers
- Managing inventories
- Setting up a budget and sticking to it.
- Purchasing supplies and equipment needed for operations.
- Designing food preparation procedures and standards
- Developing dietary plans and other options for clients.
- Storing and preparing food safely
- Providing financial records and cost reports to the Administrator and Dietitian as needed.
- Recruiting and hiring enough qualified staff to provide efficient, adequate dietary services.
- Creating a schedule to assist dietary staff. Completed a diet history for each resident.
- Determining menu options, including modified diets, and keeping a record of tried recipes.
- Conducting periodic surveys through written and personal visits to evaluate the preferences and options of residents,
- Establishing and maintaining productive lines of communication between dietary services and other facility departments/facilities.
- Monitoring the person in charge of daily tasks to ensure that they are performed according to policy and procedure.
Qualifications
Education
Most programs require that you have a high school diploma, or a GED to be eligible for training as a dietary manager. Although employers don’t require that you have a particular degree, most prefer that you have completed postsecondary training.
The ANFP is a national professional organization that offers many paths to qualifying for their credentialing exam. A college or military can approve you to complete a training program in dietary management. These programs can lead to a diploma, certificate, or degree. You could also pursue an associate’s/bachelor’s degree in nutrition or dietetics or food and hotel management. If you have at least two years of experience in food service management and have completed a 90-hour approved foodservice course, you may be eligible.
Training
Experience working with different food professionals is a must for a dietary manager. A background in catering or restaurant work may also be an advantage. Before becoming a dietary manager, you will need to be able to prepare food and operate cooking equipment.
Many dietary managers begin their careers volunteering in nursing homes and care facilities. This allows them to interact with specific clients, which can be useful as training.
Certification
To earn your credential of dietary manager or Certified Food Protection Professional (CDM), you will need to pass the certification exam administered through the ANFP. This exam has 200 multiple-choice questions. It covers topics such as equipment management, sanitation, food service operations, data analysis, and nutrition education. After you are certified, you will need to continue your education by attending 45 hours of continuing education each year and paying an annual maintenance charge.
Essential Skills
- Mathematical skills
You can use numbers and quantities to solve math problems.
- Organizational skills
Keep your eyes on multiple tasks at once while maintaining an efficient workflow.
- Communication skills
You can send and receive information either verbally or in written form.
- Interpersonal skills
These are also called people skills. They allow you to interact and work well with others.
- Active listening skills
Listen attentively and concentrate on what the speaker is saying. Then, respond appropriately.
- Be a willing and effective administrator
This is the most important characteristic and one of the most difficult to find. Most dietary managers started in the kitchen to cook. The most successful dietary managers know that they have to manage purchasing, inventory, scheduling, and hiring, as well as firing staff members.
- Creativity
This characteristic is not easy to find in someone who has the above traits. Creative personalities can be a driving force behind innovative ideas that result in food that delights customers and encourages them to return.
- Calmness under pressure
If you’ve ever seen a boss ranting in the middle of a rush, you might be curious about this trait and how common it is. It is better to scream than lose it. It is better not to scream. However, losing it is not an option.
- Detail Oriented
There are always mistakes and no one is perfect. Great dietary managers are always willing to try. They are involved in every aspect of what happens in the kitchen.
- Enjoy your favorite cuisine.
Surprisingly, industry professionals are unable to distinguish between the different types and skills needed for each kitchen operation. Professionals who are skilled in cooking banquets, fine dining, and high volumes of food require unique skills. These skills don’t always translate well to other styles. It is advisable to avoid falling for candidates at establishments that have many stars.
- Leadership
Dietary managers are responsible for their stations on the line. They organize the staff members to prepare their ingredients and cook the food they are responsible for. The dietary manager is responsible for all the products in their kitchen. Their team is essential to help them produce the things they are responsible for.
- Hard work
This is one of the most important qualities a dietary manager should possess. The importance of hard work in dietary management cannot be overemphasized. A dietary manager should be able to explain the hours involved in the job. Managers, particularly new ones, should be cautious of those who try to put together a schedule and then hire staff to make it easier. If necessary, remind them that management has a lot more responsibility than perks.
How to Become a Dietary Manager
- Earn a degree
To become a dietary manager, you can earn an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree. A majority of aspiring certified dietary managers major in foodservice management, nutrition, or culinary arts. However, you can also choose to major in food science. A dietary manager training program that is approved by the Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals can also be completed to meet the educational requirements. To earn this credential, you can access several online dietary manager training programs that can be completed at your own pace.
- Register to take the Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) certification test
Register to take the CDM certification examination. Register to take the exam at the Certifying Board for Dietary Managers. Visit their website and apply for approval. The CBDM will send you information on how to prepare for the exam and how to sit for it once you have been approved. There are many locations where you can take the CDM certification exam. Multiple-choice questions on topics such as food safety, managing employees and nutrition, and business operations are all included in the digital exam.
- Activate your certification if you are not a member of ANFP
After passing the CDM certification exam, take the steps necessary to confirm your certification. Non-members of ANFP will need to activate their certification. Members of ANFP are automatically certified. After passing the CDM exam, you will need to complete the certification activation sheet provided by ANFP. You can then submit the form along with your annual certification fee, to the ANFP. The ANFP offers the opportunity to join their organization at any time. This can be a great benefit for dietary managers.
- Keep your certification current
You can ensure that your certification is active by complying with the ANFP requirements. You must first pay the annual recertification fee. This will ensure that your certification is maintained. You will also need to prove 45 continuing education hours every three years. This can be done by completing courses related to nutrition or food service management. Seminars that are focused on the practices you would use as a certified dietary manager can help you earn continuing education hours. After you have completed a continuing education opportunity, you must submit documentation and report the hours to the ANFP.
- Meet state requirements
To be a dietary manager, you must meet all requirements set forth by your state. You can get additional certification or licensure from the ANFP in some states. To practice in certain states, or specialized facilities, you might need to have a minimum of 30 hours of experience. The ANFP website and the website of your state government have all the information you need about certification as a dietary manager.
- Get professional experience
After meeting all your state rewind, you can apply for jobs as a certified dietary manager. There are many job opportunities in healthcare facilities and public buildings with cafeterias. You might also need a CDM in certain states, such as hospitals and senior care facilities. It is worth looking for these opportunities. You can build a professional reputation and sharpen your skills as a certified diet manager by gaining industrial experience.
Where to Work
Most dietary managers work in public facilities such as cafeterias, schools, and hospitals that provide food for patients.
Dietary Manager Salary Scale
The average annual salary of a dietary manager in the United States is $49,308.
