Director Hospital Nutrition Services

This opportunity is with a mission-driven healthcare organization located in Central Tennessee, known for its commitment to clinical excellence and exceptional patient care. This hospital boasts strong quality scores, low infection rates, and outstanding patient experience metrics. It stands out through innovative leadership that embraces hospital-at-home models, telehealth services, and value-based care initiatives. Advanced technologies such as AI-assisted forecasting, real-time quality dashboards, and optimized electronic health record (EHR) workflows underscore the institution's forward-thinking approach to healthcare. Employees at this organization benefit from an award-winning workplace culture that promotes shared governance and provides extensive educator support, evidence-based practice resources, and numerous career development opportunities. The environment supports growth through incentives, certification pay, tuition assistance, paid continuing education units (CEUs), and funding for professional conferences, fostering a culture of ongoing learning and professional pride.

As the Director of Hospital Nutrition Services, you will lead a dynamic and vital department known interchangeably as Food and Nutrition Services and Dietary Services. This role is central to delivering integrated dining programs that directly enhance patient healing, safety, and satisfaction. Working alongside registered dietitians and culinary professionals, you will oversee clinical nutrition operations with a focus on personalized patient care. The hospital provides 24/7 nursing presence, flexible visitation policies allowing 24-hour access for support persons, and leverages advanced technology to care for patients with complex conditions, excluding only the highest level trauma and transplant cases. Nutrition services include specialized dietary support for diabetes management, oncology, bariatrics, and maternity care, paired with versatile dining options tailored to individual patient needs.

Reporting to executive leadership and collaborating with Nursing, Clinical Nutrition, and Support Services, the Director will have broad oversight of patient dining, retail food operations, catering services, and therapeutic menu management. Driving regulatory compliance, HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) excellence, allergen protocols, and cost containment is a key responsibility. Supported by a skilled team of managers, registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), culinary experts, and supply-chain partners, the Director will optimize staffing, manage vendor relationships, implement sustainable practices, and apply data-driven menu engineering to improve patient satisfaction and operational efficiency. Daily collaboration with nurses and multidisciplinary healthcare teams—including pharmacy, physical and occupational therapy, case management, and social work—is essential to streamline care transitions, ensure diet accuracy, and elevate nutrition-related patient satisfaction scores such as Press Ganey and HCAHPS domains.

Located in the picturesque and vibrant region of Central Tennessee, this role offers a desirable work-life balance amid beautiful natural settings like waterfalls, lakes, and the Cumberland Plateau which is ideal for hiking, boating, and biking. The area also boasts a lively cultural scene with live music, festivals, concerts, and family-friendly attractions. It enjoys mild four-season weather, a flourishing culinary landscape ranging from farm-to-table to international cuisine, reputable educational institutions, and a growing, diverse economy supported by entrepreneurship and favorable tax policies. Housing options vary from historic homes to new developments and rural acreage, with manageable commuter times and increasing walkability and bikeability. Proximity to major airports facilitates convenient travel. The community features excellent healthcare access, parks and green spaces, active sports and fitness culture, reliable digital infrastructure, and mindful growth planning that preserves natural beauty and privacy. For a Director of Hospital Nutrition Services eager to establish roots and thrive, this region offers the perfect blend of professional opportunity and quality of life.

The compensation package includes competitive salary and performance incentives. Benefits are comprehensive and encompass medical, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, retirement plans with matching contributions, and robust support for professional development and continuing education. This role represents an exceptional chance to lead a key hospital department where your leadership can make a significant impact on patient outcomes and satisfaction. To explore this exciting career opportunity, connect confidentially with a Clinical Management Consultants recruiter and bring your vision and expertise to a forward-thinking healthcare organization where your next chapter awaits.