Manager, Food Services and Culinary

Kaiser Permanente is a leading healthcare organization dedicated to providing high-quality medical care and services while ensuring regulatory compliance and patient safety. The organization is known for its commitment to innovation, patient satisfaction, and operational excellence across various medical and administrative departments. As a part of Kaiser Permanente's team, employees work collaboratively to uphold the organization's standards and contribute to exceptional healthcare delivery. Kaiser Permanente operates across multiple locations, including the Zion Medical Center in San Diego, providing a dynamic and inclusive work environment that values diversity and continuous improvement. The position available at Kaiser Permanente is a managerial role within the Facilities Management and Operations department, specifically focusing on Food Service Administration. This full-time, standard work-type position involves variable shifts with extensive scheduled hours and a considerable amount of travel, approximately 75% of the time, emphasizing the multisite coverage and operational demands of the role.

The role is integral to the management and oversight of food service operations aimed at supporting patient care through safe, sanitary food preparation, and delivery. The incumbent will hold teams accountable for completing cleaning and sanitary logs while ensuring adherence to company standards that comply with regulatory and safety guidelines. This position leads vendor communications and vendor performance evaluation to guarantee service delivery is compliant, safe, and meets patient satisfaction criteria. The role also manages budget updates related to food services, including procurement, inventory management, labeling, storage, utilization, and recall of both perishable and nonperishable food items. Responsibilities include guiding teams in assembling patient meal trays, managing catering services, and supporting food service operation continuity during emergencies or times of crisis. Utilizing advanced knowledge of quality metrics, the role involves analyzing high-priority patient feedback to drive initiatives that enhance the food service operations and patient experience.

This leadership role demands robust oversight capabilities, strategic thinking, and a commitment to fostering a collaborative work environment. The position supports developmental opportunities for team members, encourages professional growth, and facilitates open dialogue to promote teamwork and performance excellence. It requires the application of technical expertise in food safety, sanitation, procurement, and quality control while maintaining a patient-centered approach. The successful candidate will demonstrate proficiency in managing vendor relationships, overseeing procurement budgets, and ensuring compliance with health and safety standards. They will also contribute to emergency preparedness related to food services and serve as a key liaison in addressing escalated patient concerns to improve service delivery. This position emphasizes leadership in operational execution, quality improvement, and customer service within a healthcare food service context, aligning with Kaiser Permanente's mission to provide quality care and service to patients.