Manager, Food Operations

Salary The salary range for this position is CAD $46.37 - $66.66 / hour

Job Summary

Fraser Health is responsible for the delivery of hospital and community-based health services to over two million people in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. We are seeking a dynamic Manager, Food Operations to lead high-quality, patient-centered food services across our facilities.

About the Role

Reporting to senior leadership within Food & Dietitian Services, the Manager, Food Operations is responsible for leading site-based food service operations with a strong focus on quality, safety, and patient/resident experience. This role plays a critical part in advancing Fraser Health’s strategic priorities, including facility redevelopment and new builds.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership

  • Plan, develop, implement, and evaluate short- and long-term goals aligned with departmental and organizational strategies
  • Support operational planning for new builds and redevelopment projects with a patient/resident-focused approach

• Financial & Operational Management

  • Oversee site operational and capital budgets, ensuring financial sustainability and accountability
  • Monitor, analyze, and report on performance metrics; implement corrective actions to meet financial objectives

• Quality & Continuous Improvement

  • Drive service excellence by identifying and implementing improvements in key operational processes
  • Provide technical guidance and coordinate resolution of operational challenges

• Performance Management

  • Manage food services using Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and other data sources
  • Analyze variances and implement corrective actions to optimize service delivery
  • Collaborate with senior leadership to plan and execute operational changes

• Leadership & Collaboration

  • Work closely with interdisciplinary teams to ensure quality, safety, and regulatory compliance
  • Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Education

  • Baccalaureate degree in Dietetics or Nutritional Science from an accredited university
  • Current registration with the College of Dietitians of British Columbia and/or Canadian Society of Nutrition Management (CSNM)

• Experience

  • Minimum 5 years’ recent, related experience in a food operations management role, preferably within a healthcare environment
  • Or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience

Detailed Overview

Supporting the Vision, Values, Purpose and Commitments of Fraser Health including service delivery that is centered around patients/clients/residents and families:

Reporting to the Director and/or Regional Manager, Food Operations, the Manager is responsible and accountable for all aspects of the planning, organizing, and directing management and staff and activities of food operations for designated site(s), within Fraser Health. The Manager is also responsible and accountable for developing and implementing service standards, creating, and leading key operational projects (as assigned) and supporting other colleagues with similar responsibilities. They may lead or participate in health authority and provincial committees and working groups related to food operations, as required. The Manager may be responsible for leading and supporting food service functional program plans for new builds and redevelopments (within the health authority’s template and framework approach) for their facilities/sites. Together with the Director/Regional Manager, the Manager is responsible for building and maintaining exceptional customer service standards. The Manager anticipates changes at their designated site/facilities that impact services and plans and implements mitigating strategies. As a member of the leadership team, the incumbent is expected to participate in a respectful and productive manner, provide and accept thoughtful counsel and advice, and fully support decisions made by this team.

Responsibilities

1. Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates short- and long-range goals and objectives and operational opportunities in support of the identified strategic directions of the department and organization as a whole including new builds and redevelopment of site/facilities with a patient/resident focused approach.
2. Responsible for overseeing the site’s operational and capital budgets, understanding, and achieving the financial objectives, monitoring and regularly reporting on performance and recommending and implementing remedial strategies.
3. Actively pursues improved quality of services by planning, implementing, and verifying improvements in key processes. Identifies areas of improvement, provides technical advice and coordinates problem resolution.
4. Manages Food Operation’s service performance utilizing Key Performance Indicators and other information, identifies variances and implements corrective action. In consultation with Food and Dietitian Services’ senior leadership, plans and implements operational changes as required.
5. Participates in the regional planning process for the portfolio, consults and negotiates with internal user departments and external stakeholders as required to facilitate consensus, and to ensure a fully integrated, high quality, and cost-effective service is provided.
6. Working with the Food Services Leadership Team, implements initiatives to enhance food service standardization, quality, productivity, and innovative service delivery.
7. Partners with the Director, Food and Dietitian Strategies and Initiatives and Dietitian Services and the site Dietitian Practice Leader to foster a cohesive relationship with clinical services to ensure department and clinical operations priorities are effectively managed within a patient/resident centred model of care.
8. Provides leadership and support to all members of the team and motivates them towards the attainment of the departmental goals; recommends changes to organizational structures to reflect evolving needs and is responsible to ensure and support an on-going system for measuring performance.
9. Promotes and facilitates excellence in communication in keeping with customer service philosophy and good business practices.
10. Responds to and resolves service-related problems within the portfolio and seeks guidance from Subject Matter Expert colleagues as needed.
11. Responsible for the application of various collective agreements at their site/facilities; facilitates problem solving and decision-making pertaining to various labour relations workplace issues; and works collaboratively with Human Resources staff accessing their advice and support as appropriate.
12. Participates on various committees, teams, and task groups; as requested representing the Fraser Health Food and Dietitian Services on committees at the local, regional, and/or provincial level.
13. Ensures that the Director and other executive management as appropriate are informed of and aware of significant events and/or activities at their site(s)/facilities.
14. Acts as a preceptor and mentor for Dietetics and Nutrition Management Students.
15. Leads development of essential services plans for their site(s) in consultation with Director in preparation of job action with significant involvement in essential service levels, menu and staff planning, logistics, training, and execution. Participates in Food Services Administration on call and responds to urgent matters as needed.
16. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education, Training & Experience

Baccalaureate in Dietetics or Nutritional Science from an accredited university and/or current registration with the College of Dietitians of British Columbia or Canadian Society of Nutrition Management (CSNM), supplemented by a minimum five (5) years’ recent, related working experience in a food operations management role in a health facility or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Competencies

Demonstrates the leadership practices of the Fraser Health Leadership Framework of Clear, Caring and Courageous and creates the conditions for people to succeed.

Professional/Technical Capabilities

• Demonstrated leadership ability and highly developed interpersonal, and communication and time management skills.
• Broad knowledge of health facility support service operations.
• Comprehensive knowledge of cost/benefit analysis.
• Extensive experience in managing internal and external partner relationships.
• Extensive experience in managing projects to achieve results.
• Broad knowledge of the BC Health Care industry.
• Fosters a respectful and motivating environment.
• Competently utilizes spreadsheet and word processing applications at an intermediate to advanced level and has a comprehensive knowledge of computerized purchasing systems.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and administrative skills.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.

About Fraser Health

Fraser Health is the heart of health care for over two million people in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations and is home to 32 First Nations within the Fraser Salish region.

People - those we care for and those who care for them - are at the heart of everything we do. Our hospital and community-based services are delivered by a team of 50,000+ staff, medical staff and volunteers.

We are committed to planetary health and value diversity in the work force. We strive to maintain an environment of respect, caring and trust. Fraser Health’s hiring practices aspire to ensure all individuals are treated in an inclusive, equitable and culturally safe manner.

Together, we are the heart of health care.