Patient Services Manager - Nutrition and Food Services

Patient Services Manager – Nutrition and Food Service Waikato Hospital – Permanent, Full time – 80 hours per fortnight About the Role As the Patient Services Manager with Nutrition & Food Services, you will lead and coordinate the hospital's patient meal service from tray line to bedside. You will work closely with inpatient wards and clinical teams to support a positive patient experience and quality care. Day‑to‑day you will oversee the patient services team responsible for menu processing, tray line operations, ward‑based food service activities and bedside meal delivery. You will also manage rostering, recruitment, payroll, staff development, performance management, and food safety compliance. This role has a strong focus on ward‑based patient services, with staff working directly alongside patients to deliver meals and beverages at the bedside while working collaboratively with food service colleagues, nursing teams, dietitians, and clinical services to ensure effective communication, smooth service delivery, and responsive patient‑centred care. This is an opportunity to lead a diverse frontline team that plays an important role in patient wellbeing through direct interaction and support within the wards. The role is ideally suited to someone passionate about patient‑focused meal service delivery, collaboration with clinical teams, and creating a positive experience for patients through nutrition and care. Participation in a rotating on‑call roster (including weekends and public holidays) is required. About the Team/Service Nutrition & Food Services objective is to provide a high quality, safe, and efficient service that meets the nutritional requirements of individuals and maintain their overall health and well‑being. Each meal time we prepare and serve over 850 patient meals. We also provide Meals on Wheels for community clients and have five on‑site retail outlets. Our patient meal service encompasses the full process of food production, service and distribution directly to the patient bedside. A dedicated team of managers, dietitians and food service staff work collaboratively to ensure patients receive a high‑quality nutrition service, underpinned by excellence in customer service. About you Proven experience in managing large scale patient food service operations and teams, preferably in a healthcare setting. Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively, lead change, resolve conflict and motivate others. A focus on food safety, efficiency, quality and delivering excellent service. A strategic thinker who is both creative and solution‑oriented. Above all, you are passionate about working as part of a close team to improve patient care through the delivery of safe, nutritious and timely meals and beverages. Working at Health New Zealand Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities. Contact For more information, contact Ekeraam Jones at [email protected]. #J-18808-Ljbffr