Manager - Nutrition & Food Service

• Waikato Hospital
• Production Kitchen
• Permanent Full-time / 40 hours per week / 1 FTE

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

As a manager for our Nutrition & Food Service, you will lead the delivery of a high-volume, complex food service operation within Waikato Hospital.

You will be responsible for overseeing end-to-end food production and service delivery across patient meals and Meals on Wheels, ensuring efficient, safe, and high-quality outcomes.

This role manages ordering, receiving, storage, preparation and production while ensuring demand is accurately forecast and waste is minimised. You will play a key role in driving operational efficiency and continuous improvement across the service.

You will lead and develop a diverse team, with responsibility for rostering, recruitment, performance management, and training, fostering a collaborative and service-focused culture. The role also includes accountability for budgeting, cost control, supplier management, and ensuring full compliance with food safety standards and regulations.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a large-scale hospital food service and make a meaningful impact on patient wellbeing every day.

Participation in a rotating on-call roster (including weekends and public holidays) is required.

Click here to view the position description.

About the Team/Service/Location

Nutrition & Food Services is committed to delivering a safe, high-quality and efficient food service that meets the nutritional needs of individuals and supports their overall health and wellbeing.

Each mealtime, our team prepares and serves more than 850 patient meals. In addition to inpatient services, we also operate a Meals on Wheels program for community clients and manage five on-site retail food 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.

Hamilton, home to Waikato Hospital, is a growing riverside city offering a relaxed lifestyle, strong community spirit, and easy access to destinations such as Raglan, Coromandel, Tauranga, Rotorua, and Taupō.

About you

• Proven leadership experience in managing and developing teams in a fast-paced environment
• Strong background in large-scale and complex food service operations preferably in a healthcare setting
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to problem solve, work collaboratively, lead change, resolve conflict and motivate others
• Sound financial understanding, including budgeting, cost control, and resource management
• A focus on food safety, efficiency and quality
• Experience with menu planning and delivering customer focused services
• 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.

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.

How to Apply

To apply please click “Apply online” or apply via our Waikato Careers website by clicking here

All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal before 11:59 pm on 30 April 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Kaitlin Basson at Kaitlin.Basson@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.