Operations Manager Patient Food Services

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Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives. 

About the Food Services Department 

The Austin Health Food Services Department is an in-house service which consists of the following two business units:

Patient Food Services: provides patient meals for all Austin Health campus’ as well as providing a patient meals service to Royal Women’s Hospital. Currently the Austin Health Patient Food Services Department is plating approximately 2700 cook/chill meals each day. Food Services has 138 staff.

Medi Chef is located on the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital (HRH) campus. Medi Chef produces cook/chill (short shelf life and long shelf life) meal components for both Austin Health and other clients. Medi Chef has 25 staff and currently produces 128,000 meals components per week.

About the role

Manage the operational and business activities of Austin Health’s Patient Food Services including effectively and efficiently managing risk and ensuring compliance with food safety requirements. This includes providing patient meals for all Austin Health campuses along with patient meals for the Royal Women’s Hospital. The role operationally manages the finishing kitchens at 3 locations: Austin Hospital, Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Hospital and the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.

• Effectively lead the Patient Food Services team at all campuses.
• Ensure that Patient Food Services meets its contractual obligations with its clients and enhance relations with all stakeholders.
• Manage and monitor operational KRA’s to ensure resource planning is within budget and meets volume forecasts.

About you:

As the Operations Manager, you will be someone who has excellent communication skills, with a strong commitment to excellence in patient care. You’ll bring energy and drive to your work and have a keen interest in developing your skillset.

To be successful in this role, you'll bring with you:

• Extensive experience in food management, risk and safety management systems including but not limited to HACCP, ERP
• Fair understanding of therapeutic dietary requirements, food allergy management and prescribed diet codes.
• Ability to effectively manage budgets including ensuring sound performance and reporting implementing cost control measures.

Our benefits 

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including: 

• Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging, for living expenses, meals, and holiday accommodation. 

• A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounted fitness memberships and special offers on health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program. 

• Onsite childcare at Austin Hospital, easy access via public transport and car parking options. 

• Mentoring and career development opportunities. 

Work with us! 

We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures. 

If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. What matters most is your passion, your drive and your willingness to learn and contribute. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date. 

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager: Sam Ponniah, General Manager Food Services at Sam.PONNIAH@austin.org.au

Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details. 

Application closing date: 9 September 2025