Director of Nutrition Services

Job Description

Job Description

At ERC Pathlight, we're on a mission to change lives—and we're looking for people who feel called to do the same.

As one of the nation's leading treatment providers for eating disorders and mood, anxiety, and trauma-related conditions, we bring innovative, evidence-based, and deeply compassionate care to patients across the country. With multiple locations nationwide and extensive virtual programming, we meet patients exactly where they are and help them move toward lasting recovery.

Founded in 2008 by renowned psychiatrists and psychologists, ERC Pathlight now supports more than 6,000 patients each year. And as the need for world-class mental health care continues to rise, our commitment is stronger than ever: to expand access, elevate the standard of care, and empower every patient to rebuild their life with dignity and hope.

When you join ERC Pathlight, you become part of a team that shows up every day to make a real difference. You'll work alongside passionate clinicians, dedicated support staff, and mission-driven leaders who believe in collaboration, growth, and doing the right thing—always.

Here, your work matters. Your ideas matter. You matter.

If you're energized by purpose, motivated by impact, and ready to help transform the future of mental health treatment, you belong here.

Come build hope. Come save lives. Come grow with us.

What you'll be doing:

The Director of Nutrition Services is a key national leadership role responsible for advancing the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of clinical nutrition services across Eating Recovery Center | Pathlight (ERC PL). This position provides strategic direction and hands-on implementation of national nutrition standards, clinical programming, professional development, and quality improvement initiatives across all facilities and levels of care.

The Director serves as the organization's primary clinical nutrition subject matter expert, ensuring that nutrition interventions are evidence-informed, safe, individualized, and aligned with organizational standards of care. The role combines enterprise-level leadership with direct consultation, training, and operational support to site-based dietitians and interdisciplinary teams.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Clinical Services, the Director collaborates closely with medical, nursing, clinical, operational, and food services leadership to strengthen treatment outcomes, promote model fidelity, support staff competency, and ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care. The Director also contributes to organizational initiatives related to food quality, patient experience, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.

Essential duties and responsibilities:

• Clinical Nutrition Leadership, Standards & Implementation:
  • Establish, implement, and maintain national clinical nutrition standards, policies, procedures, and best practices across all ERC Pathlight facilities and levels of care
  • Provide leadership and oversight for the consistent delivery of evidence-informed nutrition interventions, including nutritional rehabilitation, meal planning, supplementation practices, therapeutic meal support, and nutrition education
  • Ensure alignment of nutrition programming with the organization's clinical model, treatment philosophy, and interdisciplinary standards of care.
  • Lead implementation of national nutrition initiatives, translating strategic priorities into actionable practices at the facility level
  • Serve as the primary clinical nutrition subject matter expert and advisor to executive, clinical, medical, nursing, and operational leadership
  • Partner with facility leadership to identify opportunities to improve nutrition services, clinical workflows, staffing utilization, and patient experience
  • Support the integration of clinical nutrition standards into new programs, expanded services, and evolving models of care
  • Participate in Clinical Services leadership initiatives, organizational planning, and cross-functional workgroups
• Clinical Training, Curriculum & Professional Development:
  • Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing refinement of national nutrition curricula, clinical training resources, and competency expectations
  • Design and deliver nutrition-specific training, onboarding, continuing education, and professional development opportunities for registered dietitians and interdisciplinary teams
  • Establish standardized competency pathways to promote clinical proficiency, professional growth, and consistency in nutrition practice
  • Partner with Clinical Training & Development leadership to integrate nutrition education into enterprise-wide training initiatives
  • Develop and support train-the-trainer approaches that equip facility nutrition leaders to reinforce clinical standards and sustain model fidelity
  • Provide advanced education and consultation related to complex eating disorder presentations, nutritional rehabilitation, meal support, and emerging evidence-informed practices
  • Identify discipline-specific training needs through clinical audits, outcome trends, staff feedback, and organizational priorities
  • Support the professional development, clinical engagement, and ongoing competency of nutrition staff across the enterprise
• Clinical Quality, Outcomes and Continuous Improvement:
  • Designs and implement systems for fidelity monitoring, outcome measurement, and nutritional clinical quality improvement
  • Develops and implements plans based on data-driven insights, patient experience surveys and emerging trends in nutrition therapies
  • Analyzes data trends and facilitates strategic improvements across national programs
  • Translate quality findings into actionable recommendations, targeted education, and corrective action plans
  • Monitor implementation of quality improvement initiatives and evaluate their effectiveness across facilities
  • Promote accountability for clinical nutrition standards through consistent follow-up, consultation, and performance monitoring
• Food Services Collaboration:
  • Collaborate with food services and operational leadership to ensure food quality, safety, variety, and patient experience align with clinical nutrition standards
  • Provide clinical oversight and guidance related to menu development, meal plan structure, food accommodations, supplementation, and nutrition-related patient needs
  • Monitor trends related to food quality, allergens, food safety, and patient satisfaction, partnering with appropriate leaders to address identified concerns
  • Support standardization of clinically appropriate food services practices across facilities while allowing for necessary patient and program-specific adaptations
  • Partner with operational and financial leadership to monitor supplementation utilization, identify opportunities for responsible resource management, and support budget adherence
  • Contribute to initiatives designed to improve the therapeutic dining experience and promote positive patient engagement with food
• Regulatory Compliance:
  • Ensures that all clinical nutrition practices comply with state and federal regulations, licensing and accreditation standards and payor agreements
  • Identifies and addresses potential clinical risks, implements corrective actions as needed to maintain a safe and ethical treatment environment
  • Lead the development, review, and revision of clinical nutrition policies and procedures
  • Support facility readiness for regulatory reviews, accreditation surveys, and internal quality assessment
  • Represent ERC Pathlight at professional conferences, educational events, community engagements, and external partnerships
  • Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with outpatient providers, referral partners, and professional organizations
  • Participate in patient and family education initiatives to strengthen understanding of nutritional rehabilitation and the role of nutrition in sustained recovery
  • Promote ERC Pathlight's clinical expertise, treatment philosophy, and commitment to high-quality eating disorder care
• Clinical Consultation & Operational Support:
  • Serve as an advanced clinical resource for registered dietitians, nutrition leaders, and interdisciplinary teams managing complex patient presentations
  • Provide consultation regarding nutritional rehabilitation, meal plan progression, supplementation, patient engagement, and nutrition-related treatment barriers
  • Collaborate with medical, nursing, and clinical leadership to support integrated treatment planning and resolution of complex clinical concerns
  • Provide direct support to facility nutrition teams during periods of staffing transitions, operational challenges, or program development
  • Partner with facility leadership to evaluate nutrition staffing models, workload distribution, clinical productivity, and efficient utilization of dietitian resources
  • Support implementation of clinical workflows that maximize direct patient care while maintaining appropriate documentation and interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Identify site-specific challenges and provide targeted consultation, coaching, and implementation support
  • Participate in interdisciplinary case consultation and clinical problem-solving as needed

Must haves:

• Master's degree in nutrition, dietetics, healthcare administration, or a related field (required)
• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN/RD) credential with applicable state licensure (required)
• Advanced clinical experience in eating disorder treatment, including higher levels of care (required)
• Demonstrated experience in clinical nutrition leadership, staff development, or program oversight (required)
• Strong knowledge of nutritional rehabilitation, evidence-informed eating disorder treatment, and interdisciplinary care (required)
• Experience developing and delivering clinical education, training, and consultation (required)
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate clinical quality, interpret performance data, and implement improvement initiatives (required)
• Strong leadership, communication, collaboration, and organizational skills (required)
• Ability to work effectively across multiple facilities, levels of care, and professional disciplines (required)

Bonus qualities:

• Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS) or equivalent advanced specialization (preferred)
• Experience in multisite or national healthcare leadership (preferred)
• Experience with clinical program development, quality improvement, and implementation of standardized models of care (preferred)
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or developing clinical nutrition professionals (preferred)

Location: This position is posted as remote; however, per company policy, candidates residing within a 35‑mile radius of ZIP code 80230 will be required to follow a hybrid schedule (3 days/week onsite), even if they applied to the remote posting.

This range is dependent upon candidate's state of residence, experience and market expectations.

Virtual Pay Range

$120,000—$130,000 USD

What We Offer  

At ERC Pathlight, caring for people is our mission and that begins with caring for our own team. Your well-being matters, and our benefit program is designed to support every part of your life. 

We offer competitive compensation; comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; generous Paid Time Off; Parental Leave benefits; Retirement benefits; and tuition reimbursement to help you continue growing in your career. 

We also recognize that mental health is part of every person's experience. That's why we strive to create a workplace where you feel supported, seen, and encouraged—personally, professionally, and at home. 

When you thrive, you can do your best work. And your best work changes lives.