Senior Director of Culinary Operations

Lead and elevate a culinary program where food, people, and experience matter! This role blends hands‑on leadership with strategic oversight—owning menus, teams, technology, and budgets while partnering across operations. Success is measured by resident engagement, meal participation, and creating dining experiences people genuinely look forward to.

The Senior Director of Culinary Services is a dynamic, hands‑on, and strategic leader responsible for overseeing all aspects of culinary operations across multiple campuses. This role blends leadership, operations, financial stewardship, technology integration, and team development to deliver high‑quality dining experiences that drive resident satisfaction, engagement, and community connection.

This leader will take ownership of menus, staffing, systems, training, and service quality—ensuring the culinary program is not only operationally strong but also culturally aligned with a hospitality‑forward, resident‑centered environment. Success in this role is measured by resident participation in dining, positive feedback on resident surveys, meal attendance and purchases, and a dining experience that residents are excited to be part of.

Culinary Operations & Quality

• Maintain ownership of menu planning, food options, and dining quality while preserving what is currently working well.
• Ensure consistency, excellence, and creativity in food presentation, flavor, nutrition, and service.
• Drive meal participation by creating dining experiences residents want to be part of—not just meals.
• Maintain high standards of sanitation, food safety, and regulatory compliance.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, direct, coach, and develop Culinary and Dining Services teams with a strong people‑first leadership approach.
• Be highly involved in the training, onboarding, coaching, and professional development of team members.
• Create accountability, structure, and clear expectations while fostering a positive, motivating culture.
• Serve as a visible, hands‑on leader while maintaining strategic oversight.

Technology, Billing & Systems Management

• Oversee meal billing, charges, and documentation processes.
• Ensure accurate entry of meal charges into shared drives and systems.
• Utilize dining technology platforms effectively for tracking, billing, and reporting.
• Maintain accuracy, accountability, and consistency in all meal‑related financial processes.

Cross‑Departmental Collaboration

• Partner closely with:
• Caregiving teams for dining assistance when support is needed.
• Housekeeping on dining room cleaning schedules, linen/napkin management, and shared space maintenance.
• Life Enrichment to integrate dining with programming, events, and resident engagement initiatives.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships across departments to ensure seamless service delivery.

Financial & Budget Management

• Manage culinary budgets with accountability, adaptability, and fiscal responsibility.
• Monitor costs, labor, food purchasing, and operational efficiencies.
• Balance creativity and quality with responsible financial stewardship.

Multi‑Site Leadership

• Support consistency in standards, training, and operational excellence.
• Provide leadership development and operational guidance to culinary teams.

• High resident participation in dining and meal programs
• Positive resident survey feedback related to food and dining
• Engaged, stable, well‑trained culinary and dining teams
• Accurate billing, documentation, and technology utilization
• Consistent dining quality and service standards

• Culinary degree or related education preferred
• Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) not required, but preferred
• Food safety certification (or ability to obtain upon hire)

• Preferred: 5+ years of culinary leadership or dining services management experience
• Leadership experience in healthcare, senior living, hospitality, or large‑scale dining preferred but not required
• Proven experience leading teams, managing budgets, and overseeing operations
• Title and compensation tailored to the candidate’s experience and expertise (Senior Director of Culinary…