Interim Food Service Director - Assisted Living
5 days ago
Tinton Falls
Job Description Compensation: (pay rate or salary range) We are seeking an experienced and resident-focused Food Service Director to lead our Dining Services department. In this role, you will oversee the day-to-day operations of the community’s dining program, including menu planning, food quality, staffing, sanitation, budgeting, purchasing, resident satisfaction, and regulatory compliance. We are looking for a hands-on leader who understands that dining is a major part of the resident experience and can balance hospitality, food safety, team leadership, and operational discipline. What You’ll Do • Oversee all daily Dining Services operations, • Lead, supervise, schedule, and support cooks, servers, dishwashers, and other dining team members, • Ensure meals are prepared and served on time and meet quality, presentation, and temperature standards, • Plan and maintain menus that support resident preferences, nutritional needs, and dietary requirements, • Coordinate with nursing and Wellness teams regarding resident diets, allergies, texture modifications, and other dining needs, • Monitor resident satisfaction and respond promptly to dining concerns or feedback, • Develop and implement special menus, holiday meals, and resident dining events, • Maintain appropriate food inventory and control ordering, receiving, storage, and rotation of supplies, • Manage food and labor costs within established budget expectations, • Review invoices, purchasing activity, and vendor performance, • Maintain accurate records related to food service operations, sanitation, inventory, and regulatory requirements, • Ensure proper food storage, labeling, dating, preparation, and handling practices, • Maintain compliance with food safety, sanitation, infection-control, and workplace-safety requirements, • Perform regular kitchen, dining room, storage, and equipment inspections, • Ensure kitchen and dining areas are clean, safe, organized, and well maintained, • Coordinate equipment maintenance and repairs as needed, • Recruit, interview, train, coach, and develop Dining Services team members, • Conduct orientation, ongoing training, and competency reviews, • Address attendance, performance, and conduct concerns in partnership with community leadership, • Promote strong teamwork between Dining Services and other community departments, • Support resident events, marketing events, tours, and community programs involving food service, • Participate in leadership meetings and provide updates on dining operations, staffing, resident satisfaction, and budget performance, • Maintain resident privacy, dignity, preferences, and confidentiality, • Complete additional duties as assignedWhat We’re Looking For, • Previous food service management experience in assisted living, senior living, healthcare, hospitality, restaurant, or institutional dining, • Strong knowledge of food preparation, sanitation, food safety, and kitchen operations, • Experience supervising and scheduling employees, • Ability to manage food cost, labor cost, inventory, purchasing, and budgeting, • Strong leadership, organization, and problem-solving skills, • Ability to balance hospitality and customer service with operational expectations, • Ability to communicate professionally and effectively with residents, families, employees, vendors, and community leadership, • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English, verbally and in writing, as required to manage staff, understand dietary instructions, maintain documentation, and respond during emergencies, • Experience working with older adults is preferred, • Experience with modified diets, allergies, texture-modified foods, or healthcare dining is preferred, • Comfortable using basic computer systems, scheduling tools, email, and purchasing or food-service software, • Dependable attendance and ability to respond to operational needs when required, • Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and remain active throughout the workday, • Ability to safely lift and carry up to (physical requirement) pounds, • Ability to successfully complete required background checks, health screenings, and employment requirementsFood Safety and Certification Requirements, • Must maintain all food-safety certifications required by the state, local jurisdiction, and community, • ServSafe Manager certification or equivalent is preferred and may be required based on applicable regulations, • Must ensure Dining Services staff complete all required food-safety, sanitation, allergen, infection-control, and workplace-safety training, • Must maintain required inspection, sanitation, temperature, cleaning, and food-storage records, • Must remain current on applicable health department and assisted living food-service requirementsBenefits, • Medical insurance for eligible employees, • Dental insurance, • Vision insurance, • Life insurance, • Paid time off for eligible employees, • 401(k), • 401(k) matching, • Employee assistance program, • Employee referral program, • Paid training, • Retention incentives, • Flexible scheduling where available, • Supportive and team-oriented work environment, • Meaningful work serving older adults Dining is an important part of the resident experience. We are looking for a Food Service Director who takes pride in building a strong team, maintaining high standards, and creating meals and dining experiences residents genuinely enjoy. Apply today to join our leadership team. We are an equal opportunity employer.
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