Are you a passionate culinary leader looking for a career with better work-life balance? Join our assisted living community as our Director of Culinary Services and lead a team dedicated to creating exceptional dining experiences for our residents.
This is more than a kitchen leadership role—it's an opportunity to build meaningful relationships, inspire your team, and make a positive impact every day.
Why you'll love this opportunity:
- Monday–Friday schedule with weekends and evenings typically free
- Salaried role at $80-$85k annually, depending on experience.
- Lead all culinary operations, including menu planning, food quality, staffing, budgeting, and regulatory compliance
- Create restaurant-quality dining experiences in a warm, hospitality-focused environment
- Competitive pay, benefits, and paid time off
- Work for an organization that values teamwork, respect, and excellence
If you're an experienced culinary professional with a passion for leadership and hospitality, we'd love to hear from you. Join us in creating memorable dining experiences that truly make a difference.
Summary of Position
The Director of Culinary Operations plays an integral role in the success of our team, our community and creating a place our residents are proud to call home. The primary purpose of this position is to manage the culinary department/staff and ensure that day-to-day operations are performed effectively, within a timely manner, in accordance with regulatory compliance and with platinum service.
Essential Job Functions
- Develop, implement and evaluate the Culinary Operations departments' daily schedules and processes.
- Ensure all culinary personnel follow policy and procedures.
- Coordinate and provide hot and cold foods for events that the community holds.
- Create and execute corrective plans that address survey inspection results.
- Maintain a reference library of menus, recipes, policies, procedures, operations standards and current diet manuals.
- Ensure that the food prepared and served meet presentation standards, food quality guidelines and food safety.
- Comply with established purchasing practices and purchase food strictly from approved vendors.
- Establish a food service production workflow to ensure meals are prepared timely.
- Determine staffing requirements necessary to meet the department's needs, and assign a sufficient number of personnel for each shift.
- Proactively address staffing and hiring needs. Manage applicant flow and ensure candidates are interviewed in a timely manner.
- Coordinate and schedule in-service training and orientation classes. Teach and train culinary staff how to effectively execute their roles.
- Ensure the staff participate in training programs and meet federal, state, and company in-service requirements.
- Assist in staff development. Monitor employee performance and work with the Executive Director to resolve staff performance issues including those that may lead to termination.
- Ensure that dining service work areas, food storage rooms and preparation areas are maintained in a clean and sanitary manner.
- Ensure personnel follow safety regulations and protocols in the use of equipment and supplies or tasks that involve exposure to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and hazardous chemicals.
- Ensure hazardous chemicals are properly labeled and stored appropriately.
- Recommend equipment and supply needs of the department to the Executive Director.
- Place orders for equipment and supplies using approved vendors and products.
- Maintain Safety Data sheets (SDSs) in the right to know station for hazardous chemicals in the department. Ensure that containers of hazardous chemicals in the department are properly labeled and stored.
- Manage inventory and replenishment of all food items and equipment.
- Prepare and plan the Dining Service's budget for food, equipment, supplies, and labor, and submit to the Executive Director for review, recommendations, and approval.
- Perform other job-related duties as assigned.
Knowledge and Critical Skills
- Be able to make independent decisions and follow instructions.
- Deal tactfully with personnel, residents, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel, and the public.
- Capable of working with ill, disabled, elderly, and emotionally upset people within the facility.
- Communicate in a manner that is sufficient for effective communication with supervisors, team members, residents, and families.
- Fluent in English, verbal and written.
- Knowledge/proficiency of Microsoft Office Suite.
Education and Experience
- Must meet all applicable state and federal requirements for this position.
- Associate or Bachelor Degree in Culinary Arts and/or three or more years of culinary and food preparation experience in a directly related field preferred.
- Three or more years of management experience in culinary cooking or a directly related hospitality management role.
Supervisory Responsibility
This position has direct reports or supervisory requirements.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
Tasks assigned to this position may involve potential and/or direct exposure to blood, body fluids, infectious diseases, air contaminants, and hazardous chemicals.
Physical Requirements - The Physical activities of this position involve:
- Must be able to frequently lift/carry 30 lbs. and occasionally lift/carry 50 lbs. at times
- Must be able to frequently push/pull up to 30 lbs. and occasionally push/pull up to 50 lbs.
- Bending/twisting/stooping
- Reaching at or below the shoulder
- Frequently standing or walking
- Alternating between standing and sitting
Cognitive Requirements - The Cognitive activities with or without prosthetics of this position are:
- Executes tasks independently
- Ability to express yourself clearly and effectively
- General computer literacy
Environmental Requirements - An individual in this position may be exposed to:
- May be exposed to heat from kitchen equipment and cold from kitchen freezer
Other Requirements -
- Able to work flexible hours as needed
Platinum Service®
Platinum Service® is characterized by a high level of responsiveness delivered in a flawless, timely and caring way. Employees commit to providing courteous, responsive, and quality service to our residents by following the principles of our Platinum Service® program.
Conclusion
All employees are expected to follow all policies and procedures. These policies and procedures can be found in the employee handbook, department policy and procedure manuals and with your supervisor. This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time.
Acknowledgement
I understand this job description and its requirements, and that I am expected to complete all job-related duties as assigned. I understand the essential functions may be altered from time to time.
By signing below, I acknowledge I am able to perform the essential functions of this job with or without a reasonable accommodation. If I require a reasonable accommodation, I will inform the recruiter/hiring manager, my manager, or Human Resources and agree to participate in the interactive process to discuss possible accommodations.
Requirements:
Legends on Lake Lorraine has served the Sioux Falls community since 2017. Here, team members serve a range of lifestyles and care levels, including independent living, assisted living, and memory care. We take pride in delivering Platinum Service®, our commitment to put residents and their families at the heart of everything we do. Join our team and come see why our team members consistently place Legends on Lake Lorraine above other communities as a great place to work.
Enjoy the total rewards of competitive pay plus benefits centered on you while performing meaningful work.
Compensation: $80-$85k
