Culinary Director

Job Summary

The Culinary Director is responsible for leading the overall culinary vision, operations, menu development, food safety, cost control, and team management across multiple service lines: corporate café-style dining (featuring a brick-fired pizza oven, grill station, stir-fry noodle station, deli counter, and grab-and-go offerings), corporate catering (events, meetings, and executive functions), and resident dining/nourishment services for the attached skilled nursing facility (including modified diets, purees, and regulatory compliance with healthcare standards such as those from CMS, Joint Commission, state health departments, and therapeutic nutrition guidelines).

This position balances high-volume corporate hospitality with sensitive healthcare dining needs, ensuring innovation, consistency, resident satisfaction, employee engagement, and financial performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute innovative, seasonal menus that highlight fresh, high-quality ingredients while accommodating diverse preferences, dietary restrictions, allergies, and healthcare requirements (e.g., renal, diabetic, texture-modified diets).

• Oversee daily operations of the pizza oven, grill, stir-fry noodle station, deli, grab-and-go, and catering production to ensure exceptional quality, presentation, speed of service, and consistency.

• Manage corporate catering programs, including menu customization, event planning support, client coordination, and on-site/off-site execution for meetings, conferences, and special functions.

• Ensure full compliance with all food safety regulations (HACCP, ServSafe, local health codes), healthcare dietary standards, infection control protocols, and documentation for the skilled nursing facility.

• Lead menu planning and costing for all outlets, controlling food and labor costs to meet budgeted targets while maintaining quality and portion standards.

• Recruit, train, supervise, and develop kitchen staff; foster a positive, high-performance culture with emphasis on teamwork, safety, and professional growth.

• Monitor inventory, procurement, vendor relationships, and waste reduction to optimize profitability.

• Collaborate with facility leadership, dietitians (especially for the nursing facility), front-of-house teams, and corporate clients to gather feedback and drive continuous improvement.

• Analyze performance metrics (food cost %, labor %, customer/resident satisfaction scores, participation rates) and implement strategies to enhance results.

• Handle budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting for the culinary department.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional training (e.g., from a reputable culinary institute) strongly preferred.

• 5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience, ideally in corporate dining, healthcare/senior living, high-volume operations, or multi-concept environments.

• Proven track record managing diverse stations (e.g., pizza/wood-fired ovens, grills, Asian-inspired stir-fry, deli/sandwich production, grab-and-go).

• Experience with corporate catering and/or healthcare/resident dining (knowledge of modified diets, therapeutic nutrition, and regulatory compliance is a plus).

• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, Joint Commission guidelines and HACCP principles; ServSafe Manager certification required (or ability to obtain within 30 days).

• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate teams in fast-paced and regulated settings.

• Proficiency in menu development software, inventory systems, and Microsoft Office (or similar tools).

• Ability to work flexible hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and events as needed.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in multi-site or hybrid corporate/healthcare foodservice.

• Creative menu innovation with a focus on wellness, sustainability, and global flavors.

• Budget management and P&L responsibility experience.

• Ability to obtain CDM (certified dietary manager) within 12 months of hire.

This role offers the opportunity to shape a vibrant, multifaceted dining program that supports employee wellness in a corporate environment and enhances quality of life for skilled nursing residents.

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As an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

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