Culinary Director

Senior Living of Washington; Arlington (WA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Senior Living of Washington is seeking an experienced kitchen leader to oversee dining services for our senior residents. You will ensure sanitation, menu planning, inventory control, and budget management while coaching a diverse culinary team.

This role requires strict adherence to health codes, clear communication with residents, families, and departments, and a commitment to nutrition and compassionate care, including memory care needs.

Qualifications

• Must be drug-free and submit to urine drug screening on hire and routinely.
• Must pass Criminal Background Check and Health Screening including TB test.
• Must be eighteen (18) years old.
• Skilled at quality cooking and able to instruct team members on various dishes.
• Education in nutrition and cooking is required.
• Maintain current Food Handlers Card, CPR and First Aid Certification.
• Passions for helping seniors, especially those with Dementia and Alzheimer's.
• Clear English communication, both verbal and written.
• Able to work all shifts to ensure staffing coverage.
• Maintain integrity of the senior living facility.

Responsibilities

• Sanitize, clean and organize kitchen and dining spaces at all times.
• Create and maintain employee schedules and duties when on duty.
• Produce menus for all meals and special diets, including regular and special menus.
• Manage inventory and ordering within monthly budget from approved vendors.
• Control culinary budget for the fiscal year.
• Check in deliveries and store items properly following health codes.
• Ensure items are stored properly and accessible.
• Train and supervise staff across shifts; provide coaching and evaluations.
• Communicate with Executive Director about HR, resident satisfaction, or inventory issues.
• Attend department head meetings and help develop department policies.

Skills

Leadership

Quality cooking

Team instruction

Communication

Education

Education in nutrition and cooking

Tools

Food Handlers Card

CPR and First Aid

Job description

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Ensure kitchen and dining room space is sanitized, clean and in an organized manner at all times.
• Create and maintain employees working schedules and scheduled duties when working.
• Responsible for production of menus for all meals and diets, which includes a regular all-day menu as well as specials.
• Responsible for inventory and ordering of supplies which includes food, equipment, smallware’s, and any other kitchen items. This should be approved supplies from approved vendors and be within out monthly budget.
• Manage and control culinary budget as set for the fiscal year.
• Responsible for checking in deliveries of products and proper storage of delivered items.
• Ensure items are stored appropriately following health code as well as ergonomically accessible.
• Maintain sufficient staff levels, train new team members, supervise a combination of all shifts and evaluate performance. Always coaching in the moment, as well as following our employee evaluation process.
• Keep in open communication to the Executive Director about problems or concerns when it comes to HR matters, resident satisfaction issues or inventory issues.
• Attend department head meetings
• Help with development of department policies and procedures
• Ensure resident dietary restrictions/orders and documented and appropriately communicated and trained to for all team members. This should follow state guidelines.
• Promote good communication between departments by communicating specials and resident events using verbal and written communication.
• Maintain good customer service with vendors and communicate on a regular basis, as needed
• Relate to residents in a courteous, empathetic, and cooperative manner.
• Ability to execute and educate team members of our Connections program in memory care as it relates to culinary.
• All other duties as assigned.

Additional Functions:

• Must possess qualities of leadership, tact, and adaptability to change. Must be neat in appearance, pleasant personality, be congenial to fellow team members, residents, families and the public in general. Must be capable of using own judgement and initiative in daily duties.
• Must have strong organizational skills, as well as the ability to prioritize and meetdeadlines.
• Mustbedetailandteam-workoriented.
• Must attend required in-services/ workshops to further education of skills andcommunityrequirements.

Qualifications:

• MustbeDrugfreeandsubmittoUrinaryAnalysisDrugscreeninguponhireandroutinely.
• Must be able to pass Criminal Background Check, Health Screening including TB test.
• Must be eighteen (18) years old.
• Have be skilled at quality cooking, able to instruct team members of how to prepare a variety of dishes.
• Must possess education in nutrition and cooking.
• Maintain current Food Handlers Card, CPR and First Aid Certification.
• A passion for helping seniors, especially those living with Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, verbally and in writing in standard English.
• Able to work all shifts to ensure staffing coverage when needed.
• The employee shall be responsible for maintaining the integrity of Fields Senior Living.

Physical Demands and Requirements:

• Maintain ability to lift 50 pounds; to stand or walk throughout the vast majority of the workday; and to frequently push, pull, bend, twist and reach.
• Mustbewillingtobeactiveandonfeetduringentireworkshift.
• Involves light to heavy physical activity performing non-strenuous and strenuous activities.
• Must have sufficient manual dexterity to work with the fingers and to reach/hand items