Dining Services Director

Goodwin Living; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

DailyPay

Tuition assistance

Student loan repayment

Citizenship/U.S. Immigration support

ESL tutoring

Emergency grants

401(k) retirement plan

Free meals

Fitness center access

Job summary

Goodwin Living in Alexandria, Virginia seeks a Director of Dining Services to provide strategic direction, operational excellence and world-class hospitality for resident dining programs. This role drives budget adherence, menu planning, nutrition oversight with the RD, and staff development to deliver exceptional resident experiences.

Pay is $125k-$137k with a potential 10% bonus based on goals and KPIs; benefits include extensive healthcare options and lifestyle perks as part of a nonprofit

Qualifications

• Minimum five years leading large food service operations in upscale environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in food service management or related field preferred.
• Experience measuring customer satisfaction and improving service.
• Thorough knowledge of dining service operations and regulations.
• Strong leadership and team development abilities.
• Cash handling proficiency.
• ServSafe certification.
• Financial management experience.
• Training and development of front-line staff.
• Experience with multi-level management is a plus.
• Office software proficiency (Excel/Word/PowerPoint).
• Experience developing dining programs and procedures.
• Understanding of dining operations flow.
• Data collection, analysis and sharing findings.
• Outstanding customer service and hospitality.
• Excellent written and verbal English.

Responsibilities

• Financially accountable for dining services within the approved budget.
• Ensure food and service quality for residents, guests and team members.
• Champion a hospitality-driven culture focused on resident choice and service excellence.
• Engage residents, families and stakeholders for feedback and improvements.
• Partner with resident committees to enhance dining programs.
• Maintain visible presence in dining venues and conduct service rounds.
• Establish measurable service standards across operations.
• Monitor satisfaction metrics and develop improvement actions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on hospitality and operations.
• Promote effective service recovery practices.
• Build a high-performing team via recruitment, coaching and mentoring.
• Monitor industry trends and innovate dining concepts.
• Oversee nutrition considerations with the Registered Dietitian.
• Maintain department readiness for inspections and regulatory compliance.
• Direct safety, sanitation and maintenance programs.
• Participate in interviewing, hiring, onboarding and coaching of staff.
• Assist in budgeting, purchasing, menu planning and documentation.
• Conduct team meetings and advertising of menus.
• Ensure cash-handling standards per policy to prevent theft.

Skills

Leadership

Dining operations

Budgeting

Customer service

Hospitality

Staff development

Regulatory compliance

Nutrition

Menu planning

Safety

Data analysis

Communication

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in food service management or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Publisher

Job description

Goodwin Living is a mission-driven nonprofit senior living and healthcare organization based in Alexandria, Virginia. We support, honor and uplift older adults and the people who care for them by creating a workplace rooted in purpose, belonging and growth. Our culture has earned consistent recognition, including Top Workplace honors in the D.C. region since 2019, national recognition by USA Today and Nurse.com, and Top Virginia Employers for Intern Awards recognition since 2022. These honors are based on team member feedback and reflect what our team values most.

About The Position

This position is responsible for providing direction and leadership for the total dining operation. The Director serves as the senior dining services leader providing strategic direction, operational excellence, impeccable customer service, and exceptional hospitality. Responsible for maintaining high standards in service, hospitality, resident relations, dining quality, cost controls, staffing, safety, sanitation, training and special functions. The Director elevates the resident dining experience through high-quality dining programs, resident choice, personalization, innovative services, and continuous improvement while fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, collaboration, and hospitality. In partnership with residents, team members, and organizational leadership, the Director ensures dining operations deliver a world-class experience for residents, guests, families, and team members while maintaining the highest standards of quality, hospitality, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.

Pay: $125k-$137k with the opportunity for a 10% bonus based on meeting established goals and KPIs

Duties And Responsibilities

• Financially accountable for the dining services department and operates within the approved budget while delivering maximum value and exceptional quality.
• Ensures food and service provided to residents, guests, and team members are of superior quality and consistently result in an exceptional dining experience.
• Champions a hospitality-driven culture that prioritizes resident choice, personalization, service excellence, and memorable dining experiences.
• Routinely engages residents, families, and stakeholders to gather feedback and implement meaningful service improvements.
• Partners with resident committees and community leadership to continuously enhance dining programs and resident satisfaction.
• Maintains a visible presence throughout dining venues and proactively conducts service rounds to evaluate hospitality, dining quality, and resident satisfaction.
• Establishes measurable standards for service quality, hospitality, dining consistency, presentation, and execution across all dining operations.
• Monitors dining satisfaction metrics and develops action plans to improve resident experience outcomes.
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives focused on customer satisfaction, hospitality excellence, and operational performance.
• Promotes effective service recovery practices that quickly and professionally address resident and guest concerns.
• Builds and maintains a high-performing team through recruitment, coaching, mentoring, performance management, leadership development, and succession planning.
• Monitors industry trends, hospitality best practices, and innovative dining concepts and recommends programs to ensure the highest quality services in the future.
• Applies a proven track record of meeting the nutritional needs of older adults and directs the supervision of all aspects of the resident nutrition including leveraging the expertise of the Registered Dietitian to maintain compliance with the nutrition care program.
• Maintains the department in an “inspection ready” state at all times, assuring the department operates within federal, state, and local regulations.
• Directs and conducts safety, sanitation and community maintenance programs.
• Responsible for partaking in the interviewing, hiring, orienting, training, evaluating and counseling of team members.
• Assists in the predicting, planning, monitoring, evaluation of cost programs, daily purchasing and maintenance of food preparation system, order book, recipe file, inventory, and storerooms, as assigned. Conducts team meetings. Participates in menu planning, writing and advertising.
• Implements and maintains cash handling standards as outlined in the GHI Policies and Procedures Manual to eliminate theft of services or Company funds.

Job Qualifications

• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience required of leading large food service operations within upscale hospitality environment, resort, hotel, cruise line, country club, luxury senior living community, healthcare system, or premier multi-unit dining operation.
• Bachelor’s degree in food service management, hospitality management, business administration, or related field highly preferred.
• Experience measuring customer satisfaction and implementing service improvement initiatives.
• Must possess a thorough knowledge of dining service operations, supervision, public relations and all appropriate federal, state, and local regulations.
• Strong leadership, coaching, mentoring, and team development capabilities.
• Must have solid understanding of cash handling and tracking procedures
• ServSafe Food Protection certification required.
• Must have solid experience with financial management and driving operational excellence.
• Must have experience with training and development of front-line team members
• Experience working with multi-level management teams is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, Power Point and Publisher is a must.
• Must have experience developing dining programs and implementing procedures.
• Clear understanding of the flow of operations for a dining establishment
• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data and share findings with appropriate management levels
• Must have outstanding customer service and hospitality skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English.

A sampling of our many benefits!

Benefits

We’ve got you covered with incredible benefits, whether you work full-time, part-time, or PRN (as needed). Here’s a glimpse of what we offer to Full-Time team members:

• Paid Time Off
• Health/Dental/Vision Insurance
• DailyPay: Work and get paid the same day!
• Tuition Assistance for Career Development
• Student Loan Repayment Program
• Financial assistance with U.S. Citizenship application or DACA Renewal
• Tutoring for ESL, Citizenship Test & GED
• Staff Emergency Grants
• Retirement Plan- 401(k)
• Free Meals, Access to a Fitness Center, Pool, and More

About Goodwin Living

At Goodwin Living, we can all find work with purpose! As a nonprofit senior living and healthcare organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, we are driven by our mission: to support, honor and uplift the lives of older adults and those who care for them. Our commitment to our team members is written directly into that statement. We create an enriching and supportive work environment that has earned us Top Workplace recognition by The Washington Post since 2019 and, more recently, national recognition by USA Today. These honors reflect the culture our team members foster every day — one rooted in purpose, belonging, and growth.

Goodwin Living is an Equal Opportunity Employer and an AARP Employer Pledge Signer. We take pride in our inclusive work culture that values diversity and fosters talent. With us, you are more than just a team member; you are part of a community committed to excellence and continuous learning.