Dining Services Director

Charter Senior Living

Bristol (CT)

On-site

USD 80,000 - 85,000

Full time

10 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Pay-on-Demand with ZayZoon

Free medical insurance

Paid Time Off

Career growth opportunities

Supportive leadership

Job summary

KindCare Assisted Living of Bristol seeks an experienced Dining Services Director to lead the entire dining program and elevate the resident dining experience. You will manage culinary and dining operations with a hospitality focus, while developing a high-performing team and maintaining budgets.

The role requires leadership in senior living dining, menu development, and regulatory compliance, with opportunities for growth and a rotation in Manager-on-Duty duties. Salary is competitive.

Qualifications

Previous senior living dining leadership experience required.
Experience leading a dining services team in assisted living.
Proven ability to manage department budgets, food costs, labor, purchasing and inventory.
Strong hospitality mindset with focus on elevated dining.
ServSafe certification required.

Responsibilities

Oversee culinary and dining service operations for the community.
Create an elevated, hospitality-focused dining experience for residents and guests.
Maintain high standards for food quality, taste, presentation, and service.
Lead, coach, and develop dining services staff and foster accountability.
Manage hiring, onboarding, scheduling and performance of dining associates.

Skills

Senior living dining leadership

Budget management

Staff development

Hospitable service

Leadership and accountability

Education

ServSafe certification

Tools

Food cost control

Job description

Interim Dining Services Director – Senior Living

KindCare Assisted Living of Bristol | Bristol, CT
Salary: $80,000-$85,000/year
Full-Time | Monday–Friday + Manager-on-Duty Rotation

Elevate the Dining Experience. Develop the Team. Make It Something Residents Look Forward To.

At KindCare Assisted Living of Bristol, we believe dining should be more than simply serving a meal. It should be an experience our residents look forward to every day.

We are seeking an experienced Dining Services Director with a strong senior living dining background who can bring leadership, creativity, hospitality, and operational excellence to our community.

This is an opportunity for a proven dining leader who knows how to elevate the resident dining experience while building and developing a positive, high-performing team.

We're not simply looking for someone who can run a kitchen. We're looking for someone who can lead an entire dining program.

What We're Looking For

Senior Living Dining Leadership • Team Development • Budget Management • Elevated Dining

Our ideal candidate has previous Dining Services Director leadership experience in senior living and understands the unique expectations of Assisted Living dining.

You know how to balance:

Exceptional food quality and presentation
Resident preferences and satisfaction
Hospitality and service
Team leadership and accountability
Staffing and scheduling
Food and labor costs
Inventory and purchasing
Sanitation and regulatory compliance

Most importantly, you understand that dining is one of the most important parts of a resident's day—and you take pride in making it exceptional.

What You'll Own

As Dining Services Director, you will oversee the overall performance and daily operations of the Dining Services Department, including:

Lead and oversee all culinary and dining service operations
Create an elevated, hospitality-focused dining experience for residents and guests
Maintain high standards for food quality, taste, presentation, consistency, and service
Lead, coach, develop, and positively motivate Dining Services associates
Establish clear expectations while creating a respectful and accountable team culture
Manage hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, and performance of dining associates
Manage department budgets and maintain appropriate food and labor costs
Oversee purchasing, inventory, receiving, storage, waste reduction, and portion control
Develop menus and dining experiences that reflect resident preferences and needs
Regularly engage with residents to gather feedback and identify opportunities to improve the dining program
Ensure proper accommodation of special dietary and therapeutic needs
Maintain compliance with sanitation, food safety, infection control, and regulatory requirements
Maintain a clean, organized, safe, and professional culinary environment
Partner with the Executive Director and community leadership team on resident satisfaction and community initiatives
Participate in the community's Manager-on-Duty rotation

What You Bring

Required

Previous senior living dining leadership experience
Previous experience as a Dining Services Director or comparable senior living dining leader
Experience managing and developing a dining services team
Demonstrated experience managing a department budget, food costs, labor, purchasing, and inventory
Strong understanding of elevated dining and hospitality within an Assisted Living environment
ServSafe certification
Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills
Ability to establish expectations and accountability while leading employees in a positive and respectful manner

Important Experience Note

This position requires a leader who understands senior living dining and the hospitality expectations of an Assisted Living environment.

Candidates whose dining leadership experience is exclusively within skilled nursing without relevant Assisted Living or senior living dining experience will not be the strongest fit for this opportunity.

The Leader We're Looking For

You may be a great fit if you:

Believe senior living dining should feel like hospitality—not institutional food service
Have successfully improved or elevated a dining program
Lead employees through coaching, communication, and accountability
Know how to build a positive culture while maintaining high standards
Are comfortable managing both the culinary and business sides of a dining department
Understand food costs, labor, budgets, inventory, and operational performance
Are visible and engaged with residents instead of managing solely from the kitchen or office
Listen to resident feedback and turn it into meaningful improvements
Take pride in presentation, service, cleanliness, and attention to detail
Want to join a strong leadership team where you have an opportunity to make an impact and continue growing your career

Schedule & Compensation

Salary: $85,000/year

Schedule: Monday–Friday with participation in the community's Manager-on-Duty rotation.

Why Join Us?

You'll be joining a strong community team that is looking for a Dining Services Director who can take ownership of the department and help bring the resident dining experience to the next level.

There is also opportunity to grow within the company for a leader who demonstrates strong performance and wants to continue developing their career.

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