Director of Culinary Services

Citadel Health Care; Freeport (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Daily Pay

401(k) with company match

Medical Insurance

Dental & Vision insurance

Disability insurance

EAP

Paid Time Off

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Citadel at Saint Joseph Village is seeking a Director of Culinary Services to oversee all aspects of the Dietary Department, ensuring high-quality meal service and compliance with nutritional guidelines. You will manage kitchen operations, plan menus, control inventory, and maintain food safety standards.

The role leads staffing, trains dietary personnel, and collaborates with other departments to meet residents’ dietary needs and preferences.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; culinary arts education preferred.
• At least one year of experience as a Dietary Aide, Dietary Technician, or Registered Dietitian preferred.
• Three years of dietary managerial experience in a healthcare setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage the department staff, scheduling breaks, write performance reviews, and enforce policies.
• Receive and address direct reports’ complaints.
• Assist the Administrator in planning, organizing, evaluating, and directing the department and its programs.
• Review and assist in developing a plan of correction for dietary service deficiencies noted during surveys.
• Process diet changes and new diets from nursing services.
• Participate in facility surveys and inspections.
• Interview residents or families to obtain diet history.
• Maintain records of residents' food likes and dislikes.
• Develop methods for determining quality/quantity of food served.
• Ensure menus are maintained/ filed per policies.
• Review dietary requirements of new residents.
• Ensure storage/preparation areas are clean, safe, and sanitary.
• Monitor staff to ensure safety regulations are followed.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strong verbal communication

Strong written communication

Leadership

Microsoft Office

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Culinary arts education preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Citadel at Saint Joseph Village is seeking a Director of Culinary Services to join their team! The Director of Culinary Services oversees all aspects of the Dietary Department, ensuring high-quality meal service and compliance with nutritional guidelines. This role is responsible for managing kitchen operations, planning menus, controlling inventory, and maintaining food safety standards. The Director leads staffing efforts, supervises and trains dietary personnel, and works closely with other departments to meet residents’ dietary needs and preferences.

Director of Culinary Services Duties and Responsibilities

• Manages the department staff, scheduling breaks, writing performance reviews, and enforcing policies with responsibility to issue Coaching and Corrective Action, as needed.
• Receives and handles direct reports’ complaints.
• Assists the Administrator in planning, developing, organizing, implementing, evaluating, and directing the department, its programs and activities
• Reviews and assists in developing a plan of correction for dietary service deficiencies noted during survey inspections and provide a written copy of such to the Administrator.
• Processes diet changes and new diets as received from nursing services.
• Participates in facility surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies.
• Interviews residents or family members, as necessary, to obtain diet history.
• Participates in maintaining records of the resident’s food likes and dislikes.
• Assists in developing methods for determining quality and quantity of food served.
• Ensures that menus are maintained and filed in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Assists in reviewing the dietary requirements of each resident admitted to the facility, as may be required.
• Ensures that all food storage rooms, preparation areas, etc., are maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner.
• Monitors dietary service personnel to assure that they are following established safety regulations in the use of equipment and supplies.
• All other duties, as assigned.

Director of Culinary Services Skills and Abilities

• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Understands food service regulations and the importance of cleanliness and adherance to kitchen protocols.
• Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Strong organizational and leadership skills.
• Demonstrates basic computer knowledge and ability with an aptitude to learn company applications; proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite

Director of Culinary Services Education and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Additional education in culinary arts preferred.
• At least one year of previous experience as a Dietary Aide, Dietary Technician, or Registered Dietician preferred.
• At least three years of dietary managerial experience in a health care settingpreferred.

Physical Requirements

• Walking, reaching, bending, lifting, extended sitting, grasping, fine hand coordination, pushing and pulling, ability to distinguish smells and temperatures, all with or without the aid of mechanical devices is required.
• Limited potential for exposure to environmental hazards. Understanding and adherence to company safety standards and protocols required.

Citadel Healthcare Full-Time Benefits

• Daily Pay & Competitive Compensation
• 401(k) with company match
• Medical Insurance
• Dental, Vision, and Disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee Discount Program
• Innovative Training Programs
• Opportunity for Growth and Advancement
• Paid Time Off
• And much more!

Why Citadel?

At Citadel, it’s personal. We’re more than a workplace. We’re a community of caregivers, leaders, and changemakers who show up every day with heart and purpose. Whether you’re at the bedside or behind the scenes, your work matters here because every role contributes to someone’s comfort, dignity, and healing. When you join Citadel, you’re not just building a career. You’re becoming part of something bigger.

We’ve been honored as a Certified Great Place to Work for three years in a row and named one of Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Aging Services, but the real reward is the difference we make together. Our people are the heart of our mission, and we invest in you with mentorship, growth opportunities, and a culture that sees you, supports you, and celebrates your impact.

Citadel Healthcare has a long and successful history of providing long and short-term skilled nursing care. At Citadel, we are committed to personalized, integrated care that factors in the total well‑being of every guest and their family members, and that does not just meet, but exceeds, their expectations. As part of this empathetic, respectful culture of care, we are dedicated to meeting individual preferences and needs in order to help each guest feel at home and achieve an optimal health outcome- our number one goal.

Citadel Healthcare has been nominated as a Great Place to Work.

We don’t offer care for you-we care about you.

Citadel Healthcare Facilities are Equal Opportunity Employers and do not discriminate based on any protected right such as race, color, nationality, gender, age, disability or any protected applicable right under the National Labor Relations Act.