Executive Chef

Brookdale Senior Living in; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid Time Off

Paid holidays

Life insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Early access to earned wages

Job summary

Brookdale Green Hills Cumberland is seeking an Executive Chef to lead the kitchen operations for our senior living community, overseeing meal preparation, menu planning, sanitation, and staff development to deliver exceptional dining experiences for residents.

The role emphasizes creating nutritious, appealing menus, managing food costs, and maintaining the highest standards of sanitation and safety while supporting a compassionate, resident-centered dining environment.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree or equivalent required.
• 2–4 years related kitchen experience.
• ServSafe certification required.
• Strong leadership and sanitation knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily kitchen operations and supervise staff.
• Ensure breakfast, lunch and dinner meet quality standards.
• Plan menus, select recipes, and coordinate prep.
• Maintain inventory and budgeted food costs.
• Hire, train, schedule, and discipline kitchen staff.
• Ensure kitchen cleanliness and safety compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Sanitation knowledge

Menu planning

Culinary operations

Food safety

Training staff

Communication

Education

Associate's degree (A.A) or equivalent from two year college or technical school

2–4 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

ServSafe Certified

Job description

Executive Chef (Finance)

Recognized by Newsweek in 2024 and 2025 as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity

Brookdale Green Hills Cumberland is hiring an Executive Chef to join their growing team – A Senior Living community supporting our Residents thru Assisted Living & Memory Care.

Do you love the creativity of being a Chef but hate the late nights and hectic weekends? With thousands of recipes to choose from, and the ability to add your own, Brookdale is the place for you. Quality is what we pride ourselves on and listening to our residents in the development of our menus is key. If you are passionate about leading a team, have high expectations when it comes to sanitation and food safety and would enjoy making a positive impact on the lives of seniors then this is an opportunity you don't want to miss.

Make Lives Better Including Your Own.

If you want to work in an environment where you can become your best possible self, join us! You'll earn more than a paycheck; you can find opportunities to grow your career through professional development, as well as ongoing programs catered to your overall health and wellness. Full suite of health insurance, life insurance and retirement plans are available and vary by employment status.

Full Time Benefits Eligibility

• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Associate assistance program
• Employee discounts
• Referral program
• Early access to earned wages for hourly associates (outside of CA)
• Optional voluntary benefits including ID theft protection and pet insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Paid holidays
• Company provided life insurance
• Adoption benefit
• Optional voluntary benefits including accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity Insurance, and legal plan
• Tuition reimbursement

Base pay in range will be determined by applicant's skills and experience. Temporary associates are not benefits eligible but may participate in the company's 401(k) program.

To support our associates in their journey to become a U.S. citizen, Brookdale offers to advance fees for naturalization (Form N-400) application costs, up to $725, less applicable taxes and withholding, for qualified associates who have been with us for at least a year.

The application window is anticipated to close within 30 days of the date of the posting.

Education and Experience

Associate's degree (A.A) or equivalent from two year college or technical school. Two to four years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Certifications, Licenses, and Other Special Requirements

ServSafe Certified. Obtain/hold any local, state and/or county required food handling/sanitation licenses and/or certificates.

Management and Decision Making

Applies existing guidelines and procedures to make varied decisions within a department. Uses sound judgment and experience to solve moderately complex problems based on precedent, example, reasonableness or a combination of these.

Knowledge and Skills

Possesses extensive knowledge of a distinct skill or function and a thorough understanding of the organization and work environment. Has working knowledge of a functional discipline. Effective customer service skills and the ability to lead and supervise a diverse group of people. Ability to coordinate the daily production of menus, recipes and food preparation. Capable of managing multiple job tasks including the preparation of several foods at the same time. Excellent cooking skills and an understanding of food preparation principles, ingredients and culinary terminology. Ability to modify and develop creative recipes and menus that are healthy and satisfying to the residents. Ability to understand and apply sanitation principles.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Standing
• Requires interaction with co-workers, residents or vendors
• Walking
• Sitting
• Occasional weekend, evening or night work if needed to ensure shift coverage.
• Use hands and fingers to handle or feel
• Reach with hands and arms
• Possible exposure to communicable diseases and infections
• Climb or balance
• Stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl
• Talk or hear
• Taste or smell
• Exposure to latex
• Ability to lift: Up to 50 pounds
• Possible exposure to blood-borne pathogens
• Possible exposure to various drugs, chemical, infectious, or biological hazards
• Subject to injury from falls, burns, odors, or cuts from equipment
• Vision

Brookdale is an equal opportunity employer and a drug-free workplace.

Responsibilities

• Oversees daily operations of the kitchen and ensures the highest quality food products. Directly supervises and trains kitchen personnel on all related culinary activities.
• Oversees breakfast, lunch and dinner for quality assurance of meal presentation and portion control.
• Selects recipes, prepares and coordinates all meals. Coordinates prep for the following day's menu.
• Creates new dishes and develops recipes, standardizing recipes to ensure consistent quality. Establishes presentation technique and quality standards. Plans, modifies and develops menus.
• Performs a pre-meal meeting with food servers to review detail of daily menu.
• Ensures an adequate number of culinary associates each shift and ensures absences are covered.
• Estimates food consumption and requisitions food purchases. Monitors and maintains inventory.
• Assists in the adherence to maintaining budget compliance for daily food costs.
• Assists in applying appropriate loss prevention procedures.
• Assists in hiring, training, scheduling, disciplining and terminating associates. Provides training for all kitchen staff.
• Assists in the coordination and execution of special events.
• Maintains kitchen cleanliness and food preparation according to state and local health department code requirements. Ensures all kitchen equipment is in working order and kept clean at all times. Oversees the proper inventory, storage and use of cleaning chemicals. Keeps waste to a minimum by utilizing food storage and food recycling techniques.

This job description represents an overview of the responsibilities for the above referenced position. It is not intended to represent a comprehensive list of responsibilities. An associate should perform all duties as assigned by his/her supervisor.