Interim Food Service Director – Assisted Living

All American Assisted Living; Wayside (NJ); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

401(k)

401(k) Matching

Employee Assistance Program

Employee Referral Program

Paid Training

Retention Incentives

Flexible Scheduling

Supportive Work Environment

Meaningful Work Serving Older Adults

Job summary

All American Assisted Living in New Jersey seeks a seasoned Food Service Director to lead the community's Dining Services. You will oversee daily operations, plan menus, supervise staff, and ensure high standards in food safety, quality, and resident satisfaction.

The role requires strong leadership, budgeting, and collaboration with nursing teams to meet dietary needs and regulatory guidelines. A hands-on, hospitality-focused approach is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in food service management in assisted living, senior living, healthcare, hospitality, or institutional dining.
• Strong knowledge of food preparation, sanitation, and kitchen operations.
• Experience supervising and scheduling employees.
• Ability to manage food and labor costs, inventory, purchasing, and budgeting.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all daily Dining Services operations.
• Lead, supervise, schedule, and support dining team members.
• Ensure meals meet quality, presentation, and temperature standards.
• Plan and maintain menus supporting resident preferences and dietary needs.
• Coordinate with nursing and Wellness teams on resident diets and textures.
• Monitor resident satisfaction and respond to dining feedback.
• Develop and implement special menus, holiday meals, and events.
• Maintain inventory, control ordering, and manage storage.

Skills

Staff supervision

Budget management

Scheduling

Operations leadership

English communication

Education

ServSafe Manager certification

Tools

Scheduling tools

Purchasing software

Food-service software

Job description

Compensation: (pay rate or salary range)

We are seeking an experienced and resident-focused Food Service Director to lead our Dining Services department.

In this role, you will oversee the day-to-day operations of the community's dining program, including menu planning, food quality, staffing, sanitation, budgeting, purchasing, resident satisfaction, and regulatory compliance.

We are looking for a hands-on leader who understands that dining is a major part of the resident experience and can balance hospitality, food safety, team leadership, and operational discipline.

What You'll Do

• Oversee all daily Dining Services operations
• Lead, supervise, schedule, and support cooks, servers, dishwashers, and other dining team members
• Ensure meals are prepared and served on time and meet quality, presentation, and temperature standards
• Plan and maintain menus that support resident preferences, nutritional needs, and dietary requirements
• Coordinate with nursing and Wellness teams regarding resident diets, allergies, texture modifications, and other dining needs
• Monitor resident satisfaction and respond promptly to dining concerns or feedback
• Develop and implement special menus, holiday meals, and resident dining events
• Maintain appropriate food inventory and control ordering, receiving, storage, and rotation of supplies
• Manage food and labor costs within established budget expectations
• Review invoices, purchasing activity, and vendor performance
• Maintain accurate records related to food service operations, sanitation, inventory, and regulatory requirements
• Ensure proper food storage, labeling, dating, preparation, and handling practices
• Maintain compliance with food safety, sanitation, infection-control, and workplace-safety requirements
• Perform regular kitchen, dining room, storage, and equipment inspections
• Ensure kitchen and dining areas are clean, safe, organized, and well maintained
• Coordinate equipment maintenance and repairs as needed
• Recruit, interview, train, coach, and develop Dining Services team members
• Conduct orientation, ongoing training, and competency reviews
• Address attendance, performance, and conduct concerns in partnership with community leadership
• Promote strong teamwork between Dining Services and other community departments
• Support resident events, marketing events, tours, and community programs involving food service
• Participate in leadership meetings and provide updates on dining operations, staffing, resident satisfaction, and budget performance
• Maintain resident privacy, dignity, preferences, and confidentiality
• Complete additional duties as assigned

What We're Looking For

• Previous food service management experience in assisted living, senior living, healthcare, hospitality, restaurant, or institutional dining
• Strong knowledge of food preparation, sanitation, food safety, and kitchen operations
• Experience supervising and scheduling employees
• Ability to manage food cost, labor cost, inventory, purchasing, and budgeting
• Strong leadership, organization, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to balance hospitality and customer service with operational expectations
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively with residents, families, employees, vendors, and community leadership
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in English, verbally and in writing, as required to manage staff, understand dietary instructions, maintain documentation, and respond during emergencies
• Experience working with older adults is preferred
• Experience with modified diets, allergies, texture-modified foods, or healthcare dining is preferred
• Comfortable using basic computer systems, scheduling tools, email, and purchasing or food-service software
• Dependable attendance and ability to respond to operational needs when required
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and remain active throughout the workday
• Ability to safely lift and carry up to (physical requirement) pounds
• Ability to successfully complete required background checks, health screenings, and employment requirements

Food Safety and Certification Requirements

• Must maintain all food-safety certifications required by the state, local jurisdiction, and community
• ServSafe Manager certification or equivalent is preferred and may be required based on applicable regulations
• Must ensure Dining Services staff complete all required food-safety, sanitation, allergen, infection-control, and workplace-safety training
• Must maintain required inspection, sanitation, temperature, cleaning, and food-storage records
• Must remain current on applicable health department and assisted living food-service requirements

Benefits

• Medical insurance for eligible employees
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off for eligible employees
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Employee assistance program
• Employee referral program
• Paid training
• Retention incentives
• Flexible scheduling where available
• Supportive and team-oriented work environment
• Meaningful work serving older adults

Dining is an important part of the resident experience. We are looking for a Food Service Director who takes pride in building a strong team, maintaining high standards, and creating meals and dining experiences residents genuinely enjoy.

We are an equal opportunity employer.