Lead Culinary Specialist - Senior Living Kitchen

The Verandah Retirement Community; Lake Charles (LA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Sunshine Retirement Living seeks a hands-on Kitchen Supervisor to assist in managing the kitchen operations. You will help prepare meals following menus, supervise staff, and ensure safe food handling and high culinary standards in a senior living community.

As part of the team, you will coordinate meal prep, maintain logs, and train new staff while upholding company policies and resident satisfaction. This role emphasizes teamwork, reliability, and quality service.

Qualifications

• Must be 18 years of age.
• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Culinary Arts Degree or equivalent, preferred.
• Two (2) years of experience in institutional or full-service restaurant cooking.
• Maintain food handlers permit as necessary to fulfil state requirements.
• Ability to read and prepare recipes, in careful detail, as provided by the company.
• Knowledge of and ability to conform to Food Service sanitation practices.
• Ability to work with staff and residents to resolve food and/or service problems resourcefully and effectively.
• Possess computer skills, including word processing and spreadsheet applications.
• Ability to manage and maintain logs, reports, and records.
• In addition to the above, the following skills are preferred: experience serving senior citizens; familiarity with laws and regulations applicable to the Community and Human Resources procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and politely in English, both verbally and in writing, with residents and staff.
• Ability to work in a team setting and be a team positive player.
• Maintain a positive, respectful, and professional approach with coworkers and residents.
• Possess excellent customer service and organizational skills.
• Ability to work under little supervision with time constraints while maintaining a high level of performance and meeting department deadlines.
• Ability to follow and adhere to policies, procedures, and standards.
• Satisfactorily pass company’s and state regulated criminal record clearance, health screening and TB clearance (if applicable)

Responsibilities

• Review menus and daily food production worksheets for instructions.
• Prepare meals following company menus and recipes.
• Follow safe food-handling procedures.
• In conjunction with the Executive Chef, ensure that food, supplies, and appropriate personnel are available for the meal and assists in coordinating prep for the following days menu.
• Serve nutritious, attractively garnished food in an efficient manner ensuring high culinary standards are met.
• Complete leftover logs and use leftovers in a time‑safe and creative manner to minimise waste.
• Follow procedures for covering, labeling, dating, and storing food in a compliant and timely manner.
• Ensure Temperature logs are completed at required time (Cooler, Freezer, Production Sheets, and Dishwasher).
• Follow company sanitation and state and local health department standards by effectively cleaning while working, including the preparation and serving areas, pots and pans, kitchen surfaces, walls and floors using appropriated cleaning schedules and charts.
• Focus on resident satisfaction and effectively resolve any food‑complaint issues as needed.
• Oversee the Community Culinary staff and overall smooth kitchen operation in the absence of the Executive Chef.
• Assist in training new food service employees as directed by the Executive Chef.
• Ensure that all Cooks and Culinary staff are wearing appropriate, clean, and neat uniforms.
• Assign tasks as needed and assist in the set‑up of special functions
• Perform administrative duties including menu planning, ordering, receiving, invoice processing, inventory, end‑of‑month report, staffing and payroll if required
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor

Skills

High school diploma

Culinary Arts Degree

Two years experience

Food safety knowledge

Computer skills

Team player

English communication

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Culinary Arts Degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Sunshine Retirement Living seeks a hands-on Kitchen Supervisor to assist in managing the kitchen operations. You will help prepare meals following menus, supervise staff, and ensure safe food handling and high culinary standards in a senior living community.

As part of the team, you will coordinate meal prep, maintain logs, and train new staff while upholding company policies and resident satisfaction. This role emphasizes teamwork, reliability, and quality service.