Senior Food Service Manager

UCLA Health; California; On-site; USD 68,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

UCLA Health seeks an experienced Senior Manager of Culinary Services to lead kitchen operations across patient dining, retail food services, and catering. You will drive high-quality food production, optimize workflows, and ensure compliance with safety standards in a leading academic health system.

Reporting to the Executive Director, you will mentor Senior Cooks, Cooks, and Diet Assistants, manage staffing and costs, and collaborate with clinical leaders to align dining services with patient

Responsibilities

• Oversee development and execution of diverse, high-quality menus for patient care, retail operations, and catering services.
• Lead, coach, and develop culinary staff, including Senior Cooks, Cooks, and Diet Assistants.
• Manage staffing, scheduling, workflow, and daily kitchen operations.
• Ensure consistent food quality, presentation, and service standards across all areas.
• Monitor food and labor costs, inventory, purchasing, and waste to support goals.
• Maintain compliance with Joint Commission, UC, and UCLA Health food safety and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with clinical and operational lead.

Skills

Menu development leadership

Team coaching and mentorship

Operations management

Food safety compliance

Budgeting and cost control

Job description

Description

UCLA Health is seeking an experienced culinary leader to oversee kitchen operations across patient dining, retail food services, and catering. This is an opportunity to lead a high-performing team, drive operational excellence, and help shape the dining experience at one of the nation's leading academic health systems.

What You'll Do

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Senior Manager, Culinary Services is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of culinary operations, ensuring high-quality food production, efficient operations, and compliance with all food safety and regulatory requirements.

Key responsibilities include:

• Oversee the development and execution of diverse, high-quality menus for patient care, retail operations, and catering services.
• Lead, coach, and develop culinary staff, including Senior Cooks, Cooks, and Diet Assistants.
• Manage staffing, scheduling, workflow, and daily kitchen operations.
• Ensure consistent food quality, presentation, and service standards across all areas.
• Monitor food and labor costs, inventory, purchasing, and waste to support operational and financial goals.
• Maintain compliance with Joint Commission, University of California, and UCLA Health food safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with clinical and operational lead

Salary Range: $67,700-134,700/year

Please note, this is a limited position expected for 6 months.