Senior Living Kitchen Operations Lead

Nutrition Management Services Company; West Caldwell (NJ); On-site; USD 61,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

Nutrition Management Services Company in West Caldwell, NJ is seeking a highly organized Kitchen / Food Production Manager to oversee back‑of‑house culinary operations in a busy Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).

You will manage day‑to‑day food production, kitchen staff, purchasing, receiving, inventory, sanitation, and regulatory compliance across Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3–5 years of progressive kitchen, culinary, or food production management experience preferred.
• Experience managing a high‑volume food production operation strongly preferred.
• Senior living, CCRC, healthcare, hospital, skilled nursing, or similar institutional food service experience highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience supervising and scheduling kitchen employees.
• Strong knowledge of food purchasing, receiving, inventory control, production planning, portion control, and food cost management.
• Working knowledge of standardized recipes and high‑volume production systems.
• Strong understanding of food safety, sanitation, HACCP principles, and regulatory requirements.
• ServSafe Manager certification preferred or required within an established period following hire.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong organizational, communication, problem‑solving, and leadership skills.
• Comfortable using computer‑based scheduling, purchasing, inventory, and food production systems.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on operational needs, including occasional weekends, holidays, and evenings.

Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate daily food production and back‑of‑house kitchen operations.
• Ensure meals are prepared according to established menus, standardized recipes, production schedules, portion standards, and presentation expectations.
• Coordinate production to support multiple dining venues and levels of care, including Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing.
• Monitor production quantities to ensure adequate food availability while minimizing overproduction and waste.
• Ensure food is prepared, held, transported, and served at appropriate temperatures and according to established food safety standards.
• Work closely with culinary and food service leadership to ensure smooth execution of daily meal periods, special events, catering functions, and resident programs.
• Maintain consistent food quality, taste, appearance, and portion control.
• Provide direct supervision and leadership to back‑of‑house employees, including cooks, prep cooks, utility/dishroom employees, and other assigned kitchen staff.
• Develop and maintain employee schedules based on operational needs, census, meal volumes, events, and approved labor budgets.
• Manage daily staffing needs, call‑outs, shift coverage, assignments, breaks, and overtime.
• Train, coach, and develop employees in proper production techniques, standardized recipes, sanitation, safety, and department procedures.
• Monitor employee performance and productivity and address performance or attendance concerns appropriately.
• Foster a professional, respectful, team‑oriented kitchen environment.
• Manage food and supply ordering based on menus, production needs, inventory levels, census, and anticipated volume.
• Maintain appropriate par levels while controlling excess inventory and unnecessary purchases.
• Oversee receiving procedures to ensure products meet established specifications for quality, quantity, temperature, and condition.
• Verify deliveries and resolve shortages, substitutions, damages, or other vendor issues.
• Ensure proper storage, labeling, dating, rotation, and organization of food and supplies using FIFO principles.
• Conduct and accurately document monthly physical inventories.
• Monitor food costs, inventory levels, purchasing trends, waste, and other key operational indicators.
• Identify opportunities to improve purchasing practices, reduce waste, and control costs without compromising quality.
• Maintain high standards of sanitation, cleanliness, organization, and food safety throughout all kitchen, storage, receiving, and production areas.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP principles, local and state health regulations, company policies, and applicable healthcare food service requirements.
• Ensure proper documentation of food temperatures, equipment temperatures, cooling procedures, sanitation activities, and other required records.
• Conduct routine inspections of kitchen and storage areas and immediately address deficiencies.
• Ensure employees follow proper handwashing, glove use, food handling, chemical safety, and infection prevention practices.
• Maintain readiness for health department, regulatory, client, and internal inspections.
• Work collaboratively with culinary leadership, dining services, clinical nutrition staff, nursing, and other departments to support resident needs.
• Ensure proper production and handling of regular and modified‑texture foods, therapeutic diets, and other specialized meal requirements as directed by the clinical nutrition team.
• Maintain appropriate procedures to prevent cross‑contamination and ensure accuracy of specialized food production.
• Support resident‑centered dining and recognize the importance that food quality, consistency, and service have on the overall resident experience.
• Respond promptly and professionally to operational concerns involving food quality, availability, production, or service.

Skills

Menu planning

Food production

Staff supervision

Purchasing

Inventory control

HACCP knowledge

Sanitation

Job description

Nutrition Management Services Company in West Caldwell, NJ is seeking a highly organized Kitchen / Food Production Manager to oversee back‑of‑house culinary operations in a busy Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).

You will manage day‑to‑day food production, kitchen staff, purchasing, receiving, inventory, sanitation, and regulatory compliance across Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing.