Travel Chef Manager

Landmark of Hyde Park (2); Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Landmark of Hyde Park (2) is seeking a Traveling Chef Manager to lead kitchen operations across multiple healthcare communities. You will travel between facilities, coach executive chefs and cooks, and ensure consistent quality, safety, and resident-focused dining experiences.

You will supervise menus, nutrition, and dietary needs while maintaining high standards in food safety, portion control, and sanitation across all locations.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Two years dietary experience in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or related medical facility preferred.
• Experience with senior adults or healthcare populations.
• ServSafe Manager certification or equivalent.
• Certified Dietary Manager strongly preferred.
• Experience managing multiple culinary locations or traveling to cook.
• Experience with inventory, purchasing, and menu management is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead multisite culinary operations and travel between facilities.
• Provide coaching and operational guidance to Executive Chefs, Kitchen Managers, cooks, and dining teams.
• Establish consistent culinary standards, procedures, recipes, and presentation.
• Identify and solve operational challenges to improve quality and resident satisfaction.
• Support new community openings and leadership transitions.
• Ensure meals are appetizing, nutritious, properly portioned, and safely served.
• Assist with modified diets, therapeutic diets, texture-modified foods, and allergens.
• Provide hands-on training in cooking techniques, sanitation, and kitchen organization.
• Maintain compliance with health regulations and company policies.
• Monitor inventory, purchasing, waste, and portion control to optimize profitability.

Skills

Leadership

Cooking large quantities

Food safety

Staff training

Menu execution

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

ServSafe Manager certification

Certified Dietary Manager (strongly preferred)

Experience managing multiple culinary locations or traveling to cook

Healthcare dining experience

Job description

TRAVELING CHEF MANAGER – COOK MANAGER

Take your culinary leadership on the road while making a meaningful impact across multiple healthcare communities. As a Traveling Chef Manager at Landmark of Hyde Park, you'll lead kitchen operations, support dedicated teams, ensure quality dining experiences, and enjoy variety in a rewarding, mission-driven career.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Traveling Chef Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing culinary operations across multiple healthcare and assisted living communities. This position provides hands‑on culinary leadership, supports local kitchen management teams, ensures consistent food quality and service standards, and promotes a safe, nutritious, and resident‑focused dining experience.

As a Traveling Cook Manager you will travel between assigned facilities to provide operational support, cook and assist with menu execution, and ensure compliance with applicable food safety, sanitation, healthcare dining, and company standards.

Essential Job Functions:

• Multisite Culinary Leadership - Travel regularly between assigned assisted living and healthcare communities to assess and support culinary operations.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and operational guidance to Executive Chefs, Kitchen Managers, cooks, and dining-service teams.
• Establish consistent culinary standards, procedures, recipes, presentation, and service expectations across all locations.
• Identify operational challenges and develop practical solutions to improve efficiency, quality, and resident satisfaction.
• Support new community openings, leadership transitions, staffing shortages, and operational turnarounds as needed.
• Food Quality & Resident Experience to ensure meals are consistently appealing, flavorful, nutritious, properly portioned, and served at the appropriate temperature.
• Support menus designed to meet the nutritional and dietary needs of senior and healthcare residents.
• Ensure appropriate preparation and service of modified diets, therapeutic diets, texture‑modified foods, and allergen‑sensitive meals.
• Promote a hospitality‑focused dining experience that respects resident preferences, dignity, and choice.
• Monitor resident feedback and partner with community leadership to address dining concerns.
• Conduct hands‑on training and cooking alongside kitchen staff. Training staff on cooking techniques, food prep, sanitation, portion control, menu execution and kitchen organization.
• Reinforce company policies, performance expectations, and professional standards.
• Monitor inventory, purchasing, waste, portion control, and product utilization.
• Help standardize ordering practices and vendor/product specifications across assigned locations.
• Identify opportunities to reduce food waste and improve kitchen productivity without compromising quality.
• Maintain high standards for food safety, sanitation, personal hygiene, and kitchen cleanliness.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local health regulations and healthcare/community policies.
• Monitor proper food storage, temperature control, labeling, dating, allergen management, and sanitation procedures.

Education/Experience:

• Must possess, at least a high school education or equivalent
• Two (2) years dietary experience in a hospital, skilled nursing care facility, or other related medical facility preferred (but not necessary)
• Experience working with senior adults or healthcare populations.
• Must be able to cook a variety of foods in large quantities
• ServSafe Manager certification or equivalent food‑safety credential.
• Certified Dietary Manager (strongly preferred)
• Experience managing multiple culinary locations or traveling to cook.
• Experience with inventory, purchasing, and menu management is a Plus.

Our Company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, this company complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training