Kitchen Manager, Health Care Center

Position Overview

The Health Care Center Kitchen Manager provides hands-on leadership for daily kitchen operations supporting residents in the Health Care Center, including skilled nursing, personal care, memory support, and other health care dining needs. This position helps ensure that meals are prepared, portioned, plated, and served in a safe, timely, attractive, and resident-centered manner. The Kitchen Manager supervises and supports kitchen staff, helps coordinate daily production, monitors food quality and sanitation practices, and assists with cooking and food preparation whenever needed to support service continuity.

• Provide daily leadership and direction to kitchen staff assigned to the Health Care Center, promoting teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and a strong hospitality mentality.
• Assist in coordinating daily meal production, food preparation, cooking, plating, and service to ensure meals are accurate, timely, appetizing, and consistent with established standards.
• Prepare and cook food items as needed, including stepping into production or line-cook responsibilities during staffing shortages, peak service periods, special events, emergencies, or other operational needs.
• Support the preparation of regular and modified diets, therapeutic diets, texture-modified meals, and resident-specific food preferences in coordination with Dining Services leadership, nursing, and clinical team members.
• Monitor food quality, taste, appearance, temperature, portion control, and presentation before and during meal service.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, infection prevention, sanitation, and workplace safety standards, including proper food handling, storage, labeling, cooling, reheating, cleaning, and use of equipment.
• Maintain an organized, clean, and safe kitchen environment, ensuring work areas, equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitized according to established procedures.
• Assist with staff training, coaching, onboarding, and performance feedback related to kitchen procedures, food safety, resident service expectations, and department standards.
• Communicate effectively with cooks, dietary aides, dining staff, nursing staff, supervisors, and other departments to support resident needs and smooth meal service.
• Help manage daily workflow, task assignments, production sheets, prep lists, and service priorities to ensure operational efficiency.
• Assist with inventory control by monitoring food and supply levels, rotating stock, reducing waste, and communicating ordering needs to appropriate Dining Services leadership.
• Respond appropriately to resident requests, concerns, or service issues, escalating matters when needed and helping identify practical solutions.
• Support special meals, catered events, holiday meals, emergency operations, and other dining service needs as assigned.
• Follow all organizational policies, department procedures, confidentiality expectations, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a positive role model for staff by demonstrating reliability, respect, flexibility, good judgment, and a willingness to assist wherever needed.

• High school diploma or equivalent required; culinary training, food service certification, or related coursework preferred.
• Minimum of three years of cooking or food production experience required, preferably in senior living, health care, long-term care, hospitality, or a similarly regulated food service environment.
• Prior supervisory, lead cook, kitchen lead, or team leadership experience preferred.
• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation practices, safe food handling, and proper use of commercial kitchen equipment required.
• Experience preparing meals for residents or…