Dietary Director

Pinnacle Senior Living•Tucson, AZ

About The Position

The Dietary Director provides overall leadership and management of the Dietary Department at Mountain View Retirement Village, a senior living community serving residents in independent living, assisted living, and memory care. The role oversees kitchen operations and dining services, including food safety, sanitation, staffing, training, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, budgeting, regulatory compliance, and resident satisfaction. The Director develops and monitors department systems, processes, and standards to support consistent, safe, efficient, and high-quality food service from kitchen operations through dining room service. The position supervises all Dietary Department staff and works with other departments and community leadership to support resident needs and overall operations. Scheduling is variable to meet coverage needs; flexibility is required for weekends and holidays. The kitchen operates from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily, and the role does not involve late-night shifts.

Requirements

At least 5 years of work experience in a commercial kitchen or restaurant environment.
At least 3 years in a relevant supervisory leadership role managing 12 or more employees.
Maintain SERV Safe Manager / Food Protection Manager Certification (FPMC) meeting state and local health department standards.
Maintain level one fingerprint clearance.
Clean driving record and valid state driver’s license.
Tech-savvy mindset and a proven track record of quickly adopting and mastering software platforms, vendor ordering portals, and performance dashboards.

Nice To Haves

At least 2 years of leadership experience in senior living, a retirement community, or a specialized healthcare dining environment.
Degree or certificate in culinary arts, restaurant management, or hospitality.
Responsible alcohol service or management certification.
Experience using the eMenu Choice platform or similar.

Responsibilities

Uphold CAPLICO Core Values, the Code of Conduct, Resident Rights, HIPAA, food safety standards, infection control practices, and applicable dietary regulations.
Lead and oversee kitchen production, dining room service, dishwashing, sanitation, storage, inventory, and special functions.
Develop, implement, maintain, and monitor department procedures, checklists, routines, standards, and workflow expectations.
Interview, hire, train, supervise, coach, discipline, develop, and evaluate Dietary Department staff.
Manage purchasing, food ordering, inventory controls, par levels, portion control, menu execution, supply usage, waste reduction, and budget expectations.
Ensure meals are prepared and served to required standards for quality, presentation, portions, temperature, texture, and diet requirements, including special and therapeutic diets, modified textures, allergies, and resident preferences.
Monitor food quality, presentation, meal satisfaction, service timing, and the resident dining experience; address concerns from residents, families, and staff in a timely and professional manner.
Promote a professional, service-focused dining culture that supports resident dignity, choice, satisfaction, and positive dining experiences.
Ensure equipment and supplies are properly used, cleaned, maintained, stored, and reported for repair; coordinate maintenance and kitchen safety needs with Maintenance.
Collaborate with department heads, clinical leadership, activities, housekeeping, maintenance, and administration, and participate in community and quality assurance meetings as directed.
Provide direction, coaching, training, accountability, and performance management to Dietary team members, ensuring they follow policies, procedures, duties, safety expectations, sanitation standards, and resident service expectations.