Culinary Director

Harbour Village•Buffalo, MN

19h•$65,000•Onsite

About The Position

Havenwood of Buffalo is seeking a hospitality-focused Director of Culinary Services to lead its dining services team. The role provides full-scope, hands-on management of the Culinary Services Department and is responsible for maintaining exceptional quality, cleanliness, customer service, and resident satisfaction. The Director is a key member of the community leadership team and is expected to uphold the organization’s mission, values, and commitment to hospitality excellence. The position develops an upscale dining program for residents and guests, leads Culinary Services staff, plans compliant menu cycles, and ensures dietary modifications follow physician orders and company policies. The Director also supports food preparation and service as needed, oversees departmental financial objectives, engages residents to assess satisfaction, and ensures compliance with food safety, sanitation, and regulatory requirements.

Requirements

Successful completion of a recognized Food Safety Certification program.
At least five years of experience as an Executive Chef, Chef, or similar culinary leadership role in a hotel, restaurant, club, healthcare, or comparable environment.
At least three years of experience managing food service operations and personnel.
Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and customer service skills.

Nice To Haves

Associate's or Bachelor's Degree, ideally in Culinary Arts or a related field.
Senior living, healthcare, or long-term care culinary experience.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a comprehensive, professional, and upscale dining program that creates an exceptional experience for residents and guests.
Lead and supervise Culinary Services staff, including recruiting, hiring, scheduling, coaching, performance management, and employee development.
Plan, develop, and implement menu cycles that meet nutritional and dietary requirements and comply with applicable regulations.
Ensure dietary modifications are prepared and served according to physician orders and company policies.
Meet or exceed departmental budget and financial objectives.
Participate in hands-on food preparation, service, and dishwashing when needed.
Maintain a team of professional, well-trained, and properly uniformed staff.
Engage regularly with residents to evaluate food quality, service, presentation, and satisfaction, and implement improvements as needed.
Foster a culture supporting employee engagement, resident satisfaction, occupancy growth, and overall community success.
Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and regulatory requirements.