Culinary Director

Life Care Services•Buffalo, MN

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Havenwood of Buffalo is seeking a hospitality-focused Director of Culinary Services to provide full-scope, hands-on management of the Culinary Services Department. The role is responsible for maintaining exceptional quality, cleanliness, customer service, and resident satisfaction, and is a key position on the community leadership team. The Director is expected to uphold the community’s mission, values, and commitment to hospitality excellence. The position leads the dining services team and develops an upscale dining program that creates an exceptional experience for residents and guests. It involves menu planning, staff leadership, financial oversight, hands-on culinary work as needed, resident engagement, and ensuring compliance with food safety 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 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 that supports employee engagement, resident satisfaction, occupancy growth, and overall community success.
Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and regulatory requirements.