Executive Chef at Luxury Senior Living

The Vered•Encino, CA

About The Position

The Executive Chef leads culinary operations for all community dining venues, resident meal services, and special events at a luxury senior living community. The role oversees menu development, food preparation, kitchen management, purchasing, budgeting, sanitation, and regulatory compliance, with responsibility for food quality, nutritional value, presentation, operational efficiency, and resident satisfaction. The Executive Chef develops creative, seasonal, nutritionally balanced menus that account for resident preferences, dietary restrictions, and specialized nutritional needs, and may participate directly in food preparation and cooking as needed. The position leads and develops culinary staff across shifts, including scheduling, hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and performance management. It also manages culinary budgets, food costs, purchasing, vendors, inventory, records, and kitchen equipment. The Executive Chef ensures food safety and sanitation practices meet applicable regulations, prepares the department for inspections and audits, and works with Dining Services and other departments to support an exceptional community dining experience. The schedule must remain flexible to meet community needs, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.

Requirements

At least five years of experience as an Executive Chef or Sous Chef in a hotel, restaurant, club, senior living community, or similar culinary environment.
Current ServSafe Manager Certification.
Strong knowledge of culinary techniques, menu planning, food preparation, standardized recipes, and presentation standards.
Experience developing menus that accommodate dietary restrictions, food allergies, and specialized nutritional needs.
Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and motivate culinary teams while maintaining high standards of quality, safety, and service.
Financial management experience, including food cost control, budgeting, purchasing, and inventory management.
Knowledge of applicable food safety, sanitation, and health department regulations.
Strong mathematical skills, including measurements, conversions, portion control, and recipe scaling.
Excellent organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills to interact professionally with residents, families, team members, and vendors.
Ability to work collaboratively with Dining Services and other community departments.
Ability to operate commercial kitchen equipment safely and efficiently.
Ability to maintain a flexible schedule based on community needs, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, potentially up to 85% of the workday.
Ability to frequently bend, stoop, reach, twist, push, and pull.
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds independently.
Manual dexterity and coordination for food preparation, knife handling, and operation of commercial kitchen equipment.
Ability to work in a fast-paced kitchen with exposure to heat, steam, humidity, sharp utensils, and varying temperatures.
May be exposed briefly to extreme temperatures from ovens, stovetops, refrigerators, and freezers, as well as industrial cleaning chemicals and kitchen odors.
Ability to see, hear, and communicate effectively with culinary team members, residents, vendors, and community leadership, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Must follow established food safety, sanitation, infection prevention, and workplace safety procedures.

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree or certificate from an accredited culinary institution.
Postsecondary coursework in Restaurant Management, Nutrition, Culinary Arts, or a related field.
Proficiency in basic computer applications, inventory systems, and culinary management software.

Responsibilities

Oversee daily culinary operations for community dining venues, resident meal services, and special events, maintaining consistent food quality, presentation, and service standards.
Develop and implement creative, seasonal, nutritionally balanced menus that reflect resident preferences, dietary needs, and culinary trends.
Oversee food preparation and production for Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Health Center dining services, as applicable.
Develop and maintain standardized recipes, menu specifications, portion sizes, and food presentation standards.
Ensure meals meet nutritional requirements, dietary restrictions, and special dietary needs in collaboration with clinical and dining team members.
Maintain food quality, taste, presentation, and appropriate serving temperatures throughout meal service.
Participate in hands-on food preparation and cooking, including working on the line as needed.
Oversee culinary execution for special events, holiday celebrations, private dining, and community functions.
Collaborate with Dining Services leadership and other department leaders to support an exceptional dining experience and efficient community operations.
Engage with residents to gather feedback, understand preferences, and identify opportunities to enhance dining.
Lead, supervise, train, and support culinary team members across shifts.
Manage employee scheduling, staffing, daily assignments, performance evaluations, coaching, and professional development.
Participate in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, counseling, and employee performance management in accordance with company policies.
Provide hands-on culinary training, staff education, and mentorship.
Assign daily responsibilities and conduct routine quality checks.
Foster a positive, collaborative, hospitality-focused kitchen environment that promotes accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Develop and manage culinary budgets, monitor food costs, and implement cost-control measures without compromising quality or resident satisfaction.
Oversee food purchasing, vendor selection and relationships, inventory management, and product ordering.
Set and maintain inventory par levels to ensure adequate supplies while minimizing waste and unnecessary expenses.
Monitor food usage, portion control, purchasing trends, and production efficiency.
Ensure proper receiving, storage, labeling, rotation, and handling of food products and kitchen supplies.
Maintain operational records, including menus served, meal counts, purchasing records, inventory reports, production schedules, and other required documentation.
Inspect kitchen equipment, identify maintenance or repair needs, and coordinate with Plant Operations to keep equipment safe and operational.
Maintain clean, organized, adequately stocked kitchen work areas, storage spaces, and equipment.
Review operational reports and identify opportunities to improve productivity, cost efficiency, and resident satisfaction.
Ensure compliance with applicable food safety, sanitation, health department, and workplace safety regulations.
Maintain operations in accordance with regulatory requirements and prepare the department for health inspections, surveys, and audits.
Ensure culinary staff are trained in food safety, sanitation, infection prevention, emergency procedures, and safe work practices.
Oversee proper food handling, preparation, cooking, cooling, storage, and service procedures.
Monitor and document food temperatures, sanitation logs, and other required food safety records.
Maintain kitchen cleanliness, personal hygiene, sanitation, and proper use of cleaning chemicals.
Ensure culinary staff follow emergency preparedness procedures, safety protocols, and company policies; identify food safety concerns and implement corrective actions promptly.
Participate in leadership meetings, required training, and community events.
Perform other duties as assigned to support Culinary Services and overall community operations.