Assistant Food Service Director - Senior LivingOverview We are seeking an experienced Assistant Food Service Director to help lead dining operations within a senior living community with multiple dining venues and service styles . This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership position for someone who understands both front-of-house and back-of-house operations and can help manage the daily flow of a complex dining program. Working alongside the Food Service Director, culinary leadership, and onsite Registered Dietitians (RDs) , this person will help coordinate multiple dining venues, room tray service, culinary production, staffing, sanitation, and resident service to ensure a consistent experience throughout the community. We are looking for a leader who can not only manage the day-to-day operation but also identify opportunities to elevate the dining program . The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, comfortable with technology, strong at developing and holding teams accountable, and passionate about resident engagement and hospitality. Strong relationships are essential to this position. The Assistant Food Service Director will work closely with residents, onsite RDs, nursing and clinical teams, culinary leadership, and other community departments to ensure dining services support resident needs and the overall community experience. Responsibilities Assist the Food Service Director with leadership and oversight of daily dining operations throughout the community. Help coordinate the operational flow of multiple dining venues, culinary production, room tray service, and other meal delivery needs . Support both front-of-house and back-of-house operations to ensure teams are prepared, service is well coordinated, and meals are delivered accurately and on time. Evaluate daily operations and identify opportunities to improve service flow, efficiency, communication, quality, and the resident dining experience . Maintain a visible presence during meal periods and regularly engage with residents to understand preferences, gather feedback, and resolve concerns. Build strong, collaborative relationships with onsite Registered Dietitians, nursing, and clinical teams to support resident needs and ensure clear communication across departments. Work closely with onsite RDs to ensure therapeutic diets, texture modifications, allergies, preferences, and other resident-specific dietary needs are properly communicated and consistently executed. Partner with RDs, nursing, and culinary teams to continuously evaluate and improve room tray accuracy, timeliness, food quality, presentation, and resident satisfaction . Partner with culinary, wellness, and community teams to develop and drive resident-focused programming , including themed meals, special events, celebrations, culinary demonstrations, tastings, and other engaging dining experiences. Help elevate dining standards across all venues through attention to hospitality, presentation, service, consistency, and associate training. Lead, coach, train, and develop associates while establishing clear expectations and holding team members accountable for performance, attendance, service, food safety, and sanitation. Support employee scheduling, staffing, onboarding, training, and daily deployment to ensure appropriate coverage across dining venues and service areas. Maintain strong food safety, sanitation, infection prevention, and regulatory compliance standards throughout the operation. Support ongoing state survey readiness , partnering with the Food Service Director and onsite RDs to ensure documentation, sanitation practices, diet execution, team knowledge, and operational standards are maintained every day. Participate in regulatory surveys and inspections as needed and support corrective action and follow-up. Conduct routine observations of kitchens, dining venues, room tray service, storage areas, sanitation practices, and overall service execution. Assist with ordering, receiving, inventory management, waste reduction, and operational cost controls. Support catering, special events, and community functions. Utilize technology for scheduling, ordering, reporting, documentation, email communication, training, and other administrative responsibilities. Communicate effectively and professionally with residents, families, associates, RDs, nursing teams, and community leadership. Assume additional operational leadership responsibilities in the Food Service Director's absence. Qualifications Previous leadership experience in senior living, healthcare foodservice, hospitality, restaurants, hotels, or a comparable foodservice environment . Senior living or healthcare dining experience strongly preferred. Working knowledge of both front-of-house service and back-of-house culinary operations . Experience supporting multiple dining venues, service styles, or complex foodservice operations preferred. Ability to effectively partner with Registered Dietitians, nursing, and other clinical professionals in support of resident care and dining needs. General understanding of therapeutic diets, texture-modified diets, allergies, and special dietary requirements. Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, infection prevention, and proper food handling practices. Experience with state surveys, regulatory compliance, or healthcare dining regulations preferred. Proven ability to lead, coach, develop, and hold team members accountable . Strong hospitality mindset with the ability to build meaningful relationships with residents. Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and coordinate the flow of operations . Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify opportunities and implement improvements. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Computer proficiency , including Microsoft Office, email, scheduling, ordering, reporting, and foodservice technology. Ability to take ownership, follow through on commitments, and help drive change. ServSafe certification preferred or ability to obtain certification within the required timeframe. What We're Looking For We are looking for a leader who can see the entire dining operation , not just one dining room or one meal period. The right candidate can move comfortably between the kitchen, multiple dining venues, resident areas, nursing teams, onsite RDs, and the office. They understand how each part of the operation impacts the next and can help coordinate people and processes so service runs smoothly. This person should have the mindset to continually elevate the program —whether that means improving room tray service, strengthening dining room standards, developing associates, creating better operational flow, increasing resident engagement, or partnering with the RDs and culinary team on new programming. Most importantly, we want someone who is visible, organized, engaged, and willing to take ownership . This leader should build strong relationships with residents, RDs, nursing teams, and associates while helping create a dining experience residents genuinely look forward to.

Pay:

$55,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching AD&D insurance Dental insurance Disability insurance Employee assistance program Employee discount Flexible spending account Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Paid training Pet insurance Professional development assistance Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person