Dining Operations Manager -Full Time

Responsibilities

• Provide on-site leadership and oversight for dining operations across Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Support, and community-wide dining events.
• Serve as the primary point of accountability for delivering a consistent, high-quality, resident-centered dining experience across all levels of care.
• Directly supervise, coach, and evaluate dining supervisors, ensuring clear expectations, timely performance feedback, effective training, and accountability for service standards.
• Standardize dining procedures, service protocols, training practices, and communication expectations across dining venues.
• Monitor resident and family feedback, dining committee input, surveys, and service trends; resolve concerns and implement corrective action as needed.
• Oversee staffing plans, schedules, time-off requests, labor reports, and budget alignment to ensure appropriate coverage and efficient department operations.
• Partner with Human Resources on recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and retention efforts for dining team members.
• Manage financial performance for the dining department, including labor and operating expenses, budget variances, POS accuracy, menu costing, and operational reporting.
• Collaborate with culinary leadership, chefs, residents, nursing, dietitians, and other departments to support menu development, nutrition needs, therapeutic diet compliance, and resident satisfaction.
• Plan and support special meals, theme events, catered functions, and community dining events while maintaining daily service standards.
• Oversee dining supplies, smallwares, equipment use, inventory practices, asset stewardship, waste reduction, and equipment maintenance needs.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, sanitation, regulatory, and organizational standards, including inspection readiness and completion of cleaning documentation.
• Represent Dining Services in interdisciplinary meetings, dining committee meetings, quality improvement efforts, and community leadership discussions as needed.
• Model RiverWoods’ mission, values, hospitality standards, teamwork, and commitment to service excellence.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent
• Minimum of five years of progressive dining, food service, hospitality, healthcare, or senior living leadership experience
• At least two years of experience supervising supervisors, managing multiple service areas, or leading a multi-unit or multi-level dining operation
• Strong leadership, coaching, communication, and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to build accountability and teamwork across multiple dining teams
• Demonstrated ability to manage staffing, scheduling, labor budgets, operating expenses, and department performance metrics
• Working knowledge of food service operations, sanitation standards, resident dining
• Proficiency with point-of-sale systems, dining or meal-tracking tools, scheduling software, and standard office applications
• ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification required, or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire
• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• Certified Dietary Manager credential and experience in a CCRC or multi-level senior living community preferred