Dining Services Director

Interim Dining Services Director – Senior Living KindCare Assisted Living of Bristol | Bristol, CT Salary: $80,000-$85,000/year Full-Time | Monday–Friday + Manager-on-Duty Rotation Elevate the Dining Experience. Develop the Team. Make It Something Residents Look Forward To. At KindCare Assisted Living of Bristol, we believe dining should be more than simply serving a meal. It should be an experience our residents look forward to every day. We are seeking an experienced Dining Services Director with a strong senior living dining background who can bring leadership, creativity, hospitality, and operational excellence to our community. This is an opportunity for a proven dining leader who knows how to elevate the resident dining experience while building and developing a positive, high-performing team. We're not simply looking for someone who can run a kitchen. We're looking for someone who can lead an entire dining program. What We're Looking For Senior Living Dining Leadership Team Development Budget Management Elevated Dining Our ideal candidate has previous Dining Services Director leadership experience in senior living and understands the unique expectations of Assisted Living dining. You know how to balance: Exceptional food quality and presentationResident preferences and satisfactionHospitality and serviceTeam leadership and accountabilityStaffing and schedulingFood and labor costsInventory and purchasingSanitation and regulatory compliance Most importantly, you understand that dining is one of the most important parts of a resident's day—and you take pride in making it exceptional. What You'll Own As Dining Services Director, you will oversee the overall performance and daily operations of the Dining Services Department, including: Lead and oversee all culinary and dining service operationsCreate an elevated, hospitality-focused dining experience for residents and guestsMaintain high standards for food quality, taste, presentation, consistency, and serviceLead, coach, develop, and positively motivate Dining Services associatesEstablish clear expectations while creating a respectful and accountable team cultureManage hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, and performance of dining associatesManage department budgets and maintain appropriate food and labor costsOversee purchasing, inventory, receiving, storage, waste reduction, and portion controlDevelop menus and dining experiences that reflect resident preferences and needsRegularly engage with residents to gather feedback and identify opportunities to improve the dining programEnsure proper accommodation of special dietary and therapeutic needsMaintain compliance with sanitation, food safety, infection control, and regulatory requirementsMaintain a clean, organized, safe, and professional culinary environmentPartner with the Executive Director and community leadership team on resident satisfaction and community initiativesParticipate in the community's Manager-on-Duty rotation What You Bring Required Previous senior living dining leadership experiencePrevious experience as a Dining Services Director or comparable senior living dining leaderExperience managing and developing a dining services teamDemonstrated experience managing a department budget, food costs, labor, purchasing, and inventoryStrong understanding of elevated dining and hospitality within an Assisted Living environmentServSafe certificationStrong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skillsAbility to establish expectations and accountability while leading employees in a positive and respectful manner Important Experience Note This position requires a leader who understands senior living dining and the hospitality expectations of an Assisted Living environment. Candidates whose dining leadership experience is exclusively within skilled nursing without relevant Assisted Living or senior living dining experience will not be the strongest fit for this opportunity. The Leader We're Looking For You may be a great fit if you: Believe senior living dining should feel like hospitality—not institutional food serviceHave successfully improved or elevated a dining programLead employees through coaching, communication, and accountabilityKnow how to build a positive culture while maintaining high standardsAre comfortable managing both the culinary and business sides of a dining departmentUnderstand food costs, labor, budgets, inventory, and operational performanceAre visible and engaged with residents instead of managing solely from the kitchen or officeListen to resident feedback and turn it into meaningful improvementsTake pride in presentation, service, cleanliness, and attention to detailWant to join a strong leadership team where you have an opportunity to make an impact and continue growing your career Schedule & Compensation Salary: $85,000/year Schedule: Monday–Friday with participation in the community's Manager-on-Duty rotation. Why Join Us? You'll be joining a strong community team that is looking for a Dining Services Director who can take ownership of the department and help bring the resident dining experience to the next level. There is also opportunity to grow within the company for a leader who demonstrates strong performance and wants to continue developing their career. We've Got You Covered Pay-on-Demand with ZayZoonFree medical insurance plan optionMedical, Dental & Vision InsurancePaid TrainingPaid Time Off & Holiday PayCareer growth and advancement opportunitiesReliable hours and stable schedulingSupportive community and company leadershipA work environment where your experience, ideas, and leadership are valued Our Mission To Enhance the Human Spirit Our Core Values guide how we serve residents and one another: Serve with Heart Serve with Purpose Serve with Courage Have Fun While Serving Ready to Elevate Senior Living Dining? If you're an experienced senior living Dining Services Director who knows how to develop a team, manage a budget, and create a dining experience residents genuinely look forward to, we want to hear from you. Apply today and help us take dining at KindCare Assisted Living of Bristol to the next level. #HPINDEED