Head Chef - Senior Living

Use Your Culinary Passion to Make a Meaningful Impact in the Lives of Seniors One Meal at a Time!

Head Chef at Lakeside Manor Compensation: $60,000 to $65,000 (DOE) Why Work For Us? At Lakeside Manor, we have created a community that is focused on our residents and how they want to live their lives.

Our offering has been carefully designed for those who don’t wish to compromise – those who prefer to remain independent, who appreciate choice, and who make decisions based on their desired lifestyle.

Lakeside Manor offers 110 beautifully appointed suites, a service package that considers your every need, plus a host of unique lifestyle choices.

Whether you’re catching a movie in our tiered movie theatre, enjoying a gourmet meal at the Silver Swan dining room, or a drink at Corks wine bar, the ambiance cannot be matched anywhere in the area.

About The Job: Head Chef responsible for leading all culinary operations in an independent living community, delivering consistently high-quality meals and an exceptional resident dining experience.

Oversees kitchen and dining service teams through hiring, training, scheduling, and daily supervision while maintaining strong food safety and sanitation compliance.

Manages menu execution, standardized recipes, purchasing, inventory, and cost controls to ensure product integrity, accurate production, and responsible budget performance.

Drives continuous quality improvement through routine audits, resident-focused presentation standards, and adoption of current culinary best practices for daily service and special events.

Job responsibilities: Culinary Leadership & Team Management Direct all culinary operations for an independent living community, ensuring an elevated dining experience with a consistent focus on food quality, resident satisfaction, and hospitality standards.

Recruit, hire, onboard, train, schedule, and supervise culinary and dining service team members; build a culture of accountability, teamwork, and pride in craftsmanship.

Establish clear performance expectations and provide coaching, feedback, and development to sustain strong execution across kitchen and front-of-house operations.

Menu Execution, Production, and Food Quality Prepare or direct the preparation of diverse menu items using multiple cooking methods, ensuring exceptional taste, proper texture, and correct temperatures at service.

Develop, standardize, and maintain recipes, production sheets, and prep standards to deliver consistent quality, accurate yields, and efficient labor utilization.

Verify portioning, plating, and recipe yields; evaluate meals for quality, quantity, and presentation to ensure resident expectations are met at every service.

Ensure timely, accurate food preparation and delivery while maintaining a high-touch service mindset appropriate for independent living residents and guests.

Resident Experience and Presentation Standards Create appetizing, resident-centered food presentations and plate-up standards that enhance the dining experience for daily service, guests, and special occasions.

Design, plan, and execute catered meals and special-event menus that showcase culinary creativity while meeting service expectations and budget parameters.Procurement, Inventory, and Cost Control Manage purchasing and inventory control, selecting and ordering food and supplies through approved vendors and online procurement systems to ensure product integrity and value.

Maintain accurate receiving, storage, and inventory practices; ensure product quality upon delivery and alignment with specifications.

Lead record-keeping for purchasing, inventory, portion control, and waste tracking; implement corrective actions to reduce shrink, improve yield, and protect food quality.

Financial Management and Budget Accountability Support the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of the food service budget with a balanced approach to quality, cost, and resident satisfaction.

Monitor financial performance, analyze variances, and take timely corrective action to achieve fiscal goals without compromising food standards.

Implement ordering practices and production controls that optimize budget utilization while preserving premium ingredients and consistent execution.

Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement Participate in food service evaluations and lead quality improvement initiatives to strengthen culinary standards, resident satisfaction, and operational consistency.

Conduct routine audits of food preparation and service in kitchen and dining areas; identify gaps and implement improvements to elevate outcomes.

Establish and maintain preparation and service standards, including checklists and training reinforcement, to sustain high performance across all meal periods.

Stay current with culinary and senior living dining trends through food shows, vendor engagement, and industry research; apply best practices to improve quality, creativity, and resident experience.

Food Safety, Sanitation, and Compliance Maintain strict compliance with food safety and sanitation requirements; ensure kitchen practices consistently meet or exceed regulatory and internal standards.

Establish, enforce, and audit policies for safe food storage, labeling, rotation, and spoilage prevention (FIFO), minimizing risk while protecting freshness and quality.

Other duties as assigned Qualifications and Certification Requirements: Culinary Arts Chef Certification (Red Seal) with 5+ years of recent kitchen and dining management experience ; an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.

Food Safe Level II and WHMIS certifications (required).

Ability to meet the physical requirements of the position.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills .

Specialized Skills: Strong practical and technical expertise in all aspects of food service and kitchen operations.

Proven experience with cost control, budgeting, and inventory management .

Demonstrated knowledge of food safety standards and WorkSafe regulations .

Experience with electronic food ordering and kitchen management systems .

Advanced planning, organization, and time-management skills , with the ability to prioritize, multitask, and think strategically.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively toward shared operational goals.

Strong leadership, interpersonal, motivational, and supervisory skills with both kitchen and service staff.

Physical Demands and Work Environment: The work environment is typical of independent or resident food service.

The employees must complete their work satisfactorily in an environment with significant distractions, including staff and vendors walking through and conversing, telephones ringing, conversations carrying over, loud noises, and interruptions to answer questions from others.

Must have an acceptable CRC.

Employees may be exposed to potential hazardous chemicals commonly used in commercial kitchens, such as cleaning agents, sanitizers, and degreasers.

Proper handling, storage, and use of these substances are required in accordance with safety protocols and regulatory guidelines to minimize risk.

Frequently required to stand and walk for extended periods throughout the kitchen, storage, and dining areas.

Regularly required to use hands and fingers for food preparation, knife skills, plating, portioning, and operation of kitchen equipment; includes repetitive motions and sustained manual dexterity.

Must be able to lift, carry, push, and pull items associated with food service operations, including ingredients, smallwares, and supplies; frequent lifting up to 25 pounds and occasional lifting up to 50 pounds (with assistance or equipment as needed).

Must be able to effectively communicate with team members and residents, and have sufficient visual acuity to read labels, recipes, production sheets, thermometers, and safety documentation.

Must be able to smell and taste food to support quality control and ensure products meet established standards (as applicable to essential functions).

The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and do so safely and soundly.

This job's specific vision abilities include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work is performed primarily in a commercial kitchen and dining service environment with exposure to hot surfaces, open flames, ovens, grills, steam, and wet/slippery floors.

Regular exposure to temperature variations, including hot kitchen areas and periodic work in coolers/freezers.Exposure to cleaning chemicals, food allergens, and typical kitchen noise levels.

Accepting Applications Until: May 16, 2026 or until position is filled Powered by JazzHR