Healthcare Dining Services Manager

The Healthcare Dining Services Manager is responsible for leading all dining services operations at Asbury Solomons, a premier senior living community in Solomons, Maryland. This hands-on leadership role oversees daily food service operations for Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing residents, ensuring exceptional resident satisfaction, regulatory compliance, food safety standards, and high-quality meal service.

The ideal candidate brings experience managing culinary teams in a healthcare, long-term care, rehabilitation, or senior living environment and possesses a strong understanding of therapeutic diets, dietary operations, food safety, staff development, scheduling, and resident-centered hospitality. This position works closely with culinary leadership, nursing, rehabilitation teams, and the Registered Dietitian to deliver an outstanding dining experience while maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements.

This is a full-time, on-site position reporting directly to the Community General Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight for all dining services operations supporting Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing residents.
• Recruit, onboard, train, coach, and develop dining services associates and supervisors.
• Manage daily staffing schedules utilizing UKG and maintain labor costs within budget goals.
• Conduct daily team huddles and facilitate regular department meetings.
• Ensure compliance with CMS, Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Steritech, and other regulatory requirements.
• Maintain food safety, sanitation, HACCP, labeling, dating, and FIFO standards throughout all dining locations.
• Collaborate with the Registered Dietitian and Executive Chef to support therapeutic diet compliance and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Perform meal quality assessments and test tray audits to ensure resident satisfaction and service excellence.
• Monitor and maintain dining equipment, temperature logs, sanitation systems, and chemical dispensing programs.
• Manage inventory, pars, ordering, and stocking of dining supplies, snacks, beverages, smallwares, and resident service items.
• Utilize MealTracker, CaterTrax, and other technology platforms to support operational efficiency and inventory management.
• Attend resident dining committee meetings and act on resident feedback to improve overall dining experiences.
• Build strong partnerships with nursing, therapy, enrichment, and community leadership teams.
• Conduct associate coaching, performance management, and corrective action conversations as needed.
• Lead employee engagement initiatives and foster a positive team culture.
• Support two-shift dining operations, including alternating weekend coverage.

Required Qualifications

• 1-3 years of leadership or supervisory experience in healthcare dining, long-term care, rehabilitation, senior living, or institutional food service.
• Experience managing associate schedules, training programs, employee coaching, and performance management.
• Knowledge of therapeutic diets, modified texture diets, and healthcare dietary operations.
• Understanding of food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and regulatory compliance standards.
• Experience utilizing dietary management, electronic diet office, or food service management software systems.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with residents, families, nursing teams, and interdisciplinary partners.
• Ability to work a full-time, on-site schedule including alternating weekends.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) credential.
• ServSafe Manager Certification.
• Experience in senior living, skilled nursing, long-term care, or post-acute care environments.
• Associate's Degree or higher in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Nutrition, Food Service Management, or a related field.

Additional Requirements

• Candidates should reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the community and be able to respond to operational needs, weather events, and emergency situations when necessary.
• Position reports directly to the Community General Manager.
• No travel is required.