Food Services Director

Job Description

Job Description

About Us

Are you a dynamic culinary leader with a passion for healthcare excellence? We are seeking a dedicated Food Services Director to lead our dietary department. In this vital leadership role, you will oversee daily clinical and dietary management, meal production, and regulatory compliance to ensure our residents receive safe, high-quality, and nutritious meals.

You will not be doing this alone! You will lead a robust, supportive department, partnering closely with our full-time Registered Dietitian (RD) and full-time Dietary Coordinator to streamline operations, manage clinical workflows, and maintain elite standards of care. If you are a collaborative leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to operational excellence, we want you on our team!

Centrally located in Torrance, California, Sunnyside Nursing and Post-Acute Care provides sub-acute nursing care, rehabilitation services, skilled nursing, and long-term care. Our compassionate staff offers individualized care plans for each resident to ensure personalized care is provided to all our patients with a goal to return home.

Immediate Leadership Priorities

• Collaborative Leadership: Partner directly with your full-time Registered Dietitian and full-time Dietary Coordinator to align clinical menus with kitchen execution.
• Resident Safety & Diet Compliance: Ensure 100% accuracy in physician-prescribed therapeutic diets and strict adherence to IDDSI texture/liquid consistency requirements.
• Survey Readiness & QAPI: Drive continuous state and federal survey readiness by actively participating in Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) initiatives.
• Operations & Staffing: Lead daily shift scheduling, task assignments, staff accountability, and training to maintain peak operational efficiency.
• Vendor & Supply Chain Management: Oversee vendor relations, inventory control (FIFO), and invoice reconciliation/credits.

Key Responsibilities

• Clinical Oversight: Manage resident census updates, admissions, discharges, and dietary changes in close coordination with your staff RD, Nursing, and the Interdisciplinary Team.
• Meal Production & Service: Supervise trayline accuracy, meal temperatures, nourishments, and timely cart delivery.
• Food Safety & Sanitation: Maintain meticulous kitchen cleanliness, deep cleaning standards, and detailed logs for food, refrigerators, freezers, and dish machines.
• Supply & Maintenance Logistics: Act as the departmental liaison for building repairs and equipment maintenance via TELS.
• Interdepartmental Collaboration: Partner with the Activities and Nursing teams to design special dining events and support holistic resident care.

Requirements

Qualifications & Skills

• Proven experience in healthcare food service management (Long-Term Care, Assisted Living, or Hospital setting preferred).
• Certification (Food Safety): Current, valid Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification (e.g., ServSafe Manager)
• Certification (Dietary Leadership): Must meet California Title 22 requirements for a Dietetic Services Supervisor via one of the following pathways:
• Active Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) credential plus documented completion of the 6-hour California Title 22 in-service training.
• Graduate certificate from a California state-approved 90+ hour Dietetic Service Supervisor (DSS) program.
• Degree in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics, or Culinary Arts with corresponding healthcare food service leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of IDDSI standards, therapeutic diets, and state/federal healthcare regulations.
• Experience with inventory systems, vendor reconciliation, and maintenance platforms (like TELS) is a plus.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and team-building skills.

Physical & Sensory Requirements :

• Must be able to move intermittently throughout the workday, cope with mental/emotional stress, and speak and write English clearly.
• Requires the ability to push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of 25 pounds up to a height of 5 feet and carry it for 50 feet.
• Must be able to assist in resident

Full-Time

Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:30pm

May include some weekends

Compensation is based on experience

Benefits

Why Work for Sunnyside Nursing & Post-Acute Care

• Top of the market wages based on experience
• Paid orientation and training
• Opportunities for growth
• Paid sick leave/paid holidays
• Medical, dental, vision, and AFLAC
• 401K
• Loving and caring work environment

We take great pride in meeting or exceeding CDC and CMS standards. On-site experts provide teaching, coaching, and support on infection prevention practices. In addition, we maintain an abundant supply of PPE, including N95/KN95 masks, for all who provide care and services to our patients and residents. Our multiple testing capabilities, including Point-of-Care (POC) testing, are available at every location and comply with CMS and local guidance

If hired, we require that all employees be vaccinated, unless a medical or religious accommodation is needed.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

We are an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity & pride ourselves on creating an inclusive environment for all employees and residents.