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 presentation

• Resident preferences and satisfaction

• Hospitality and service

• Team leadership and accountability

• Staffing and scheduling

• Food and labor costs

• Inventory and purchasing

• Sanitation 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 operations

• Create an elevated, hospitality-focused dining experience for residents and guests

• Maintain high standards for food quality, taste, presentation, consistency, and service

• Lead, coach, develop, and positively motivate Dining Services associates

• Establish clear expectations while creating a respectful and accountable team culture

• Manage hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, and performance of dining associates

• Manage department budgets and maintain appropriate food and labor costs

• Oversee purchasing, inventory, receiving, storage, waste reduction, and portion control

• Develop menus and dining experiences that reflect resident preferences and needs

• Regularly engage with residents to gather feedback and identify opportunities to improve the dining program

• Ensure proper accommodation of special dietary and therapeutic needs

• Maintain compliance with sanitation, food safety, infection control, and regulatory requirements

• Maintain a clean, organized, safe, and professional culinary environment

• Partner with the Executive Director and community leadership team on resident satisfaction and community initiatives

• Participate in the community's Manager-on-Duty rotation

What You Bring

Required

• Previous senior living dining leadership experience

• Previous experience as a Dining Services Director or comparable senior living dining leader

• Experience managing and developing a dining services team

• Demonstrated experience managing a department budget, food costs, labor, purchasing, and inventory

• Strong understanding of elevated dining and hospitality within an Assisted Living environment

• ServSafe certification

• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills

• Ability 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 service

• Have successfully improved or elevated a dining program

• Lead employees through coaching, communication, and accountability

• Know how to build a positive culture while maintaining high standards

• Are comfortable managing both the culinary and business sides of a dining department

• Understand food costs, labor, budgets, inventory, and operational performance

• Are visible and engaged with residents instead of managing solely from the kitchen or office

• Listen to resident feedback and turn it into meaningful improvements

• Take pride in presentation, service, cleanliness, and attention to detail

• Want 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 ZayZoon

• Free medical insurance plan option

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

• Paid Training

• Paid Time Off & Holiday Pay

• Career growth and advancement opportunities

• Reliable hours and stable scheduling

• Supportive community and company leadership

• A 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