Dining Services Director

Join Sunrise Senior Living

When you join Sunrise Senior Living, you will be able to use your unique skills to empower residents to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Not only will you build meaningful relationships with residents, their families, and team members alike, you will also gain joy in serving others and deep fulfillment in your work. Explore how you can follow your passions and shed light on meaningful ways to serve, grow, and shine together.

Sunrise Senior Living was again certified as a Great Place to Work by Activated Insights. This is the 8th time Sunrise has received this top culture and workplace designation, highlighting the special place Sunrise is to be a part of.

Varenita of Westlake Village

Job Overview

The Dining Services Director I is responsible for providing outstanding customer service, overall leadership, and management of the dining and hospitality operations in the community. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, food preparation and service in accordance with the Sunrise culinary programs, accurate delivery of dietary modifications, procurement, financial and budgetary management, labor management, hiring, supervising and training team members, ensuring proper sanitation and safe food handling, accurate record keeping, inventory and rotation of products, regulatory compliance, and communicating with residents and families to ensure high levels of resident satisfaction. This position is generally only in communities that also have a Dining Services Coordinator (DSC) and/or an Executive Chef. In such instances, the Dining Services Director provides overall leadership of the department with the Dining Services Coordinator and/or Executive Chef reporting to the Dining Services Director.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Essential Duties

As a part of the Sunrise team, supporting our Mission, Principles of Service and Core Values is a fundamental part of this job. Our foundational belief is the sacred value of human life. The unique responsibilities for this role include but are not limited to the essential functions listed as follows:

Preparation and Food Service

• Delivers consistent high-quality food and hospitality service by following Sunrise recipes, menus, and programs.
• Posts and displays weekly and daily menus in accordance with Sunrise standards.
• Completes and utilizes production sheets to control food quality and portions.
• Ensures adherence to modified diets, correct portioning of foods, and proper serving methods.
• Prepares and serves meals on time and at the correct temperatures.
• Actively trains on and participates in front-of-the-house operations to ensure a positive customer experience.
• Ensures all food in Bistro and or other common areas is fresh, covered, labeled, and dated (as applicable).
• Actively supports all special events with exceptional emphasis on marketing events.
• Serves minimum one (1) meal per week in Reminiscence and meets with the Reminiscence Coordinator to review service and preparation needs each day.

Resident Focus

• Partners with the Wellness team and consultant dietitian to understand individual resident nutritional needs and preferences, then delivers snacks, beverages, and meals accurately and consistently.
• Actively participates in monthly Resident Council Meetings and other identified food committee meetings.
• Visits with residents during meal periods each day for feedback on menu.
• Ensures coordination of staffing in dining room with ALC before each meal.

Supplies Management and Risk Management

• Adheres to established product order guide(s) and vendor programs.
• Ensures compliance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and local health department regulations.
• Maintains an adequate inventory of food and supplies including emergency supplies.
• Partners with leadership team to ensure community is in compliance with national/provincial regulations pertaining to occupational health and safety requirements and to promote Risk Management programs and policies.
• Ensures that procedures and practices are enforced as needed: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), fire extinguishers, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), Lockout Tagout procedures.

Food Safety, Sanitation and Maintenance

• Ensures compliance with local health department regulations and Sunrise standards.
• Practices safe food handling at all times to prevent contamination and/or an outbreak of food borne illness.
• Maintains a clean, organized, and clutter-free kitchen environment.
• Completes and maintains accurate food production records including safe cooking and holding temperatures and a record of the menu as served.
• Completes and maintains accurate sanitation and cleaning records, including refrigeration and freezer logs, cleaning logs, and dining room/bistro opening and closing checklists.
• Partners with the Maintenance Coordinator for repairs and scheduled maintenance of equipment.

Financial Management

• Understand and manage the department budget, including food, labor/labour, and other expenses.
• Keep financial tools up-to-date and ensure budgeted allowances are maintained.
• Review monthly financial statements and implement plans of action around deficiencies.
• Process and submit monthly expenses and budget data timely.
• Coordinate with the community team to achieve maximum staff economies and cross training.
• Conduct regular inventories as defined by accounting guidelines.

Training, Leadership, and Team Member Development

• Provides overall management of the department, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, and coaching.
• Leads and participates in daily and monthly team member meetings and trainings, including orientation, onboarding, continuing education, annual trainings, and in services.
• Develop a working knowledge of state/provincial regulations and ensure compliance.
• Complete team member staffing and scheduling according to operational and budgetary guidelines.
• Conduct a daily review of timekeeping practices and payroll reports to ensure all hours worked are recorded and appropriately paid.
• Conduct timely performance appraisals with meaningful conversations.
• Hold team accountable and correct actions, when necessary, with proper documentation.
• Attend regular meetings as required (e.g., Stand Up, Department Head, Interdisciplinary Team, Town Hall, Quality Improvement).
• Maintain compliance in assigned required training and all training required by state/province or other regulating authorities as applicable to this role to ensure that Sunrise standards are always met.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies

• Ability to delegate assignments to the appropriate individuals based on their skills, roles, and interests
• Must possess written and verbal skills for effective communication with the ability to facilitate small group presentations
• Competent in organizational and time management skills
• Demonstrates good judgment, problem solving, and decision-making skills

Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in food service management, culinary degree, or equivalent training with four (4) to five (5) years supervisory experience in hospitality or fine dining industries
• Minimum 5 (five) years volume cooking experience and ability to cook 2 (two) to 3 (three) times per week at the volume required. In communities with an Executive Chef, volume cooking experience for the Dining Services Director may be replaced by equivalent hospitality experience.
• Current ServSafe certification
• Proven ability to use appropriate tools such as production sheets, standardized recipes, temperature logs, and sanitation forms
• Must possess basic knowledge of nutrition and modified diets
• Proven ability to manage food and labor/labour budgets, and achieve established targets
• Proficient in basic computer skills and programs with the ability to learn new applications
• Ability to work weekends, evenings, and flexible hours, available for our customers at peak service delivery days and times

About Sunrise

Ready to take the next step and make a bigger impact than you ever imagined? As part of our team, you will help brighten the future for everyone at Sunrise and beyond. That is why we make it a priority to celebrate the unique ways you bring moments of togetherness and joy to everyone you serve. And when combined with the support, benefits, and growth opportunities we offer, the result is a career that PositivelyShines with everything you need to reach your goals at work and in your life.

We also offer benefits and other compensation that include:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, and Disability Plans
• Retirement Savings Plans
• Employee Assistant Program / Discount Program
• Paid time off (PTO),