Chef Manager (CIV)

Community: Civitas Senior Living
Address: 930 W 1st St #303, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Traveling Chef Specialist — Fuel Your Passion for Culinary Excellence!

At Civitas Senior Living, we celebrate the art of food and the joy of serving others. We empower culinary leaders to make a difference, enhance lives, and create memorable dining experiences — wherever they're needed most. If you thrive on adventure, adaptability, leadership, and the pursuit of culinary excellence, we invite you to join our team as a Traveling Chef Specialist.

Traveling Chef Specialist Job Profile

• On-the-Ground Culinary Leadership: Deploy across our Texas communities to serve as an interim culinary leader — stepping into Chef Manager or Director of Food & Beverage responsibilities during transitions, leaves, or vacancies, ensuring residents never experience a gap in dining quality.
• Standards & Onboarding: Train, coach, and mentor community-level culinary teams on Civitas recipes, order guides, food safety protocols, and our "unreasonable hospitality" service philosophy.
• New Community Launch Support: Support kitchen start-up, initial menu rollout, and staff training for new communities joining the Civitas portfolio.
• Quality & Compliance Audits: Conduct in-person audits of food safety, sanitation, presentation, and service standards; document findings and partner with community leadership on rapid-response action plans.
• Menu & Production Execution: Implement standardized menus, recipes, and order guides on-site, ensuring consistency with nutritional guidelines and resident preferences across every community visited.
• Coaching in Real Time: Utilize Civitas culinary programs (including Table Touch and related hospitality initiatives) to coach community teams face-to-face on food temperature, resident engagement, and menu availability standards.
• Partnership & Communication: Collaborate closely with Regional Chef Specialists, F&B Operations, and community leadership to communicate observations, escalate risks, and celebrate wins.
• Flexibility & Readiness: Travel on short notice to Texas communities in need, adapting quickly to each community's kitchen, team, and resident population.
• Other duties as assigned, including culinary innovation and community engagement during travel assignments.

Traveling Chef Specialist Job Requirements

• Culinary Expertise: 3+ years of relevant culinary experience; culinary arts background strongly preferred.
• Leadership Skills: 2+ years supervisory or food service management experience, with demonstrated ability to lead and train teams quickly in unfamiliar environments.
• Travel Readiness: This is a 100% traveling role, dedicated exclusively to Civitas' Texas communities. Must be willing and able to travel continuously, including overnight and multi-day stays as assignments require. Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.
• Home Base: Must reside within Texas; specific home community/region assigned for administrative and payroll purposes, with travel across the Texas portfolio as business needs dictate.
• Regulatory Compliance: Knowledge of DHSR Dietary regulations and completion of the state-required Food Service Orientation Manual.
• Adaptability: Comfortable stepping into new communities, teams, and kitchens on short notice, with strong problem-solving and independent decision-making skills.
• Compassionate Care: Must have empathy and a genuine desire to work with and elevate the culinary experience for the elderly, regardless of which community you're serving that week.

Benefits of Cooking Up a Career at Civitas Senior Living

• Competitive Compensation Package: Full Health, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, Retirement Plan, Paid Time Off, & More!
• Travel Perks: Mileage/travel reimbursement and per diem for overnight assignments.
• Professional Growth: Career Advancement & Development Opportunities, including exposure to culinary leadership across our entire Texas portfolio.
• Team Perks: Employee Referral Incentives and Flexible Time-Off Options between assignments.

Did you know?

Civitas Senior Living is a Certified™ Great Place to Work! Join our culinary family, where 90% of our employees find purpose and passion in their work.

Our Culinary Mission Statement:
Passionate Culinary Service. Passionate Cleanliness. Passionate Care.

As a condition of employment at a Civitas Senior Living community, all new hires will be asked to complete a screening process as required by state regulations. All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of this process. Residency within Texas is a condition of employment for this role.