Kitchen Manager, Health Care Center

Position Overview

The Health Care Center Kitchen Manager provides hands-on leadership for daily kitchen operations supporting residents in the Health Care Center, including skilled nursing, personal care, memory support, and other health care dining needs. This position helps ensure that meals are prepared, portioned, plated, and served in a safe, timely, attractive, and resident-centered manner. The Kitchen Manager supervises and supports kitchen staff, helps coordinate daily production, monitors food quality and sanitation practices, and assists with cooking and food preparation whenever needed to support service continuity.

Essential Responsibilities

• Provide daily leadership and direction to kitchen staff assigned to the Health Care Center, promoting teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and a strong hospitality mentality.
• Assist in coordinating daily meal production, food preparation, cooking, plating, and service to ensure meals are accurate, timely, appetizing, and consistent with established standards.
• Prepare and cook food items as needed, including stepping into production or line-cook responsibilities during staffing shortages, peak service periods, special events, emergencies, or other operational needs.
• Support the preparation of regular and modified diets, therapeutic diets, texture-modified meals, and resident-specific food preferences in coordination with Dining Services leadership, nursing, and clinical team members.
• Monitor food quality, taste, appearance, temperature, portion control, and presentation before and during meal service.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, infection prevention, sanitation, and workplace safety standards, including proper food handling, storage, labeling, cooling, reheating, cleaning, and use of equipment.
• Maintain an organized, clean, and safe kitchen environment, ensuring work areas, equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitized according to established procedures.
• Assist with staff training, coaching, onboarding, and performance feedback related to kitchen procedures, food safety, resident service expectations, and department standards.
• Communicate effectively with cooks, dietary aides, dining staff, nursing staff, supervisors, and other departments to support resident needs and smooth meal service.
• Help manage daily workflow, task assignments, production sheets, prep lists, and service priorities to ensure operational efficiency.
• Assist with inventory control by monitoring food and supply levels, rotating stock, reducing waste, and communicating ordering needs to appropriate Dining Services leadership.
• Respond appropriately to resident requests, concerns, or service issues, escalating matters when needed and helping identify practical solutions.
• Support special meals, catered events, holiday meals, emergency operations, and other dining service needs as assigned.
• Follow all organizational policies, department procedures, confidentiality expectations, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a positive role model for staff by demonstrating reliability, respect, flexibility, good judgment, and a willingness to assist wherever needed.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; culinary training, food service certification, or related coursework preferred.
• Minimum of three years of cooking or food production experience required, preferably in senior living, health care, long-term care, hospitality, or a similarly regulated food service environment.
• Prior supervisory, lead cook, kitchen lead, or team leadership experience preferred.
• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation practices, safe food handling, and proper use of commercial kitchen equipment required.
• Experience preparing meals for residents or customers with varied dietary needs, including therapeutic and texture-modified diets, strongly preferred.
• Ability to read and follow menus, recipes, production sheets, diet instructions, and department procedures accurately.
• Strong communication, organization, time management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead by example, coach staff respectfully, manage priorities, and remain calm in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Must be dependable, flexible, and available to work varied shifts, weekends, holidays, and during emergency staffing or weather-related needs as assigned.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, stoop, and move throughout the kitchen and Health Care Center food service areas for extended periods.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull food products, supplies, trays, carts, and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds, with assistance when appropriate.
• Ability to work in a commercial kitchen environment with exposure to heat, cold, steam, wet floors, sharp utensils, cleaning products, and varying noise levels.
• Manual dexterity and visual attention required to safely use knives, kitchen tools, cooking equipment, and sanitation supplies.
• Ability to respond to urgent kitchen, staffing, resident service, or safety needs during assigned shifts.

Exceptional Benefits

Waverly Heights provides exceptional benefits for regular full-time employees including:

• 100% employer paid Medical Insurance
• 100% employer paid Dental Insurance
• 100% employer paid Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability
• Paid Time Off
• Educational Assistance including Student Loan Assistance, Tuition Assistance and Scholarships
• Generous non-matching 401(k) contributions annually to help save for retirement

About Waverly Heights

Welcome to Waverly Heights, where compassion, respect, and the hospitality mentality are the foundation of our organization. Located just outside of Philadelphia in Gladwyne, PA, we take pride in creating an inviting atmosphere where residents and employees alike feel valued and appreciated. At Waverly Heights, we firmly believe that our success stems from the dedication and care of our team members. We support each individual's growth and professional development, recognizing that their contributions play a vital role in our collective achievements. If you are someone who understands the importance of your role in shaping Waverly's success and finds fulfillment in making a positive difference in the lives of others, we invite you to join our team and be part of something truly exceptional!

Waverly Heights is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. At Waverly Heights, we value and respect the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of all individuals, and we actively promote a culture of inclusion and belonging.