Culinary Specialist

The Culinary Specialist is an experienced, hands-on culinary leader who supports communities during Executive Chef vacancies, leadership transitions, new openings, and other periods of operational need. The Specialist quickly assesses culinary operations, stabilizes department performance, and ensures ESL’s culinary philosophy, hospitality standards, policies, and processes are consistently demonstrated.

Working in partnership with community and divisional leadership, the Culinary Specialist strengthens food quality, dining service, team performance, sanitation, regulatory compliance, purchasing, inventory management, and financial results while preparing the department for a successful transition to permanent leadership.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following essential functions are fundamental job duties of the position and are to be performed with or without appropriate reasonable accommodation(s).

Interim Leadership and Department Stabilization

• Provide temporary day-to-day leadership of a culinary department during Executive Chef vacancies, leaves, leadership transitions, new openings, or other operational needs.
• Assess food quality, dining service, sanitation, staffing, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, food and labor costs, resident satisfaction, and regulatory compliance.
• Identify immediate risks and resource needs and develop pri