Director Culinary Services-LSOP DC

Forefront is a distinguished leader in the healthcare culinary and support services industry, dedicated to enhancing lives through exceptional hospitality and food offerings. With a strong commitment to core values such as Tenacity, Integrity, Creativity, Service Excellence, Safety, and Caring, Forefront plays a vital role in creating a clean, safe, and healing environment tailored to the needs of healthcare residents and clients. As an organization, Forefront fosters a supportive culture that emphasizes collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement, placing great value on input from all levels of the team. Known for its growth-focused approach, it provides access to leadership development programs, including Lean Six Sigma opportunities and clear pathways for career advancement, making it an attractive employer for those passionate about personal and professional growth.

The Director of Culinary Services at Forefront is a strategic leadership position responsible for overseeing all culinary and dining programs across multiple service lines including residential dining, retail, and catering within healthcare environments. This role demands expertise in menu innovation, high-quality food preparation, regulatory compliance, and financial management to ensure top-tier service delivery and operational success. With a salary range of $90,000 to $95,000 annually, this exempt salaried position typically requires working days, evenings, weekends, and holidays, reflecting the dynamic nature of healthcare dining.

In this role, the Director leads culinary operations encompassing production, menu execution, catering, and special events with a focus on delivering scratch or fresh-prepared food aligned with Forefront’s standards. The position calls for the development and execution of seasonal menus, resident-driven programs, and special dining events that ensure outstanding presentation, taste, and overall service excellence. Innovation, resident engagement, and enhancing the culinary experience are key priorities, making this role central to shaping memorable dining experiences that support healing and wellness.

Financial and operational stewardship is crucial, with responsibilities including ownership of food and labor costs, controllable expenses, budget development and management, purchasing strategies, inventory control, ordering systems, and waste reduction initiatives. The Director partners with General Managers and regional leadership to ensure financial results meet contractual and company targets. Leadership and talent development also feature prominently, as this position mandates recruiting, training, developing, and retaining high-performing culinary teams spanning multiple departments, fostering a culture of accountability, professionalism, and teamwork.

Compliance with health, safety, and sanitation standards is paramount, requiring adherence to all relevant regulations such as ServSafe, HACCP, OSHA, CMS, and company standards. The Director ensures kitchen sanitation, food safety, and inspection readiness are maintained consistently, alongside proper documentation and training logs to support audit preparedness.

Enhancing resident and client satisfaction is a vital aspect of the role, involving active partnership with residents, patients, clients, and leadership teams through participation in councils, food committees, tastings, and feedback sessions. The Director proactively addresses concerns and continuously improves the dining experience, representing Forefront and its culinary programs with professionalism. The position also includes executing corporate culinary initiatives, supporting marketing efforts, and engaging community activities. Occasional travel for company meetings may be required.

Lastly, the Director is accountable for complying with all facility and departmental policies, including Human Resources, ethics, health and safety regulations, compliance requirements, patient rights, confidentiality, HIPAA, and accrediting agency standards. This role demands commitment to personal and professional growth, annual training and competency completion, and flexibility to perform associated duties as required. Forefront upholds equal opportunity in employment without discrimination of any kind, fostering an inclusive environment for all employees and clients.