Manager Culinary Production-CPM

Forefront is a respected hospitality company specializing in culinary services for healthcare and senior living communities. The company is known for delivering exceptional dining experiences that emphasize nutrition, quality, and service excellence. Forefront partners closely with clinical nutrition professionals to ensure all food offerings meet the therapeutic and dietary needs of residents and patients, while also providing appealing and enjoyable menu options for retail and catered events. They operate in a high-volume environment that demands precision, consistency, and creativity, especially given the diverse needs of the population they serve.

The Manager, Culinary Production role at Forefront is pivotal to ensuring the seamless execution of all back-of-house culinary operations, serving as a leader and mentor to the kitchen team. This role is responsible for directing daily food production across multiple service channels including resident dining, café/retail, and large catering functions, ensuring that food quality, safety, and presentation standards are uniformly met. The manager will implement and enforce standardized recipes, portion controls, and batch cooking schedules, while regularly conducting quality assurance checks for taste, texture, temperature, and appearance to maintain high culinary standards.

This position functions in close collaboration with the Executive Chef and Registered Dietitian to align culinary operations with nutritional frameworks and regulatory requirements. It demands a hands-on leader who is adept at managing staffing schedules and fostering a positive kitchen culture focused on teamwork, hospitality, and accountability. Leading food safety compliance efforts, the manager will ensure adherence to HACCP, ServSafe, allergen, and infection prevention standards, overseeing sanitation and temperature monitoring practices to meet state and local health regulations.

Financial stewardship is also critical in this role, with responsibilities including food cost control, labor productivity monitoring, waste reduction initiatives, and inventory management through ordering, receiving, and accurate stock rotation methods. The manager supports recipe costing and menu engineering to optimize operational efficiency and guest satisfaction.

Furthermore, the Manager, Culinary Production participates actively in resident engagement activities and quality improvement efforts, partnering with front-of-house teams to provide exceptional service experiences. Occasional travel may be required to support multiple locations or attend meetings. This exempt salaried position entails a work schedule that includes days, evenings, weekends, and holidays, reflecting the non-stop nature of food service operations.

Forefront is committed to an inclusive and non-discriminatory workplace, embracing equal opportunity principles across all aspects of employment. Candidates with a passion for culinary excellence and leadership in healthcare or senior living food service are encouraged to apply to join a company dedicated to making a meaningful impact on residents' dining experiences through operational excellence, culinary innovation, and compassionate service.