Culinary Specialist - Interim Executive Chef Coverage

About the role

The Culinary Specialist is a highly mobile, expert culinary resource supporting Experience Senior Living communities. The role is 100% travel-based and is deployed to communities facing Executive Chef vacancies, leadership transitions, new openings, performance gaps or heightened operational need. It provides hands-on leadership, interim Executive Chef coverage, stabilization support and best-practice execution, working side-by-side with community teams while reinforcing ESL's culinary standards, hospitality expectations, food safety requirements and financial discipline.

Key responsibilities

• Temporarily perform Executive Chef duties during vacancies, leaves, onboarding or periods of increased need, ensuring continuity of dining service and resident satisfaction
• Assess food quality, dining service, sanitation, staffing, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, costs and compliance, then develop a prioritized action plan with the Executive Director and VP, Culinary
• Direct day-to-day front-of-house and back-of-house work, including scheduling, task assignment, coaching and corrective action, and provide hands-on support at kitchen and dining stations
• Prepare a documented transition plan and support the onboarding of the incoming Executive Chef
• Ensure food meets ESL standards and state/local health codes, and partner with Health & Wellness on allergies, therapeutic diets and texture-modified diets
• Train and coach culinary and dining teams, support onboarding of new chefs and managers, and lead meetings and pre-shift huddles
• Manage food, supply and labor budgets, monitor food cost, labor, waste and inventory, and oversee approved vendors and purchasing standards
• Plan menus, run resident experience events and banquets, and support culinary demonstrations and road shows with the Director of Sales
• Travel 100% of the time, including evenings, weekends and holidays, and deploy rapidly to communities across the portfolio

Required profile

• At least five years of progressive culinary experience in senior living, fine dining, hotels, resorts or hospitality, including at least three years as an Executive Chef or comparable culinary leader
• Multisite, regional, interim, new-opening or turnaround experience preferred
• Culinary degree or equivalent education and experience preferred
• Valid driver's license and ability to meet company driving standards

Required skills

• Certified Food Protection Manager (e.g., ServSafe Manager) or ability to obtain, plus food handler permits as required by state law
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; familiarity with UKG, OnShift and SharePoint preferred
• Strong knowledge of menu development, food production, dining service, food safety, sanitation, purchasing, inventory and cost controls