Culinary Specialist — Senior Living Portfolio

Job overview

The Culinary Specialist role is onsite in Denver, CO, with travel throughout the Experience Senior Living portfolio, including assignments of varying duration and travel with limited notice. Compensation is $120,000–$140,000 per year, with a 10% annual bonus target. The role supports senior living communities during culinary leadership vacancies, transitions, new openings, and other operational needs. The specialist provides interim culinary leadership, stabilizes department operations, and prepares teams for a transition to permanent leadership. The work spans food quality, dining service, staffing, sanitation, compliance, purchasing, inventory, financial performance, resident experience, and coaching across communities.

What you'll do

• Provide temporary day-to-day culinary department leadership
• assess operations and develop action plans with community leadership
• lead kitchen and dining operations
• maintain food quality, sanitation, and regulatory compliance
• support recruiting, scheduling, coaching, and training
• manage budgets, purchasing, inventory, food and labor costs
• develop menus and support resident dining events
• document progress and prepare transition plans for incoming Executive Chefs
• travel throughout the portfolio.

What we're looking for

Skills & competencies

culinary specialist

senior living

interim executive chef

culinary operations

dining services

team leadership

food safety

budget management

portfolio travel

denver co

$120k–$140k

Work arrangement

• Weekend coverage required

Benefits & perks

• Medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and voluntary life insurance, 401(k) with employer matching, paid holidays, and up to 20 days of paid time off in the first three years.

Why this role

Travel may reach 100% throughout the portfolio. The role requires five or more years of progressive culinary experience and three or more years of culinary leadership experience; a culinary or hospitality degree is preferred.

About the employer

Experience Senior Living is hiring for this role. Industry: Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly. Sector: 62.