Lead Chef - Orchard Heights

Orchard Heights is seeking a passionate and experienced Lead Chef to oversee and elevate the culinary experience for our residents across Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Independent Living.

This supervisory role for is for a culinary professional who believes food should be flavorful, beautifully presented, and thoughtfully prepared. If you take pride in quality, consistency, and leading a strong team — we’d love to meet you!

What You’ll Do:
• Lead daily culinary operations
• Help plan, develop, and execute seasonal menus
• Ensure meals meet dietary guidelines, physician orders, and special dietary needs
• Oversee food preparation, presentation, and quality standards
• Help manage inventory and ordering
• Maintain strict compliance with NYS DOH regulations and food safety standards
• Supervise, coach, and mentor culinary team members
• Collaborate with Recreation and Leadership to support themed events and special celebrations
• Create a warm, restaurant-style dining experience our residents look forward to daily

Who We’re Looking For:
• 3–5+ years of culinary experience (culinary supervisory or managerial experience in healthcare or senior living preferred)
• Strong knowledge of scratch cooking and menu development
• Experience with special diets (low sodium, diabetic, mechanical soft, puree, etc.)
• ServSafe Certification (or willingness to obtain)
• Strong organizational and team leadership skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, hospitality-focused environment
• Ability to work alternating weekends and holidays

What We Offer:
• Competitive compensation
• PTO & Paid Holidays
• Health Plans to choose from
• Supportive leadership environment
• The chance to make a daily impact in the lives of others

Apply today to schedule an interview with our Culinary Director, Maria Hahmann!

#INDOH1


We are an Equal Opportunity Employer – committed to conforming to applicable laws and regulations and affording equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or other applicable protected class.