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Dining Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Arbor Terrace Fulton

Dining Room Manager

Fulton, MD · On-site

$20/hr

Collaborate with the Dining Director and leadership team to enhance the overall dining experience What Makes You a Great Fit * High School Diploma or equivalent * Experience training or leading team ...

JEROME HOME

Arbor Rose Dining Wait

New Britain, CT · On-site

$13.25 - $16.75/hr

Purpose of Your Job Position Reporting to the Dining Director, the Waitstaff serves meals to the residents of Arbor Rose in a timely, pleasant and professional manner, while maintaining a clean and ...

SilverCrest

Dining Room Supervisor

Richfield, MN

$41K - $43K/yr

Assure the safety and enhancement of the dining area * Assist the Dining Director with tasks as assigned What You'll Need: * Must be 18 years of age or older * High school diploma or GED required

New

SilverCrest

Dining Room Supervisor

Richfield, MN

$41K - $43K/yr

Assure the safety and enhancement of the dining area * Assist the Dining Director with tasks as assigned What You'll Need: * Must be 18 years of age or older * High school diploma or GED required

SilverCrest

Dining Room Supervisor

Minneapolis, MN · On-site

Assure the safety and enhancement of the dining area * Assist the Dining Director with tasks as assigned What You'll Need: * Must be 18 years of age or older * High school diploma or GED required

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Dining Director information

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$32.5K

$73.7K

$118K

How much do dining director jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for dining director in the United States is $73,712.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $54,500.00 and $90,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a dining director do?

A Dining Director oversees the daily operations of dining services in facilities such as restaurants, hotels, senior living communities, or schools. Their responsibilities include managing staff, ensuring food quality and safety, budgeting, menu planning, and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. They also coordinate with vendors, handle customer feedback, and ensure compliance with health and nutrition regulations. Effective Dining Directors have strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills to provide excellent dining experiences.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a dining director?

A Dining Director should possess strong leadership abilities, food service management experience, and typically a degree in hospitality or culinary arts. Familiarity with food safety regulations, inventory management systems, and budgeting software is often required. Outstanding interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and the ability to motivate staff are crucial for excelling in this role. These skills ensure efficient dining operations, high customer satisfaction, and compliance with industry standards.

What are some common challenges a dining director faces when managing a large dining operation?

A Dining Director often navigates challenges such as balancing budget constraints with maintaining high-quality food and service, coordinating schedules for a diverse team, and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations. Additionally, adapting menus to meet changing dietary needs and preferences while maintaining operational efficiency can be demanding. Effective communication, strong organizational skills, and the ability to respond quickly to unexpected issues, like supply shortages or staff absences, are essential for success in this role.

What is the difference between Dining Director vs Food Service Manager?

AspectDining DirectorFood Service Manager
CredentialsTypically requires a degree in hospitality, management, or related field; certifications like ServSafe are commonOften requires a high school diploma or associate degree; certifications like ServSafe are also common
Work EnvironmentOversees multiple dining locations or large-scale food service operations, often in institutions or hospitality settingsManages daily operations within a single restaurant, cafeteria, or food service unit
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in hospitality, healthcare, and large institutional settingsCommon in restaurants, cafeterias, and smaller food service operations

The main difference between a Dining Director and a Food Service Manager lies in scope and setting. Dining Directors typically oversee multiple locations or large-scale operations, requiring broader management skills and often higher credentials. Food Service Managers focus on daily operations within a single establishment. Both roles require food safety certifications and management experience, but their responsibilities and work environments differ significantly.

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What cities are hiring for Dining Director jobs?

Cities with the most Dining Director job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Dining jobs?

The most popular types of Dining jobs are:

What states have the most Dining Director jobs?

States with the most job openings for Dining Director jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Dining Director jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Dining Director jobs are:

Dining Director jobs near you
Infographic showing various Dining Director job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $73,712 per year, or $35.4 per hour.

Lead Culinary Services Director

Sonida Senior Living

Arlington, TX • On-site

Full-time

Posted 4 days ago

Sonida Senior Living rating

5.2

Company rating: 5.2 out of 10

Based on 35 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

201st of 242 rated social care providers

Job description

About Sonida Senior Living
Sonida Senior Living is one of the nation's leading operators of independent living, assisted living and memory care communities for senior adults. The Company operates 165 communities that are home to nearly 12,000 residents across 35 states, providing comfortable, safe, affordable communities where residents can form friendships, enjoy new experiences and receive personalized care from dedicated team members who treat them like family.
Job Responsibilities
The Lead Culinary Service Director will provide leadership to the communities within their territory, supporting key culinary initiatives. This position serves to ensure the community dining operations remain stable and is expected to have an immediate positive impact on the community. Responsible for day-to-day operations of the Community, and the protection of Community assets. Demonstrates knowledge of and assures compliance with all laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures. Oversight of the Community dining services team. Promotes the Company's mission statement. Supports other community dining programs with training, coaching, quality assurance visits and ongoing mentoring. In addition to the job description for the Dining Service Director, also plans, organizes, develops, and directs the onboarding and support of the other Dining Service Directors in their respective region.
Lead Culinary Service Director Responsibilities:
  • Provide support for the systems and processes required by Sonida Senior Living, including Grove Menus, DSSI, and any approved training platforms
  • Ensures standards and quality are met in relation to food and service across the region
  • Supports the preparation and implementation of action plans as needed based on state survey, resident survey or other identified opportunities.
  • Maintains a high level of compliance, quality, and expertise in home community as to ensure "showcase" or model program
  • Leads innovation for community and region
  • Must be able to operate remotely from home community by building a strong, independent team able to maintain standards in your absence
  • Assist with interviewing candidates and onboarding of new Dining Directors
  • Provides direct and indirect supervision of the community dining operations along with training, coaching, counseling, and performance evaluations of all staff members.
  • Ensures that the dining services provided meet the needs of the residents in accordance with the developed service plans and that the service plans meet the required state codes and company policies.
  • Ensures that menu planning, inventory, equipment management, cleaning procedures and food preparation expectations are met in accordance with established policy and procedure.
  • Oversees the recruitment and retention of qualified staff in the dining department, making sure background checks, reference checks and licenses are cleared before the employee is released to work.
  • Ensures that dining and support staff has opportunities for ongoing training by way of in-service programs and specific educational workshops to meet the needs of the licensure and the needs of our current and future residents
  • Participates in the weekly management meetings, morning stand-up meetings and monthly all staff meetings as applicable.
  • Motivates employees through staff appreciation, recognition, and incentive programs. Promotes positive employee relations, addresses concern timely and resolves grievances as quickly as reasonably possible.
  • Oversees the community dining budget, providing guidance and training to applicable staff on the maintenance of the overall community budget.
  • Monitors dining operations of all communities in territory on a regular basis and prepares quality review audits and monthly variance reports.
  • Maintains and facilitates open lines of communication between corporate, regional and community staff
  • Prepares daily, weekly, and monthly reports in accordance with company policy or federal/state regulations as assigned by the regional director of operations.
  • Maintains outreach and education with the community to ensure positive relationships with community resources
  • Works to resolve issues identified by residents, family members, and staff or outside representatives. Keeps the Regional Manager up to date on developments.
  • Other duties as assigned urgent to the successful operation of the community
  • Shares weekend "Manager-on-Duty" responsibilities as needed in coordination with on-site leadership

Qualifications
Education and Experience:
  • 10+ years of experience as a Dining Director in senior housing.
  • Current ServeSafe Certification
  • High school diploma required. College credits or degree preferred or satisfy state experience requirements.
  • Meet continuing education requirements and certifications on job classification and position, including state requirements

Skill/ knowledge requirements:
  • Must be able to demonstrate an ability to train / teach across all positions
  • Must be able to troubleshoot and create sustainable solutions within dining
  • Ability to communicate and work with all levels of the Company's management staff and Community
  • Department Managers and Community Team Members effectively.
  • Ability to recognize and communicate problems appropriately.
  • Demonstrates team player with a positive attitude; able to work with Community Team Members and Regional Company staff.
  • Ability to maintain accurate records and provide information as requested and required.
  • Ability to relate to the public, Residents, families, Community Team Members and other professionals appropriately.
  • Ability to communicate proficiently in English, verbally and in writing
  • Ability to work flexible hours to meet requirements of the job and be on call.
  • Maintains car in good working order, current driver's license in good standing and auto insurance meeting company minimums is current.
  • Ability to organize their time, follow-up with the ability to perform job tasks efficiently.
  • Ability to teach/train others effectively.
  • Availability to work evenings, weekends and holidays as necessary.

Due to the traveling nature of this position:
  • All work-related expenses must be tracked (invoices, receipts, etc.)
  • COS will be required to submit expenses in a timely manner for reimbursement
  • Sonida Senior Living will reimburse the COS for all reasonable travel expenses, approved in advance by the SSL, upon receipt of supporting documentation. Employee must use standardized
  • GPS program (i.e MapQuest) for the purpose of calculating daily travel to and from communities; travel exceeding (over and above) 75 miles/daily will be eligible for reimbursement.

Physical Requirements
  • This position will require up to 30% travel.
  • Ability to transfer residents as needed in an emergency situation.
  • Ability to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally; 35 pounds regularly.
  • Routinely requires pushing, pulling, bending, walking, reaching and stooping.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

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