Job DescriptionCulinary ManagerThis position is for a Culinary Manager for the Lawton Veterans Home.Lawton Veterans Home501 SE Flower Mound RoadLawton, OK 73501Annual Salary: $60,000.00
Position Summary
Required Qualifications & Certifications
Professional Credentialing: Must hold a current Certified Dietary Manager (CDM®) or Certified Food Protection Professional (CFPP®) credential.
State of Oklahoma Requirements: Must meet "Qualified Dietary Manager" standards per OAC 310:675-9-1.
Food Safety: Current ServSafe® Food Protection Manager certification.
Experience: Minimum of 3 years of management experience. Healthcare/LTC experience is preferred, but high-volume, fast-paced restaurant management experience is highly valued for its focus on speed, presentation, and service standards.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Quality Control & Veteran Experience (Product Ownership)
The "Final Check": Own the end product. Implement rigorous quality control checks for taste, temperature, and presentation. No tray or plate reaches a veteran without meeting the "5-star" visual and culinary standard.
Veteran-Facing Leadership: Regularly enter the dining areas during service to solicit feedback from veterans. Own the "Point-of-Service" experience, ensuring hospitality is as important as nutrition.
Therapeutic Excellence: Ensure texture-modified diets (IDDSI) and therapeutic restrictions are executed with the same culinary care as regular meals.
Cafeteria & Dining Environment Ownership
Ambience & Amenities: Take full ownership of the cafeteria and dining room environments. Ensure these spaces are inviting, well-organized, and stocked with appropriate amenities.
White-Glove Cleanliness: Oversee the cleaning schedules for not just the kitchen, but all veteran-facing dining areas. Ensure floors, tables, and service stations are pristine at all times.
Strategic Communication & Coordination
Departmental Face: Serve as the primary liaison between Dietary and the rest of the facility (Nursing, Logistics, and Administration).
Team Coordination: Lead daily/weekly "huddles" to ensure nursing staff and dietary aides are perfectly aligned at mealtimes, resident changes, and special events.
Problem Resolution: Act as the first point of contact for staff or family concerns regarding dietary services, resolving issues with a hospitality-first mindset.
Survey Readiness & Regulatory Mastery
Regulatory Lead: Maintain 100% compliance with OSDH, CMS, and USDVA standards. Lead the department to successful "deficiency-free" results in yearly surveys.
Safety Oversight: Monitor all sanitation logs, equipment maintenance, and food safety protocols (HACCP) daily.
The "14-Hour Rule": Strictly manage meal timing so no more than 14 hours pass between the evening meal and breakfast.
Operational Leadership
Staff Development: Train staff in both technical culinary skills and restaurant-style service techniques.
Inventory & Budget: Manage procurement of high-quality ingredients while adhering to budgetary constraints; ensure strict FIFO (First-In, First-Out) rotation.
Performs other related duties as assigned consistent with the responsibilities of the position and agency operations.
Selection Process: "The Kitchen Audition"
We hire leaders who lead from the front.
Stage 1: Initial interview regarding management philosophy, communication style, and regulatory expertise.
Stage 2 (The Demonstration): Candidates will be invited to a paid on-site audition. You will be expected to demonstrate culinary proficiency (knife skills/flavor profiling), direct a team during a live meal service, and perform a quality-control walkthrough of the dining facility
Health insurance
Equity / stock options
Additional Information
Job Posting Title
Culinary Manager
Agency
650 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Supervisory Organization
Lawton/Ft. Sill Veterans Home
Job Posting End Date
Refer to the date listed at the top of this posting, if available. Continuous if date is blank.
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the posting end date above.
Estimated Appointment End Date (Continuous if Blank)
Full/Part-Time
Full time
Job Type
Regular
Okgov · Comanche County