National Director, Nutritional Care and Culinary Services

Job Description

Reporting to the Senior Director, Allied Health and Support Services, the Director of Nutritional Care and Culinary Services provides strategic, clinical, and operational leadership for nutritional care, dietary services, and culinary programs across Long‑Term Care Homes and Retirement Communities.

The role is accountable for advancing evidence‑based, resident‑centred nutritional care and dining services that promote health, safety, dignity, choice, cultural responsiveness, and quality of life. This includes leadership oversight of Registered Dietitians, Registered Dietitian Consultants, and Dietary Consultants, ensuring consistent, high‑quality, and compliant nutritional care delivery across the organization.

The Director leads the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of professional standards, best practices, quality improvement initiatives, policies, programs, and procedures related to nutritional care and culinary services. This includes fostering integrated, interdisciplinary approaches to nutrition assessment, therapeutic diets, menu planning, food safety, and dining experiences that align with regulatory and organizational priorities.

As a senior operational leader, the Director collaborates closely with interprofessional teams, operational leaders, and key stakeholders to drive consistency, clinical excellence, and continuous improvement. Through mentorship, consultation, and evidence‑informed practice, the role supports high‑quality care delivery and contributes to the organization’s vision of ensuring everyone in Canada has access to the care and support they need to live their best lives.

This role requires frequently business travels across Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and to the Markham Head Office.

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic leadership for nutritional care and culinary services, in partnership with long‑term care and retirement community leaders, to advance quality, safety, and resident experience priorities.

• Lead and support Registered Dietitian Consultants, Dietary Consultants, and Registered Dietitians to ensure evidence‑informed, person‑centred nutritional care across all homes.

• Collaborate with clinical, operational, and regional leaders to establish integrated nutritional care and dining practice frameworks aligned with professional standards and regulatory requirements across Alberta, Ontario, and Manitoba.

• Champion person‑centred dining models that support resident dignity, autonomy, cultural preferences, nutritional status, hydration, enjoyment of food, and quality of life.

• Partner with homes and corporate teams to strengthen quality, food safety, infection prevention, and risk management practices through shared oversight, learning, and continuous improvement.

• Promote an outcomes‑focused approach to nutrition and dining that balances safety, regulatory compliance, resident choice, rights, and trauma‑informed practice.

• Support clinical and operational leaders through strategic program development, coaching, mentorship, and consultation related to nutritional care, menu development, and dining services.

• Provide enterprise‑level guidance on policy development, and regulatory interpretation related to dietetic practice, nutritional care, and food services.

• Enable consistency and scalability by developing standardized processes to support nutrition screening, assessment, care planning, care transitions, and discharge.

• Foster a collaborative, just, and learning‑oriented culture grounded in accountability, interdisciplinary teamwork, and resident and family engagement.

• Support accreditation, inspections, and quality assurance activities through shared responsibility for sustained regulatory compliance.

• Leverage nutritional, quality, safety, and resident experience data to inform decision‑making and drive system‑level improvement.

• Develops strong teams through mentorship, coaching, and professional development.

• Drives performance beyond minimum standards to deliver exceptional nutritional care and dining experiences.

What we’re looking for:

• Registered Dietitian (RD) with active registration and good standing with the applicable provincial regulatory authority is required.

• Minimum five (5) years of progressive leadership experience overseeing nutritional care and/or dietary services within a healthcare or seniors’ care setting; long‑term care experience is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic leadership, integration, and performance oversight of nutrition, dietary, and culinary programs supporting resident health, safety, and quality of life.

• Proven experience leading quality improvement initiatives and applying clinical, quality, safety, and experience data to drive system‑level improvement.

• Strong knowledge of legislative, regulatory, and professional practice frameworks governing nutritional care and food services in long‑term care.

• Demonstrated data literacy, with the ability to interpret and apply clinical, nutritional, quality, and operational indicators.

• Proficiency in health information systems (e.g., PointClickCare, provincial repositories) and the Microsoft Office Suite.

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams, regulators, and system partners, with strong facilitation, coaching, and conflict‑resolution skills.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Demonstrated commitment to resident‑ and family‑centred care, positive organizational culture, and service excellence.

• Ability to undertake frequent provincial and national travel.

What Extendicare has to offer:

At Extendicare, we believe that working as a team creates an environment that allows us to reach our potential. We value each employee, encourage equal opportunity for growth and recognize achievement. As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• Continuous mentorship, support for life-long learning and growth opportunities

• Opportunities for advancement and career growth within the organization

• A rewarding and meaningful work experience where you can enrich your life and the lives of others through your work.

• Employee Family Assistance Program.

• Robust benefits package

Extendicare is a leading provider of care and services for seniors across Canada, operating under the Extendicare, ParaMed, Extendicare Assist, and SGP Purchasing Network brands. We are committed to delivering quality care to meet the needs of a growing seniors’ population, inspired by our mission to provide people with the care they need, wherever they call home. We operate a network of long-term care homes (both owned and under management contracts), deliver over 11 million hours of home health care services annually, and provide group purchasing services to third parties representing approximately 150,000 beds across Canada. Extendicare proudly employs nearly 30,000 qualified, highly trained and dedicated team members who are passionate about providing high-quality care and services to help people live better.

#ExtendicareQuality

Time Type

Full time

Compensation Details

Compensation will be discussed during the recruiting process.

At Extendicare, we’ve spent more than 50 years dedicated to enhancing quality of life for the people we serve across Canada. When you join Extendicare, you become part of a compassionate, mission-driven team committed to supporting care delivery in homes and communities nationwide. Our corporate roles play a vital part in enabling front-line teams to provide exceptional experiences for clients and families. Together, we foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability—creating solutions that strengthen our services and improve lives every day.​

 ​

We are committed to providing competitive compensation that reflects the value of this role and the unique qualifications each candidate brings. This opportunity is a replacement for an existing role and to support transparency, a hiring range may be included with this posting. However, final salary offers are based on a variety of factors such as your skills, experience, education, and alignment with the responsibilities of this position.

 ​

Base salary is one component of our broader total rewards package. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits designed to support your health, financial well-being, and long-term career growth. Your recruiter can provide more details about our total rewards offerings during the hiring process.​

 ​

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support certain stages of the recruitment process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing candidate responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment — every application is reviewed by a member of our team to ensure thoughtful and equitable consideration. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.​

 ​

Extendicare is committed to fostering an accessible, inclusive, and equitable hiring process. We gladly accommodate the needs of applicants throughout all stages of recruitment and selection upon request.​