Job Category:

Quality

Job Family:

Sanitation

Job Description:

The Sanitation Team Leader develops, implements, and oversees sanitation programs to ensure facility cleanliness and food safety, managing staff, budgets, and compliance with regulations (FDA, GMPs). Key duties involve creating Master Sanitation Schedules, training employees on safety and cleaning protocols, inspecting equipment, managing chemical inventory, coordinating with production/quality teams, and handling pest control to prevent contamination and maintain operational readiness. 

In this role, you will be responsible for leading development, compliance, training, problem solving, best practice development, and technical support in Sanitation and Food Safety programs for multiple products categories. You will direct the work activities of the facility sanitation team that will include hourly and salaried sanitation Partners.  You will be responsible for facilitating the development of salaried sanitation Partners and supporting the development of other facility salaried Partners.  You will work with Operations, Enterprise Quality and Food Safety, sanitation chemical and equipment suppliers, and construction contractors to ensure equipment, processes and the facility environment is suitably designed, maintained, and cleaned and monitored to ensure food safety and quality.

Role & Responsibilities:

• Direct and train Plant Sanitarians, Sanitation Partners, and Janitorial Partners.  Interface with plant leaders as well as Enterprise Quality to develop qualified teams which effectively and efficiently provide a sanitary operating environment.     

• Oversee and assist in the development of SSOP's, MSS, CIP processes and related SOPs in all facility departments. Perform troubleshooting and responsible for the CIP programming validation.

• Investigate sanitation issues, and review and analyze data from pathogen monitoring, environmental quality monitoring, MSS, pre-op inspections, quality and food safety audits (internal, third party, customer, and Regulatory), customer complaints as well as other sources, and utilize this data to identify trends and take corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) that will prevent product contamination, maintain or extend shelf-life, reduce customer complaints, and/or prevent rejection of product(s).

• Work closely with Engineering, Enterprise Quality and Foods Safety, and equipment vendors to ensure that new or modified equipment meets sanitary design and regulatory requirements prior to purchase and installation. Validate that equipment modifications or new equipment can effectively be cleaned and sanitized to an acceptable microbial level.

• Work closely with sanitation chemical providers and Pest Management contractors to maximize technical expertise and to drive results while being cost effective.

• Lead plant sanitation verification and auditing process including environmental monitoring. Work with appropriate Partners to address and resolve deficiencies.

• Lead facility projects resulting in more effective execution of sanitation and monitoring processes as well as cost savings initiatives.

• Program Management: Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive sanitation programs, including the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS).

• Staff Leadership: Recruit, train, schedule, and manage sanitation teams, ensuring proper use of safety equipment and procedures (like Lockout/Tagout).

• Compliance & Auditing: Ensure adherence to internal policies, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and external regulations (FDA, USDA, COFEPRIS, OSHA, etc). Conduct inspections and correct deficiencies.

• Operational Support: Coordinate with production to ensure timely cleaning for line startups, minimizing downtime.

• Chemical & Inventory Management: Manage chemical inventories, supplier relationships, and chemical safety training for all staff.

• Continuous Improvement: Lead efforts to improve sanitation processes, troubleshoot issues, and stay updated on best practices.

• Budget & Administration: Manage the sanitation budget, control costs, and maintain accurate records for audits and reporting.

• Pest Control: Oversee and manage the facility's pest control program. 

Key Ingredients:

• Bachelor degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology or related field

• 5-7 years of Sanitation/Plant Production/Quality Leadership experience

• Strong understanding of food chemistry, cleaning methods, and sanitation science.

• Technical knowledge of COP and CIP, cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, sanitary design of food processing equipment, auditing experience, computer and process excellence tools

• Knowledge of regulatory standards (HACCP, GMPs, SQF). PCQI certified (Preferred)

• Good working experience in Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Microbiology.

• Leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills for working with diverse teams.

• Intermediate English level.

• Desire to grow and take on new challenges and opportunities  

We're looking for great people who bring to life a culture of caring, partnership and customer commitment. Are you one of them? Join us.