Sanitation Manager

Position Summary:

The Sanitation Manager is responsible for leading the sanitation operations at the Hanford Dr facility, as well as oversight of a third-party sanitation company at the Willow St facility, ensuring each facility consistently meets the highest standards of food safety, sanitation effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and operational readiness.

This position provides leadership for both an internal sanitation team and an outsourced sanitation partner while driving accountability, standardization, continuous improvement, and operational discipline. The Sanitation Manager serves as the functional leader for sanitation by partnering closely with Operations, Food Safety & Quality, Maintenance, and Continuous Improvement to ensure every production line is clean, inspection-ready, and prepared for a safe, on-time startup.

Success in this role requires strong leadership, technical expertise, sound judgment, and the ability to build a culture where sanitation is recognized as a critical component of food safety, equipment reliability, and manufacturing performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Sanitation Leadership & Operational Readiness

· Lead and manage sanitation activities across assigned facilities.

· Ensure all production equipment, processing areas, warehouses, and support spaces are cleaned and sanitized in accordance with established sanitation standards and production schedules.

· Maintain ownership of sanitation readiness to support safe and timely production startup.

· Conduct and oversee pre-operational inspections to verify sanitation effectiveness and readiness for production.

· Establish clear sanitation priorities, staffing plans, and resource allocation to meet operational requirements.

· Ensure sanitation activities are completed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with company standards.

Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

· Ensure compliance with all applicable food safety, regulatory, and customer requirements, including:

·  FDA regulations

·  Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

·  Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs)

·  HACCP Programs

·  Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)

·  Environmental Monitoring Programs

·  Customer and third-party audit requirements (BRC)

· Maintain sanitation documentation, records, and verification activities.

· Lead sanitation-related investigations and corrective actions for food safety, environmental monitoring, audit findings, and customer concerns.

· Partner with Food Safety & Quality teams to identify and mitigate sanitation risks.

Contractor Management & Service Provider Oversight

· Serve as the primary company representative for outsourced sanitation providers.

· Establish clear performance expectations and accountability measures for contract sanitation services.

· Monitor contractor performance through audits, inspections, key performance indicators, and service reviews.

· Verify contractor compliance with company food safety, quality, safety, and operational requirements.

· Manage corrective action plans and follow-up activities when performance gaps are identified.

· Review contractor service effectiveness and billing accuracy.

· Develop collaborative relationships that drive continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

· Recruit, develop, coach, and lead sanitation supervisors, leads, and hourly team members.

· Establish clear performance expectations and accountability for sanitation personnel.

· Conduct performance evaluations, coaching discussions, disciplinary actions, and development planning.

· Develop cross-training plans and succession pipelines to strengthen organizational capability.

· Promote employee engagement, teamwork, recognition, and continuous learning.

· Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, safety, and food safety throughout the sanitation organization.

Equipment Protection & Asset Reliability

· Partner with Maintenance to protect and improve manufacturing assets.

· Ensure sanitation methods and procedures support equipment reliability and longevity.

· Investigate sanitation-related equipment damage and implement corrective actions.

· Support equipment design reviews, new equipment installations, and sanitation validation activities.

· Identify opportunities to improve cleanability, accessibility, and overall equipment effectiveness.

Safety & Risk Management

· Promote a proactive safety culture and ensure compliance with all company safety policies and OSHA requirements.

· Ensure proper Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures are followed during sanitation activities.

· Verify proper chemical handling, storage, labeling, and personal protective equipment (PPE) usage.

· Conduct safety observations, audits, incident investigations, and corrective actions.

· Partner with Safety and Human Resources to reduce workplace injuries and strengthen employee safety engagement.

Continuous Improvement

· Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on sanitation effectiveness, operational efficiency, and cost management.

· Utilize operational data, sanitation performance metrics, audit results, and root cause analysis to drive improvement activities.

· Participate in Kaizen events, problem-solving activities, and cross-functional improvement projects.

· Standardize sanitation procedures, documentation, and best practices.

· Improve sanitation cycle times, startup reliability, environmental performance, and resource utilization.

· Support implementation of visual management, standard work, and 5S principles.

Financial & Resource Management

· Manage sanitation labor, contractor expenses, chemicals, supplies, utilities, and operating budgets.

· Identify opportunities to reduce costs while maintaining food safety and sanitation effectiveness.

· Monitor and report sanitation performance metrics and operating costs.

· Participate in annual budgeting, forecasting, and capital planning activities.

· Ensure appropriate inventory levels of sanitation chemicals, supplies, tools, and PPE.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

· Coordinate sanitation schedules with production requirements, maintenance activities, and shutdown planning.

· Participate in daily management routines, operational reviews, and performance discussions.

· Support customer visits, regulatory inspections, and third-party audits.

· Serve as a key contributor to operational excellence and manufacturing readiness initiatives.

Qualifications & Abilities:

· Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Industrial Management, Operations Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.

· Minimum of five (5) years of progressive sanitation leadership experience in a food manufacturing environment.

· Experience managing multiple departments, facilities, or sanitation operations, preferably in frozen food manufacturing.

· Experience leading both direct employees and third-party service providers.

· Strong knowledge of food safety regulations, sanitation systems, and manufacturing operations.

· Knowledge of sanitation chemistry, chemical dispensing systems, and sanitation equipment.

· Demonstrated leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Strong leadership, coaching, and employee development skills.

· Ability to work independently and effectively during overnight operations.

· Experience supporting BRCGS, SQF, FDA, and customer audits.

· Experience with environmental monitoring programs.

· Understanding of microbiological risks and environmental control programs.

· Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and drive corrective actions.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities across multiple facilities while maintaining attention to detail.

· Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.

· Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

· Must be able to work in cold, wet, and noisy environments typical of food production areas.

· Must be able to stand, walk, and bend for extended periods.

· Ability to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally.

· Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and other shifts as needed to meet production demands.