Sanitation and Operations Manager

Job Responsibilities

Lead and support plant-wide Food Safety, Food Defense, Workplace Safety, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) programs, ensuring these priorities are consistently upheld throughout the facility.

Develop, implement, and continuously improve sanitation policies, procedures, and standards to maintain compliance with company, regulatory, and industry requirements.

Manage sanitation operations to ensure equipment, production areas, warehouses, and support spaces are maintained in a clean, sanitary, and audit-ready condition.

Maintain and administer the Master Sanitation Schedule, sanitation records, logs, corrective actions, and related documentation.

Monitor departmental spending, labor utilization, and sanitation supply costs to ensure adherence to budget expectations.

Lead investigations and corrective actions related to sanitation, food safety, pest activity, and compliance concerns.

Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations and safety programs, including Hazard Communication, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), Confined Space Entry, and other required training initiatives.

Support internal audits and prepare the facility for customer, regulatory, and third-party audits, including AIB and food safety inspections.

Accompany and assist federal, state, local, and third-party inspectors during facility audits and inspections.

Partner with Quality Assurance, Operations, Maintenance, and Receiving teams to ensure proper inspection, handling, and storage of ingredients and materials.

Participate in cross-functional plant audits and assessments and provide recommendations for continuous improvement.

Analyze sanitation performance metrics and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, compliance, and operational effectiveness.

Provide leadership, coaching, and development for sanitation team members, fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.

Manage employee performance, staffing, scheduling, training, and labor-related matters within the sanitation department.

Specialized Skills and Knowledge

Capable of teaching, training and sharing technical knowledge to employees within operations.

A high level of analytical ability is required in order to find solutions to difficult sanitation problems.

A basic knowledge of chemicals and pesticides.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Environmental Health, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of sanitation, food safety, quality, or operations leadership experience within a food manufacturing, bakery, or processing environment.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMPs, OSHA regulations, Food Safety programs, and sanitation best practices.
• Experience leading third-party audits such as AIB, SQF, BRCGS, or similar food safety certification programs preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, organizational, and project management skills.
• Proficiency with sanitation documentation, compliance reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Preferred Competencies

• Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance
• Sanitation Program Management
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Manufacturing Operations
• Audit Readiness and Inspection Support
• Employee Training and Development
• Budget and Resource Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Quality Assurance and Risk Management