The posting
Position Summary The Sanitation Manager owns the plant's sanitation program from end to end: the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), the sanitation workforce, and the verification that equipment and rooms are clean and ready for production. The role keeps the sugar, wet, and dry departments audit-ready by setting cleaning standards from data (time and frequency studies), scheduling labor to match the real workload, and holding sanitors accountable to those standards. Schedule: Swing shift, Sunday through Thursday, with flexibility to work extended hours as needed. Facility Overview The plant runs three distinct processes, each with its own sanitation risks, cleaning methods, and downtime windows. The Sanitation Manager must understand and schedule all three.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities-
Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS) Ownership
Review the current MSS against the plant's equipment and area inventory, and close gaps where assets, rooms, or tasks are missing, duplicated, or outdated. Revise the MSS using time studies and frequency studies, then publish the updated schedule by department, shift, and task. Define for every task: method, chemical and concentration, tools, PPE, lockout/tagout requirements, required verification, and standard completion time. Re-evaluate the MSS on a set cadence (at least annually) and after any change in product, equipment, allergen profile, regulation, or audit finding.
Maintain version control and document every change with the reason, so the MSS stands up in customer and third-party audits.
Time Studies & Frequency Studies
Conduct time studies on cleaning tasks to set realistic standard times per task, per line, and per department. Conduct frequency studies, using ATP swab results, micro and allergen test data, visual inspections, and product residue findings, to decide whether a task should be done more often, less often, or by a different method. Use the results to right-size task frequency, downtime windows, and crew size, and to build the business case for equipment or chemical changes.
Track cleaning labor hours and chemical cost per department and recommend improvements.
Sanitor Accountability & Standards
Set clear, written cleaning standards, including pre-operational acceptance criteria and "clean-to-spec" photo or checklist standards for each area. Verify that assigned tasks are completed and completed correctly: pre-op inspections, sign-off review, spot audits, and swab verification. Coach, train, and document performance of sanitors and leads; address missed tasks, incomplete sign-offs, and quality failures through corrective action in line with company policy and the collective bargaining agreement. Build and deliver training on GMPs, chemical safety, LOTO, confined space where applicable, allergen controls, and the MSS.
Recognize and reward consistent performance.
Labor Scheduling & Staffing
Build and manage sanitation labor schedules across all shifts, matched to the MSS workload, production schedule, and changeover needs. Manage overtime, absences, coverage, and cross-training, and administer scheduling in line with the collective bargaining agreement. Forecast labor needs from the time studies and recommend headcount changes with supporting data.
Participate in hiring, onboarding, and evaluation of sanitation staff.
Food Safety, Regulatory & Audit Readiness
Support the HACCP/food safety plan, allergen control program, pest control program, and environmental monitoring program. Serve as a lead contact for sanitation questions during FDA, customer, and third-party GFSI audits (SQF, BRCGS, or equivalent). Investigate sanitation-related nonconformances, complaints, and positive environmental results, then lead root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
Verify that sanitation records are complete, accurate, and retained.
Chemicals, Equipment & Budget
Manage the chemical program with the supplier: selection, dilution control, SDS, storage, and usage. Specify and maintain sanitation tools and equipment (color-coded tools, foamers, dry-cleaning systems, vacuums, CIP/COP equipment).
Own the sanitation budget for labor, chemicals, supplies, and contracted services, and report variances.
Reporting & Cross-Functional Work
Report weekly on MSS completion rate, audit and swab results, labor hours versus plan, and open corrective actions. Work with Production, Quality, Maintenance, and Planning to align cleaning windows, changeovers, and equipment access.
Support continuous improvement, 5S, and downtime reduction projects that involve cleaning and changeovers.
Department-Specific Sanitation Focus-
Key Performance Indicators Success in this role is measured against targets set with the Plant Manager each year.
Metric
How it is measured
MSS completion rate
Tasks completed and signed off versus tasks scheduled, by department and shift
Pre-op pass rate
Percent of lines and areas that pass pre-operational inspection on the first attempt
Swab and environmental results
ATP pass rate, allergen swab results, and micro results trending over time
Audit performance
Internal, customer, and third-party audit findings related to sanitation
Labor efficiency
Actual cleaning hours versus standard hours from time studies
Corrective action closure
Percent of sanitation CAPAs closed on time
Changeover cleaning time
Average cleaning time per changeover versus the standard
Cost control
Sanitation labor, chemical, and supply spend versus budget
Safety
Recordable injuries, chemical incidents, and LOTO compliance in the sanitation crew
Team development
Training completion, turnover, and attendance of the sanitation team
Qualifications, Skills & Knowledge-
Required
Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience. 5 or more years of sanitation experience in food manufacturing, including 2 or more years leading a sanitation or production team. Working knowledge of FDA regulations (21 CFR 117 / FSMA), cGMPs, HACCP, and allergen control. Experience building or revising a master sanitation schedule and writing SSOPs. Hands-on experience with time studies, frequency studies, or similar work measurement methods. Experience scheduling labor across multiple shifts and managing a unionized or hourly workforce.
Strong skills in Excel and in using data (ATP, micro, labor hours) to make decisions.
Preferred
Experience in dry-blending, sugar or dust-intensive, and wet processing (pasteurized fillings, icings, or similar) environments. Experience with combustible dust programs, CIP/COP systems, and chemical dilution systems. Certifications such as HACCP, PCQI, SQF Practitioner, or Lean/Six Sigma. Experience with GFSI audits (SQF, BRCGS, FSSC 22000).
Bilingual (English/Spanish) strongly preferred to coach a multilingual team.
Core Competencies
Leadership and accountability: sets clear expectations, follows through, and is fair and consistent. Analytical thinking: turns study data into schedule and staffing decisions. Communication: works well with production, quality, maintenance, and hourly teams. Attention to detail and a strong food safety mindset.
Ability to prioritize and respond quickly in a fast-moving production environment.
Working Conditions & Physical Requirements
Works on the production floor and in the office; the schedule may include early mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays to cover sanitation shifts and audits. Exposure to noise, dust, wet floors, hot and cold areas, and cleaning chemicals; required PPE includes hearing protection, safety shoes, hair and beard nets, gloves, and eye protection. Able to stand and walk for long periods, climb stairs and ladders, bend, kneel, and lift up to 50 lbs.
Able to enter tight or elevated spaces for inspections where permitted by confined space and fall protection procedures.
This description summarizes the main duties of the role and is not an exhaustive list. Duties may be adjusted as business needs change.
