Sr. Sanitation Manager

Position Summary:

The Sr. Sanitation Manager leads the Ventura Foods sanitation program, talent, and processes within the facility.  This leadership role ensures that the cleaning, sanitizing, and equipment operations are executed effectively, efficiently, safely and alignment with Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s), current SQF Code, Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Food Safety/HACCP plans, internal and customer standards. This role drives strategic improvements, oversees sanitation budgeting, and partners cross-functionally with production, maintenance, quality, and engineering to uphold the highest standards of cleanliness and food safety, while supporting safe, high-quality production.   

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Team Management & Development: Lead, coach, and develop sanitation team including supervisors, leads, sanitors, and sanitation technicians.  Build staffing plans, training programs in alignment with L&D systems and protocols, and performance metrics to ensure a highly skilled sanitation workforce.  Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.  
• Sanitation Program Leadership: Own the plant's Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), ensuring all tasks are completed, documented, and continuously improved.  Develop, implement, and validate sanitation SOPs, SSOPs, and cleaning procedures for equipment, tools, and facility infrastructure.  Lead environmental hygiene programs including ATP testing, micro swabbing, allergen verification, and pathogen control.  Ensure compliance with FDA, FSMA, and customer audit requirements.  Maintain inventory and ordering of cleaning chemicals, cleaning equipment, and replacement parts for the Sanitation Department. This includes ensuring that all sanitation equipment is in good working condition through conducting routine inspections, escalating issues, and working with maintenance or other third party resources to ensure preventative maintenance is completed.  Ensure aging equipment or non-operative equipment is replaced.  Work directly with Ecolab representatives to provide necessary support for site.
• Compliance, Documentation, and Audits: Maintain accurate sanitation records, chemical usage logs, and verification/ validation documentation.  Conduct routine daily post cleaning inspections including ATP program. Review Sanitation records, CIP charts, CIP flow rates and chemical concentrations for accuracy utilizing any of the software programs at the plant level: i.e. 3D Tracer program, Redzone and plant specific software, recording charts from portable skids. Lead sanitation components of internal audits, third-party audits, and regulatory inspections.  
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with QA, Production, Maintenance, and Engineering to ensure sanitation activities support operational goals.  Participate in root cause analyses for food safety or quality deviations; implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).  Support new equipment commissioning and process changes with sanitation design input.
• Continuous Improvement & Cost Management: Evaluate sanitation processes for efficiency, safety, and effectiveness; implement improvements using problem-solving methodologies.  Manage sanitation budget, including labor, chemicals, tools, equipment, and contracted services.  Drive initiatives to reduce downtime, improve cleaning effectiveness, and optimize sanitation windows.  
• Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent preferred
• 5+ years sanitation experience in a food or beverage or pharmaceutical manufacturing environment with CIP systems
• 3+ years of managerial experience in related role
• Ability to travel 5%
•  Additional certifications in sanitation or IPM programs beneficial
• USDA, FDA experience would be helpful
• Bilingual in Spanish is nice to have
• Experience with 3rd party regulatory and customer audits is wonderful to have
• Certified PCQI preferred
   

Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of hygienic design and COP cleaning techniques
• Knowledge of chemical handling, sanitation methods, and cleaning validation principles
• Knowledge in HACCP, Microbiology, Chemical Safety, Pest Control, and Quality Systems
• Understanding of microbiological organisms and their impact on process design, sanitary design and sanitation
• Understand and comply with government regulations relating to OSHA, FDA, USDA, and EPA
• Mechanically inclined and able to troubleshoot problems both mechanically and physically
• EMP - environmental monitoring program
• Experience in leading employees and communicating effectively in order to achieve company goals
• Ability to positively motivate people and provide discipline when necessary
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with factory peer teams and hourly associates
• Strong capability in documentation, record keeping, and digital sanitation tools