Sanitation Operator

Employment Type: Hourly
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Shift: Second

Position Summary:

The Sanitation Operator’s primary responsibility is to perform the disassembly, sanitizing, and reassembly of food processing machinery and other cleaning and sanitary needs in a safe manner. To follow all food safety practices while performing duties. The continued achievement of safe work and food safety will ensure our customers’ needs and the needs of Ventura Foods are achieved on a daily basis.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Adhere to all worker safety, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), food safety, and customer-specific practices: a) work safely at all times, strictly following Ventura Foods’ worker safety and food safety rules and guidelines. b) Keep all work and storage areas clean and hazard-free. c) Strictly follow all Ventura Foods’ GMP procedures
• Perform cleaning procedure on all process equipment as assigned: a) Perform proper pre-cleaning inspections on all equipment. b) Completion of required food safety related equipment inspections and reporting as prescribed by the facility’s sanitation preventive controls and HACCP program. c) Follow all safety procedures/policies. d) Report any safety hazards. e) Become proficient at operation, including protection, of all process equipment in cleaning process. f) Follow established Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOPs) at all times and return equipment to pre-operating state when cleaning process is completed
• Perform cleaning procedures throughout the entire facility both inside and outside: a) Perform tasks on master cleaning schedule and record the completion of those tasks. b) Complete action items from safety and food safety inspections. c) Address areas as needed that need cleaning including lunchroom, locker room and hand wash sinks. d) Empty garbage cans, sweep, vacuum, paint, cobweb removal and operate floor scrubber. e) Perform oil recovery and cleaning tasks in the waste water building. f) Assist with pest control program as directed (no pesticide or rodenticide contact or application). g) Other cleaning and weed removal as directed
• Preform pre-cleaning tasks on a daily basis: a) Evaluate the daily cleaning tasks to be performed and ensure all personal protective equipment (PPE) is available in working condition and used to perform the required cleaning tasks
• Other Duties: a) Notify a manager, supervisor, foreperson or lead person about any issue(s) that may impact personal safety, product quality or product integrity. b) Complete and submit all required paperwork. c) Keep updated on new products, packaging, supplies, equipment, etc. as they relate to the cleaning process and line set up issues. d) Lock up facility and set alarm as directed. e) Work production if so directed. f) Check seals and hook up railcars on a nightly basis. g) Run both crystallizers and do proper procedures checks and keep accurate paperwork. h) Tank inventory at end of the night
• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma/GED or equivalent experience
• 1 or more years of sanitation experience preferred

Knowledge and Skills:

• Capable of being forklift licensed/certified
• Capable of becoming qualified to operate all production equipment as required to perform cleaning tasks and operate it in a safe and efficient manner
• Must be able to understand defined operating and cleaning procedures and their application to producing, handling and cleaning quality product in a safe and efficient manner
• Must be able to read and write legibly and understand safety data sheets, chemical labels and other documents related to chemical usage and cleaning
• Must be able to perform basic mathematic functions, including rate and ratios

Why Join Us:
Ventura Foods innovates and manufactures food solutions for foodservice and retail businesses. We make exclusive products for the world's most iconic restaurants and retailers, we provide ready-to-go product solutions for professional kitchens, and we make consumer brands everyone knows and loves. When you work for Ventura Foods, you get a strong foundation of training, a manager who cares about you and celebrates your success, a safe environment, and challenging work. As part of our team, your future is limited only by how much you’re willing to push yourself to get there. We invest in your growth because you invest in ours.

Ventura Foods offers career growth opportunities as well as competitive compensation and benefits:​

• Zero Employee cost for Full Medical & Dental Benefits w/ Kaiser Permanente after successful completion of probationary period (for eligible employees).
• Employee Appreciation Events​ and Employee Assistance Programs
• Hourly starting rate of $23.19-$24.24 per hour and eligibility for hourly rate increases every 6 months to get to $33.13-$34.63 per hour by year 2. Blender positions are eligible for an additional $0.50/hr.

Physical Demands:
All jobs require sufficient physical strength and dexterity to perform the required task(s) and typically also require at a minimum: intermittent sitting, standing, walking, climbing, squatting, kneeling, pushing, and pulling. Occasional lifting and/or moving up to 50 pounds or more with assistance may also be required. Please see the job description for specific requirements.

Work Environment:
Please see the job description for specific requirements of the position for which you are applying.

Typical shifts are 8-12 hours per day. Additional unscheduled time after hours and on weekends may also be required. Employees must be willing and able to wear personal protective equipment as required by Company policy and/or legal requirements. In addition, certain jobs may require employees to:

• Work outside and/or in adverse temperatures which could include extreme heat, cold, and humidity;
• Be exposed to vibrations, chemicals used in operations, fumes and food allergens (may include soy, dairy and other allergens); and
• Be required to work in confined and dark spaces, and at heights in excess of 18 feet.

Our Culture
Our Culture reflects our commitment to treating every employee with respect and creating an environment where people can do their best work. We rely on a variety of strengths, backgrounds, and experiences across our teams to help us innovate, grow, and deliver for our customers. By fostering a workplace that is supportive, collaborative, and grounded in integrity, we continue to attract strong talent and meet the high expectations of a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Ventura Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Ventura Foods may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted tools at certain stages of our hiring process, including identifying & sourcing candidates, reviewing applications and matched candidates on job boards and websites, and generating screening questions to help us work more efficiently and consistently. We regularly review our tools to promote fairness and reduce the risk of bias. However, while these tools support our process, every hiring decision is made by a real person on our team. Applicants in the State of New York may request an alternative process by contacting us at View email address on click.appcast.io.