Enterprise Sanitation & Food Safety Leader

The Morning Star Company
Los Banos, CA
Biological Control and Food Safety Process Optimization Development

About the Company
The Morning Star Company and its affiliates operate three tomato processing facilities in Central California, processing about 40% of the California processing tomato crop, in addition to tomato growing, transplanting, farming, harvesting and trucking operations.  The company employs approximately 500 year-round and over 3,000 seasonal colleagues.
 
The Morning Star Company is the largest independent producer of bulk tomato ingredient products (tomato paste and diced tomatoes) in the world.  We also produce canned tomatoes, tomato products and specialty sauces in pouches for customers in the retail and food service markets.  The company is known worldwide for its innovation and integrity.
 
We are organizationally structured through a system we term Mission Focused Self-Management™.  Our company is operated by Colleagues without titles or an appointed hierarchy of authority.  Authority relative to other Colleagues’ activities is lateral, with our Mission as our guiding principle of action, and respect, influence and success built based on each Colleague’s integrity, competency, effort, persistence and straightforward persuasiveness.  Although we have grown significantly, we intend to maintain a culture of individual responsibility and Mission Focused Self-Management.

The Mission and Position
This colleague’s mission will be, "to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness and food safety by implementing effective sanitation practices, fostering a culture of compliance, and protecting the health and well-being of consumers."

This role is not limited to sanitation execution. The Colleague will act as an enterprise-wide authority on microbiological risk, sanitation strategies, and hygienic design across multiple facilities.

We are searching for a conscientious professional to maintain a safe and hygienic food production environment through rigorous sanitation protocols, continuous improvement, educational programs, coaching, and teamwork, while upholding regulatory standards and exceeding customer expectations. The successful candidate will be committed to safeguarding food quality and safety by leading sanitation efforts with precision, innovation, hygienic design, product protection, and a passion for excellence, ensuring a clean and compliant facility for every production cycle.

Elements of the Position
Oversee, plan and direct Enterprise sanitation

• Perform Enterprise plant monthly cleanliness and safety audits
• Assist colleagues with California State Water Resources Control Board process water discharges
• Assist colleagues in SSOP, COP and CIP development and updates
• Oversee county and state hazardous chemical reporting
• Oversee sanitation and fulltime colleague chemical training
• Oversee and maintain preventive maintenance program
• Assist colleagues in the detection of food microbiological activity, detection and controls
• Assist colleagues with FDA, Third Party and Customer audits

Qualifications: 

• Bilingual English and Spanish
• Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology, Environmental Science, Engineering and Engineering, or comparable competency.
• Sanitation certification
• Food microbiology  
• OSHA proficient
• EHS Safety Certification
• Computer and software proficiencies
• Soft level mechanical abilities (hands on, ok with working in the factory)
• Great communicator, strong analytical abilities, and problem-solving expertise
• Great motivator and team player

Compensation: Annual salary is expected to be $110,000 to $150,000, depending upon qualifications. This is an exempt role, with time commitments expected to increase during certain times of the year. Some travel to other locations is expected, but unlikely to exceed 10%-15%.

Benefits:  Morning Star offers a top-tier, comprehensive health plan, including medical, dental, and vision, and we pay the full monthly premiums for the Colleague  and all eligible family members . The company also contributes to Colleagues' Health Savings Accounts. Year-round Colleagues are eligible to enroll in our 401K plan, with 4% match.