Sanitation Lead

We're Tovala, a food-tech company reinventing home cooking to save consumers time. Through an innovative combination of hardware, software, and fresh food delivery, we make it incredibly simple for anyone to prepare and enjoy delicious, home-cooked meals without sacrificing time to do whatever matters to them. Through our superior technology, product experience and food quality, we have separated Tovala from the busy pack of other meal delivery businesses. In the process, we've amassed a loyal, rapidly growing following and our retention, product engagement and customer NPS are all best-in-class. We've raised over $100mm from great investors like Left Lane Capital, Origin Ventures, Y Combinator and Comcast Ventures and have invested strongly in building a unique culture that fosters growth, personal development and camaraderie.

Position Summary:

This role reports directly to the Sanitation Manager. The Sanitation Lead will assist in performing sanitation tasks across the facility and lead junior team members in their sanitation duties. Sanitation at Tovala occurs in a rotation of activities, including but not limited to washdown of equipment and production areas, cleaning floors and surfaces, disposing of trash and production waste, breaking down and disposing of boxes, washing commercial dishes and cooking implements, and janitorial and office cleaning, etc. This will take place across the facility to include a commercial dish pit, commercial kitchen, food production environment, receiving, shipping, break room, bathrooms, and offices. While this position will work a consistent schedule, the schedule may include working on weekends and some holidays.


The shift is generally Tuesday to Saturday, 6:00 am - 3:00 pm with regular overtime. There may be occasional requests for modifications based on projects or known absences.


Essential Functions:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

• Work directly with the Sanitation hourly team to maintain a high sanitation and food safety standard in Tovala production.
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• Coordinate and participate in the cleaning and scrubbing of production equipment, floors, walls, etc. (wet cleaning, washdown) according to a predetermined set of procedures.
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• Maintain performance standards for all aspects of cleaning and sanitation.
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• Work with pre-mixed chemical cleaning agents to clean, sanitize, and bring production facilities back into operation through SSOP procedures.
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• Lead and assist with the sanitizing and disinfection of all surfaces after cleaning in production.
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• Cleaning of interior infrastructure of productive and non-productive areas.
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• Participate in pre-operation inspections of equipment after cleaning.
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• Help maintain a food-safe environment through teamwork and proper food sanitation training.
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• Monitor the Cleaning and Disinfection of bathrooms, break rooms, and cafeterias.
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• Lead and work closely with other team members to ensure a good quality and clean production surface.
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• Provide assistance and feedback to team members regarding cleaning effectiveness.
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• Maintain and follow GMP protocols. Ensure that sanitation team closely follows GMP protocols.
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• Use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) provided when needed/indicated to complete the job.
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• Keep and organize cleaning supplies in stock.
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• Perform other functions and tasks assigned by supervision.
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Competencies:

• Training mindset.
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• Task oriented.
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• Attention to detail.
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• Bilingual (English/Spanish) - preferred.
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• Good verbal and written communication skills.
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• Works collaboratively with other team members and departmental leaders on tasks.
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Education, Experience, Licenses, and Certifications:

• 2+ years of experience in sanitation.
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• 1+ year of leadership experience.
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• Basic computer skills.
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• Basic skills with cleaning solutions, including preparation and dilution of chemicals, measuring concentration strength.
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• Possess or willing to obtain a Food Handlers Permit.
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Physical Demands:

• Comfortable working in hot and cold temperature environments.
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• Sitting.
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• Standing and/or walking.
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• Working with sanitation equipment such as washdown hoses or foamers, wet washdown of equipment.
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• Occasionally lifting up to 50lbs.
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• Vision for machine or computer operations.
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• Must be able and willing to work in refrigerated coolers (~38°F) and Freezers (~0F).
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Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Leads and mentors 5-6 Sanitation Specialists in partnership with the Sanitation Manager.
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• Plans, assigns, and approves work of hourly sanitation team.
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• Assists Sanitation Manager in onboarding new hires.
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• Relays updates and shift information in conjunction with Manager.
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Food Safety Responsibilities:

• Report any food safety and quality opportunities to personnel with the authority to initiate action. Take necessary action on all food safety and quality problems reported or observed if able.
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• Follow and uphold procedures outlined in the Food Safety / Quality Plan and any other programs that support the SQF system and other 3rd party programs/audits.
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• Responsible for ensuring a trained designee is appointed to cover for absences or vacancies.
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Work Environment:

Production: Space can be crowded with manufacturing equipment. Must remain aware of Forklift traffic. Noisy; some areas can be dusty. May encounter extremes in temperatures.

Office: Individual workspace, desk, and computer. Generally quiet, temperature-controlled, and well-lighted.

Administration: Individual workspace, desk, and computer. May not be temperature-controlled, could have loud background noises. May include entering a production facility, walking on uneven, slippery surfaces, and encountering forklift traffic.

$22.50 - $22.50 an hour

Compensation & Benefits:

Tovala uses market data, geography, and placement of internal employees to determine salary. Additionally, we offer all employees real ownership in the company in the form of a competitive equity package.

- Flexible paid time off (with a minimum of 15 days off you are highly encouraged to take)

- Comprehensive healthcare coverage we really invest in

- 401k with match

- Free Tovala Smart Oven and discounted Tovala meals


- Paid holidays and our winter holiday office shutdown where the offices and facilities close for a week around Christmas and New Years

- Various other perks - recognition programs, continued learning stipend, casual dress code, in-office coffee, snacks and drinks, and Tovala swag


Our Values

> Put the Team First: We put what is best for the broader team ahead of what is best for ourselves or our immediate department.


> Get S#!t Done (Well): We celebrate people at all levels for delivering high impact work that expands the bounds of what we're able to do.

> Connect the Dots: We engage with curiosity to learn how our work impacts others so that we can problem-solve holistically and work collaboratively.

> Be Direct: We share our perspective openly and directly, even when it feels difficult to do so.

> Embrace the Obstacles: We rise to meet challenges with a sense of urgency, resolve, and optimism.

> Champion the Customer: We consider and prioritize our customer in all of our decisions


At Tovala we're committed to building a workplace that represents a variety of backgrounds, skills, and perspectives and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Everyone is welcome here!


We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.