Sanitization Lead

Job Description

Job Description

The Role

Our Clearwater facility is the operational heart of juice and supplement manufacturing plant where food safety is not a checkbox, it is the foundation. We are looking for a Sanitation Lead / Supervisor who owns the cleanliness, safety, and regulatory compliance of our production environment with the same precision and urgency we bring to every product we make.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will manage a sanitation team, run CIP systems, enforce HACCP protocols, and ensure our facility meets and exceeds the standards required to produce safe, high-quality juice products at scale. You will work closely with Production, Quality, and EHS to keep the plant running cleanly and compliantly --- every shift, every day.

What You'll Do

Specialized Juice Plant Operations

• Manage CIP (Clean-in-Place) Systems: Oversee automated cleaning loops for closed systems including pasteurizers, storage tanks, and extensive piping networks --- ensuring chemical concentrations, contact times, and temperatures meet validated parameters
• Control Biofilms and Yeast / Mold: Enforce strict sanitation cycles to eliminate persistent biofilms, wild yeasts, and molds that thrive on juice sugars; identify recurring contamination sources and implement corrective action
• Allergen Management: Coordinate thorough changeover cleanings to prevent cross-contamination when the plant processes both allergen-containing products (e.g., soy or almond milks) and pure fruit juices --- maintaining complete changeover documentation
• Acid and Sugar Removal: Ensure proper chemical concentrations --- typically highly alkaline cleaners followed by acid rinses --- to fully dissolve sticky fruit sugars and mineral scales across all contact surfaces
• Sanitation Crew Leadership: Schedule, train, and supervise sanitation team members across all shifts; set performance expectations, conduct observations, and hold the team accountable to SOP compliance

Regulatory and Validation Focus

• Juice HACCP Compliance: Maintain precise documentation to demonstrate that the sanitation process supports the required 5-log reduction of target pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and others) in full alignment with 21 CFR Part 120
• ATP and Swab Testing: Perform and manage environmental monitoring programs including rapid ATP swabbing on filling nozzles, filler bowls, and critical validation points --- review results, investigate failures, and approve or hold production release
• Wastewater Monitoring: Coordinate with plant engineers to monitor high-sugar, high-BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) sanitation runoff entering the wastewater system; ensure discharge compliance with local permit requirements
• Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS): Own and maintain the facility MSS --- schedule deep-clean cycles for all equipment, zones, and hard-to-reach surfaces; track completion and close out findings on time
• Regulatory Readiness: Ensure the facility is inspection-ready at all times for FDA, SQF, or customer audits; lead or support sanitation-related audit walkthroughs and response to findings

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Quality Assurance on pre-operational and operational sanitation inspections --- ensure sign-off processes are followed before production release
• Collaborate with Production Supervisors to schedule sanitation windows that minimize downtime while meeting clean-out requirements

What You'll Bring

• 3 -5+ years of sanitation experience in a food or beverage manufacturing environment; juice, dairy, or high-acid/low-acid processing experience strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of CIP systems, sanitation chemistry, and validation methods --- you understand how chemical concentration, temperature, time, and flow rate interact
• Strong understanding of HACCP principles, GMP requirements, and FDA food safety regulations, including 21 CFR Part 120 (Juice HACCP)
• Experience managing or leading a sanitation crew --- you set expectations, coach in real time, and hold people accountable with fairness and consistency
• Hands-on familiarity with ATP testing equipment, environmental monitoring programs, and pre-op inspection processes
• Ability to read and execute sanitation SOPs, maintain accurate documentation, and communicate findings clearly to QA and plant leadership
• Comfort working across shifts and non-standard hours, including weekends and holidays when production demands require it
• PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification or SQF Practitioner certification is a plus
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred --- our production team is diverse and clear communication across language is valued