Sanitation Supervisor

Sanitation SupervisorThe Sanitation Supervisor leads a small sanitation team and works hands-on to clean and sanitize food-processing equipment, utensils, rooms, and support areas in a high-care food manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for ensuring that all sanitation tasks are completed safely, thoroughly, and on time, and for turning over clean, inspection-ready equipment and rooms to Quality and Production each day. The position is primarily plant-floor based, requiring active involvement in assigning work, performing sanitation tasks, inspecting results, coaching team members, completing records, and responding promptly to sanitation or food-safety issues.ResponsibilitiesLead, schedule, and work alongside one or two sanitation employees, assigning daily tasks and verifying that all work is completed safely, correctly, and on time.Disassemble, clean, sanitize, inspect, and reassemble processing and packaging equipment as trained and authorized, including mixers, kettles, pumps, transfer hoses and piping, fillers, conveyors, utensils, tanks, floors, walls, drains, coolers, and support areas.Ensure fillers, pumps, transfer hoses, gaskets, O-rings, valves, fittings, and other product-contact components are disassembled to the required level, inspected for condition and residue, thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and correctly reassembled before release.Execute approved wet-cleaning, dry-pickup, CIP, COP, and manual-cleaning procedures while preventing splash, aerosol, drainage, and cross-contamination risks.Follow and enforce sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs), the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), periodic equipment cleaning (PEC), periodic infrastructure cleaning (PIC), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), hygienic zoning, allergen controls, and color-coded tool requirements.Ensure safe selection, labeling, mixing, concentration checks, application, contact time, rinsing, and storage of cleaning chemicals in accordance with procedures, product labels, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), and training.Follow and enforce safety rules related to PPE, Lockout/Tagout, machine guarding, ladders, electrical safety, hot water, compressed air, and other sanitation safety requirements, and immediately report unsafe conditions, injuries, near misses, equipment damage, leaks, or chemical concerns.Conduct detailed self-inspections and support formal pre-operational inspections, promptly correct deficiencies, and notify Quality when equipment and areas are ready for release.Exercise the authority and responsibility to stop sanitation activities or delay turnover to Production when equipment or the processing environment does not meet established sanitation or food-safety requirements, while recognizing that final pre-operational release remains the responsibility of Quality.Complete all required sanitation records accurately and in real time, including SSOP signoffs, MSS tasks, chemical checks, corrective actions, re-cleaning activities, and shift handoff notes.Support sanitation verification and validation activities such as visual inspections, ATP testing, protein or allergen swabbing, and microbiological or environmental sampling as directed by Quality.Maintain heightened control of conditions that can support Listeria harborage or movement within the refrigerated ready-to-eat environment, including standing water, condensation, drains, damaged surfaces, equipment niches, wheels and footwear, hoses, cleaning tools, and uncontrolled movement between hygiene zones.Protect the ready-to-eat environment by controlling employee, tool, footwear, water, waste, and equipment movement between raw, low-hygiene, and high-care zones.Support allergen changeovers and ensure the required level of equipment disassembly and cleaning is completed before verification and release.Respond to environmental-monitoring findings, roof leaks, drain backups, condensation, damaged tools, and other contamination risks by containing the area, stopping unsafe work when necessary, notifying Quality and Management, and carrying out approved corrective actions.Identify and immediately report cracked welds, pitted or corroded surfaces, damaged seals or gaskets, hollow or unsealed framework, damaged conveyor components, and other sanitary-design deficiencies that prevent effective cleaning and sanitation.Assist in investigating repeat sanitation failures or environmental positives through observation, vector-swabbing support, equipment and facility inspections, and root-cause follow-up, and avoid treating repeated cleaning as a substitute for finding and correcting the source.Inspect sanitation tools and equipment before use, and remove cracked, rusted, shedding, damaged, or difficult-to-clean tools from service.Coordinate closely with Quality, Production, and Maintenance on shutdowns, equipment access, repairs, sanitary design concerns, pre-operational release, production startup, and shift handoff.Train and coach sanitation employees on SSOPs, chemical safety, equipment cleaning, hygienic zoning, allergen control, documentation, and proper use of PPE and sanitation tools.Maintain adequate supplies of chemicals, PPE, brushes, squeegees, hoses, foaming equipment, test materials, and other sanitation items, and report shortages before they affect the sanitation schedule.Participate in audit preparation, corrective actions, continuous improvement initiatives, and efforts to reduce re-cleaning, sanitation time, chemical waste, and water use without weakening food-safety controls.Perform other related sanitation and food-safety duties as assigned.Essential SkillsAt least two years of hands-on sanitation experience in a food-processing or food-manufacturing facility.Proven ability to safely clean and sanitize food-processing equipment and production areas using written SSOPs.Working knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), food-contact surface sanitation, chemical safety, PPE, Lockout/Tagout, and safe equipment disassembly and reassembly.Ability to read, understand, complete, and enforce sanitation procedures, chemical labels, safety information, checklists, and records.Ability to lead by example on the plant floor, give clear instructions, coach respectfully, hold employees accountable, and communicate problems promptly.Ability to work the assigned shift and any required overtime, weekends, or holidays based on production needs.Hands-on experience with sanitation practices in food production, including cleaning, sanitizing, and following SOPs and GMPs.Experience functioning as a lead or informal leader in a production or sanitation environment, with readiness to supervise a small crew.Comfort working with and around approved cleaning chemicals while following all safety guidelines.Ability to perform physically demanding sanitation tasks such as repetitive scrubbing, bending, kneeling, reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting.Additional Skills & QualificationsPrior lead or supervisory experience in a food-processing or food-manufacturing environment is preferred.Sanitation experience in refrigerated ready-to-eat dips, hummus, spreads, sauces, dairy, deli foods, cooked foods, or other high-care or high-moisture facilities.Experience with CIP and COP systems, pumps, fillers, kettles or mixers, hoses and piping, allergen changeovers, ATP testing, environmental monitoring, and Listeria-control programs.Experience working in an SQF, BRCGS, AIB, or other GFSI-certified facility.HACCP, PCQI, food-safety, chemical-safety, or sanitation training or certification.Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills.Strong initiative and a proactive mindset suited to a working supervisor or lead role.Experience as an industrial cleaner, sanitation worker, or in food manufacturing or food production environments.Ability to use and maintain sanitation tools such as hoses, foamers, scrubbers, brushes, squeegees, and pressure-cleaning equipment.Why Work Here?This opportunity offers the chance to step into or grow within a supervisory role while remaining closely connected to hands-on work on the production floor. You will work in a culture that values initiative, accountability, and continuous improvement in food safety and sanitation. The environment supports professional development through exposure to advanced sanitation practices, audits, and food-safety programs, as well as training in areas such as chemical safety, HACCP, and GFSI standards. You will have the opportunity to influence daily operations, mentor team members, and contribute directly to a safe, high-quality food-production environment.Work EnvironmentThis role is based on the plant floor in a food-processing facility and is not a desk-based position. You will regularly stand and walk for extended periods, bend, kneel, reach, push, pull, and perform repetitive scrubbing and cleaning motions. The position requires the ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation.