Sr. Sanitation Manager-Sanitation Fresh - Shift 3

Sr. Sanitation Manager

The Sr. Sanitation Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for sanitation programs across multiple facilities, including the Bakersfield campus and two regional operations. This role is responsible for developing and executing sanitation strategies that ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, food safety standards, and company policies while supporting operational efficiency.

The Sr. Sanitation Manager leads sanitation operations, drives continuous improvement initiatives, and develops sanitation leadership teams while collaborating cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Food Safety & Quality, and Environmental Health & Safety. This role plays a critical part in risk mitigation, regulatory readiness, pathogen control, and protecting product integrity, ensuring sanitation programs consistently support world-class food safety and operational performance.

Job duties include:

• Develop and drive the long-term sanitation strategy for the facility, ensuring alignment with company food safety objectives, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Lead sanitation readiness and response strategies for regulatory inspections, third-party audits, and customer audits, ensuring the facility maintains a state of continuous compliance and audit preparedness.
• Identify sanitation-related food safety risks, operational gaps, and pathogen control vulnerabilities, and implement preventive controls and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for sanitation and hygienic practices, providing guidance to Operations, Food Safety & Quality, Maintenance, and Engineering leadership.
• Drive sanitation-related capital improvement initiatives, including equipment upgrades, infrastructure improvements, and hygienic design enhancements to improve cleanability and reduce contamination risks.
• Establish sanitation performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure sanitation effectiveness, drive accountability, and support operational excellence.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts related to sanitation failures, environmental monitoring positives, or food safety deviations.

This position requires 20% travel several times per year to regional facilities in Washington and Georgia to support sanitation program alignment, conduct site assessments, provide leadership guidance, and ensure consistent execution of sanitation and food safety standards across all operations.

Team leadership & development includes:

• Lead and develop the sanitation leadership structure to ensure consistent execution of sanitation programs, clear accountability, and effective communication across the facility.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, food safety ownership, and continuous improvement within the sanitation organization.
• Provide coaching, leadership development, and performance management to supervisors, leads, and sanitation personnel.
• Ensure all team members are properly trained on sanitation procedures, chemical handling, equipment cleaning protocols, food safety standards, and safety requirements.
• Support workforce planning, training initiatives, and employee engagement efforts to maintain a capable and high-performing sanitation team.

Compliance & food safety includes:

• Ensure facility sanitation practices comply with regulatory requirements, internal policies, and customer expectations.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Food Safety teams to investigate sanitation-related issues and implement corrective actions.
• Lead sanitation readiness for regulatory inspections, third-party audits, and customer audits.
• Support environmental monitoring and sanitation verification programs.
• Oversee procurement and inventory management of sanitation chemicals, supplies, and equipment.
• Ensure proper chemical usage, storage, and documentation in accordance with safety and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with Maintenance and Engineering to ensure proper equipment cleaning, design, and functionality.

Documentation & reporting includes:

• Ensure accurate documentation of sanitation procedures, verification activities, chemical usage, sanitation records, wash permits, and Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS) cleaning activities.
• Review and verify wash permits and MSS cleaning schedules to ensure proper execution, regulatory compliance, and alignment with facility sanitation standards.
• Analyze sanitation data and performance metrics to identify trends, risks, and continuous improvement opportunities.
• Provide regular updates and sanitation performance reports to senior leadership, highlighting sanitation effectiveness, compliance status, and improvement initiatives.

Environmental and APC monitoring & verification includes:

• Partners with Food Safety and Quality teams to review environmental monitoring results, identify trends, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Collaborate with Quality and Operations to ensure Zone 1 food contact surfaces are being cleaned and sanitized appropriately, using APC results and sanitation verification data to validate cleaning effectiveness.
• Ensure appropriate sanitation responses and intensified cleaning procedures are implemented when environmentally positive or sanitation deviations occur.
• Drive continuous improvement in environmental monitoring strategies to strengthen pathogen control and sanitation verification.

Hygienic design & sanitary infrastructure includes:

• Collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, and Operations to ensure equipment and facility infrastructure meet hygienic design standards.
• Provide sanitation leadership in new equipment installations, facility modifications, and capital projects to ensure cleanability and sanitation efficiency.
• Identify and mitigate sanitary design risks related to equipment, drains, traffic flow, and facility layout.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that enhance sanitation effectiveness, reduce contamination risks, and improve operational efficiency.

Cross-functional collaboration includes:

• Partner with Production, Maintenance, Food Safety & Quality, and EHS to support operational goals while maintaining sanitation compliance.
• Lead or participate in continuous improvement initiatives related to sanitation, hygiene design, and operational efficiency.
• Support implementation of sanitation best practices and industry standards.
• Oversee operations in both the Bakersfield Campus and two regional campuses.

Required skills and abilities include:

• Deep knowledge of sanitation programs, food safety systems, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage large teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Experience driving continuous improvement initiatives and sanitation program optimization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Effective communicator with the ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Strong organizational and operational planning skills.

Minimum qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related scientific discipline, with 10+ years of progressive experience leading sanitation operations in food manufacturing, including demonstrated leadership of large sanitation teams and responsibility for sanitation programs supporting regulatory compliance, food safety standards, and operational excellence.
• At least 5 years of leadership or management experience.
• Bilingual in Spanish required.
• Candidates must have a verifiable history of safe vehicle operation and meet company standards for driving eligibility. This includes maintaining a clean driving record, which will be verified through a background check.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Masters Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field. HACCP, Food Safety, or Sanitation certification.
• Experience leading sanitation programs within a regulated food manufacturing environment.
• OSHA 10-hour certification.
• Experience with Lean, 5S, or continuous improvement methodologies.

Physical demands include:

• Environmental exposure – cold/wet/dry conditions (34° Fahrenheit or below/subzero and warm temperature above 90° Fahrenheit), will work in the warehouse building and, in all plants (indoor and outdoor)
• Exposure to mechanical parts that vary in temperature from freezing hot temperatures in excess to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Exposure to hazards such as moving machinery, electrical current, and chemicals.
• Ability to lift, push, pull, and/or carry up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to ascend and descend ladders, scaffolding, using 3-point contact on a regular basis
• Ability to use hands and arms to grasp, manipulate, and handle scanning objects in one position or in a repetitive motion for an extended period of time.
• Ability to stand for long periods of time
• Support weekends and holidays as needed.

Hours & workdays include:

• 3rd Shift (11:00 pm – 8:00 am) Tuesday through Saturday, when business requires before/after hours, holidays, and weekends, will be mandatory.

What we offer:

Our rich benefits packages are designed to support the health and well-being of both our eligible co-workers and their families.

• Medical
• Dental