Sanitation Manager

Russell Stover loves chocolate and its employees. We produce more than 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands are found in 13 company‑owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and help us continue making chocolate lovers happy. Sanitation Manager As the Sanitation Manager you will lead the site’s sanitation team of 20+ employees, overseeing plant sanitation and warehouse cleaning, chemical usage, PPE, sanitation processes (COP, CIP, manual), SSOP, sanitary design, and regulatory compliance. You will develop, implement, and continuously improve sanitation programs, policies, and KPIs, ensuring a positive culture and collaboration across departments. What You Will Be Doing Lead the overall direction and results of the plant sanitation program for the plant, warehouse, and grounds. Plan, direct, and supervise the sanitation team to ensure efficient execution of routine tasks. Manage significant budget for chemicals, PPE, supplies, etc. Advise management on the effectiveness of routine sanitation and cleaning programs, ensuring continuous improvement and regulatory compliance. Oversee follow‑up and corrective actions related to Environmental Monitoring Programs. Conduct sanitary design reviews and develop sanitation plans and verification procedures for new equipment start‑ups, product launches, and equipment relocations. Investigate sanitation issues that result in product contamination, reduced shelf‑life, or customer rejection. Partner with chemical suppliers to optimize products, explore new cleaning technologies, and coordinate trials. Recommend equipment changes, retrofits, and design modifications to improve sanitary design. Collaborate with Engineering and vendors to ensure new or modified equipment meets all sanitary and regulatory requirements before installation. Foster a culture of continuous improvement by promoting adoption of enhanced cleaning procedures, equipment, technologies, and advancements in sanitation. Conduct internal sanitation audits. Ensure compliance with Russell Stover Chocolates Quality, Sanitation, and Food Safety Systems. Promote employee safety through training, coaching, LOTO, and observation. Participate in internal quality and GMP audits of the plant. Partner with the Quality Manager to ensure success of any third‑party facility inspections. Address and communicate any issues or potential issues to management in a timely manner. Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines to ensure product quality and uphold food safety standards. Learn to identify and address potential food‑safety hazards, process deviations, or non‑conformities, maintaining proactive communication with supervisors. Document food safety and quality procedures, maintaining detailed records of monitoring, verification and corrective actions. Additional Duties This job posting is not all inclusive; other duties may be assigned. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience. 5+ years in a supervisory role. 5+ years in manufacturing. Knowledge of Food Safety standards (AIB, GFSI, etc.). Experience with internal auditing and familiarity with FDA regulations, FSMA, GMPs, HACCP, Food Allergens, Pest Control, and the Principles of Food Safety. Knowledge of cleaning chemicals and sanitizers. Solid business judgment and decision making. Appropriate attention to detail and ability to balance multiple tasks. Excellent communication skills and ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation. Ability to work a flexible schedule. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or other related field. Excellent knowledge of sanitary design, sanitation, and pest management in food processing. Excellent understanding of microbiological organisms and their impact on process design, sanitary design, and sanitation. Knowledge in using a full range of statistical and analytical tools and fundamentals. Experience Life at Russell Stover Plants Safety First: Protective gear and daily GMP training, continuous safety tips. Environment: Work with automated packing machines, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and chocolate candy banks. Active Work: On your feet, moving, climbing, lifting up to 50 lbs; never dull. Climate: Comfortable year‑round in a climate‑controlled environment. Aroma: Sweet chocolate aromas throughout the shift. Dress Code: Simple yet important food‑safety style, following GMP to keep everything running smoothly. Allergens You will be exposed to a variety of ingredients that may be considered food allergens. Equal Employment Opportunity At Russell Stover Chocolates , we don’t just accept difference—we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal‑opportunity workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law. Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I‑9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks. #J-18808-Ljbffr Russell Stover Chocolates