Job Description

JOB PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

The Sanitation Manager provides leadership and direction for  sanitation program across the Osceola, AR facility. This role ensures effective cleaning, sanitizing, and environmental control practices to maintain a safe, hygienic, and audit-ready food manufacturing environment.

The Sanitation Manager oversees sanitation processes, SSOPs, master sanitation schedules, sanitation staff, chemical usage, and verification activities—including allergen, pathogen, and environmental monitoring controls.

The role directly supports Food Safety and Quality Management System and SQF programs by ensuring all sanitation activities are properly executed, documented, verified, and continuously improved. This position builds a proactive sanitation culture aligned with global quality initiatives and long-term operational excellence strategies.

Support the review, understanding and compliance of all programs, policies and procedures contained in the Food Safety and Quality Management System. Understand my role in food safety and regulatory responsibilities as required by the SQF Food Safety Code and report any food safety concerns to initiate appropriate action.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Item % of Time Job Function 1 30 Lead the Sanitation Program for the Facility. Oversee daily sanitation operations, SSOP execution, CIP/COP processes, and the Master Sanitation Schedule. Ensure all sanitation procedures include preparation, cleaning, sanitizing, air-drying, and verification activities (visual inspection, ATP, and microbiological/environmental swabbing as applicable). Manage sanitation staffing and schedules to support production flow and minimize downtime. 2 20 Ensure Regulatory, SQF, and Customer Compliance. Maintain sanitation documentation including cleaning logs, chemical concentration records, environmental monitoring results, allergen controls, and sanitation-related records required for certifications and audits. Partner with Quality to ensure pre-op readiness and audit preparedness. Support internal audits, third-party audits, customer visits, and regulatory inspections. 3 20 Manage & Develop the Sanitation Team. Supervise sanitation leads and crew members. Provide training on sanitation techniques, safe chemical handling, equipment disassembly and reassembly, allergen cleaning controls, and contamination prevention. Conduct performance reviews, coaching, and cross-training to build capability, reliability, and retention. 4 15 Continuous Improvement & Risk Reduction. Conduct routine sanitation audits, GMP and housekeeping reviews, and sanitation risk assessments. Lead root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) for sanitation deviations, environmental findings, and audit non-conformances. Drive improvements through 5S, visual controls, sanitation effectiveness trending, and sanitation optimization projects. 5 15 Chemical & Equipment Management. Own selection, safe storage, and proper use of approved sanitation chemicals and equipment. Ensure chemical dispensing and verification (time, temperature, concentration, and mechanical action) meet requirements. Manage inventory, procurement, PPE compliance, and SDS adherence. Coordinate with Maintenance on sanitary design repairs, equipment condition, and hygienic improvements.

POSITION DIMENSIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Positions Supervised:

Internal Contacts:

Direct contact with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, CI&I, Warehouse, Sanitation Team, and all plant personnel.

External Contacts:

 Chemical suppliers, pest control providers, auditors (SQF/regulatory), sanitation services vendors, and equipment sanitation specialists.

Education Level and Focus:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Food Science, Microbiology, Operations Management, Environmental Science, or related field.

• Relevant certifications strongly preferred: HACCP, SQF Practitioner, AIB, GMP, CIP, OSHA; PCQI a plus.

Experience:

• 5–10 years sanitation experience in food or beverage manufacturing, with at least 2–3 years in a supervisory/management role.

• Proven experience building and sustaining SSOPs, Master Sanitation Schedules, sanitation verification activities, and audit readiness.

• Experience coordinating sanitation around production schedules while managing downtime and operational priorities.

• Demonstrated capability leading corrective actions, sanitation investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, age, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable laws or regulations. GPAC (Growing People and Companies) is an award-winning search firm specializing in placing quality professionals within multiple industries across the United States since 1990. We are extremely competitive, client-focused and realize that our value is in our ability to deliver the right solutions at the right time.