Asociate Manager, Sanitation

How you will make history here...
The Associate Sanitation Manager leads and oversees site-wide sanitation, pest control, and waste management programs to ensure food safety, regulatory compliance, and operational readiness. This role provides both strategic direction and hands-on leadership for the Plant Services function, with a strong focus on continuous improvement, people development, and cost control.

Reporting to the Quality Manager, this position partners closely with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams and directly manages sanitation supervisors, leaders, and approximately 60 hourly associates across a 24/7 operation.

What you will do...
Sanitation, Food Safety & Pest Control Programs
•    Develop, implement, and continuously improve comprehensive, documented, and standardized sanitation and pest control programs.
•    Design, implement, and maintain an integrated Pest Control Program in alignment with company standards and regulatory requirements.
•    Ensure compliance with SSOPs, Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), allergen cleaning standards, and environmental controls.

People Leadership & Workforce Management
•    Select, train, develop, and supervise approximately 60 skilled hourly sanitation associates across a 24/7 operation.
•    Provide leadership, accountability, coaching, and performance management for Sanitation Supervisors, Leaders, and hourly teams.
•    Ensure adequate staffing, coverage, and supervision across all shifts, with emphasis on PM and overnight sanitation operations.

Cross Functional Collaboration & Metrics
•    Collaborate with Quality Assurance, Production, Supply Chain, Engineering, Maintenance, and other stakeholders to define sanitation objectives, metrics, and improvement plans.
•    Support plant performance metrics related to sanitation effectiveness, food safety, and operational readiness.

Policy Communication & Compliance
•    Partner with cross functional teams to communicate sanitation policies, expectations, and requirements.
•    Ensure consistent compliance with sanitation standards and regulatory requirements across the facility.

Budget, Cost & Resource Management
•    Develop, prepare, and manage the annual sanitation budget, including direct and indirect labor.
•    Approve orders for chemicals, supplies, and equipment using the SAP platform, with a strong focus on cost control and efficient usage.
Audits, Inspections & Regulatory Compliance
•    Lead and support plant inspections, internal audits, and external audits.
•    Ensure compliance with Pepperidge Farm standards, FDA regulations, and Safe Quality Foods Institute (SQF) requirements.

Other
•    Provide technical leadership and subject matter expertise in Sanitation, SSOPs, Sanitary Design, Pest Control, CIP/COP systems, Chemical Usage, Waste Management, Recycling, Confined Space, Allergen Cleaning and Testing, FSMA regulations, Preventive Controls, and Risk Assessment.
•    Enforce sanitation, food safety, quality, safety, and environmental standards for all Plant Services employees, ensuring compliance with GMPs, Allergen Control, Environmental Monitoring, Kosher requirements, and company safety policies.
•    Ensure all Plant Services employees follow safety requirements and use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to meet departmental safety objectives.
•    Develop, implement, and continuously improve SSOPs while staying current on emerging sanitation technologies, methods, chemicals, and regulatory requirements.
•    Provide coaching, training, troubleshooting, and performance feedback to Plant Services personnel.
•    Develop, implement, and maintain the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS) aligned with production demands; monitor task completion, effectiveness, and continuous improvement opportunities.
•    Oversee scheduling and daily execution of sanitation activities across a 24 hour operation, ensuring all shifts are properly staffed, supported, and guided.
•    Manage and approve sanitation-related purchases for the entire plant via SAP, ensuring availability of supplies while maintaining cost discipline.
•    Collaborate with Quality Assurance, Production, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Maintenance teams to meet functional sanitation needs and operational priorities.
•    Attend weekly Operations Management meetings and provide regular reporting on MSS performance, audit readiness, sanitation metrics, and project status.
•    Maintain strong organizational, documentation, communication, and time management skills, including effective use of Outlook Calendar and meeting tools.

Who you will work with...
•    Leads site wide sanitation, pest control, and waste management programs in a regulated food manufacturing environment. 
•    Oversees large, multi shift hourly workforce supporting continuous operations. 
•    Operates within a matrix structure, influencing cross functional and senior leadership. 
•    Balances food safety and regulatory compliance with operational efficiency, labor planning, and cost control. 
•    Supports audit preparedness, regulatory inspections, and continuous improvement initiatives impacting food safety and business performance.

What you bring to the table (must haves...):
•    High School Diploma or GED required
•    Minimum of 3+ years of sanitation experience within a manufacturing environment

It would be great if you have (nice to haves...):
•    Associate's or Bachelor's Degree preferred 
•    4+ years of sanitation experience within food manufacturing 

•    Wet sanitation experience

•    CIP experience

•    Experience working in an EMP managed facility
•    Demonstrated leadership experience in a multi shift, food manufacturing environment