Compensation: $80,000–$90,000 base salary

About the Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Sanitation Supervisor to lead and maintain the sanitation program at a food manufacturing facility.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who understands food-industry sanitation and CIP (Clean-in-Place) systems and can effectively coordinate sanitation activities with Production, Quality, Maintenance, and other plant teams.

The Sanitation Supervisor will oversee sanitation personnel and activities, maintain sanitation schedules and procedures, monitor CIP performance, identify sanitation risks and deficiencies, and ensure processing and product-contact equipment is properly cleaned, sanitized, verified, and ready for production.

The role requires someone who can bring an experienced perspective to the operation, identify opportunities for improvement, and confidently communicate when sanitation requirements need to take priority over production demands. The position also has the authority to delay production when sanitation requirements have not been met or when food safety or product quality could be compromised.

Team & Scope

Function: Sanitation / Quality Assurance / Operations
Team: Approximately 21 operators across three shifts, with 2 dedicated sanitation employees working primarily on first shift
Sanitation Coverage: Operators are responsible for sanitizing their own filling equipment, while dedicated sanitation personnel focus on facility cleaning and CIP
Schedule: Primarily Monday–Friday, approximately 5:00 AM–1:30 PM
Schedule Flexibility: Occasional later starts and periodic second- or third-shift visits based on sanitation and production needs
Weekend Support: Saturday or Sunday work may occasionally be required depending on production and cleaning needs
Leadership Scope: Assign, delegate, establish expectations, and hold sanitation activities accountable across the operation

Key Responsibilities

Sanitation Program Leadership

Lead and coordinate sanitation personnel and sanitation activities across the facility
Maintain and enforce the Master Sanitation Schedule
Assign and delegate sanitation activities and establish clear expectations
Ensure sanitation activities follow GMPs, SSOPs, sanitation procedures, and safety requirements
Maintain communication with Production, Quality Assurance, Maintenance, and other departments regarding sanitation readiness
Identify sanitation deficiencies, risks, and opportunities for improvement
Coordinate sanitation training and support employee development
Help maintain readiness for regulatory inspections and internal and external audits, including SQF-related requirements
Promote a positive, accountable, and team-oriented sanitation culture

CIP & Sanitation Systems

Manage and oversee the plant CIP program for processing and packaging equipment
Ensure CIP circuits are cleaned according to established procedures, schedules, and validated parameters
Monitor critical CIP parameters, including:
Time
Temperature
Chemical concentration
Flow
Valves and related system components
Ensure required CIP checks are completed and properly documented
Investigate CIP alarms, incomplete washes, failed cycles, deviations, and recurring sanitation issues
Maintain complete, accurate, and traceable CIP records
Work with Maintenance when pumps, valves, spray devices, tanks, or other equipment require repair or adjustment
Evaluate CIP changes or modifications before implementation
Use sanitation and CIP data to identify recurring issues and support continuous improvement

The facility's CIP program is a significant part of the role, and the successful candidate should already understand the fundamentals of CIP systems even though the specific system and facility processes can be learned. The underlying job description specifically calls for experience with CIP systems and food-contact equipment sanitation.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Accountability

Partner closely with Production to ensure sanitation activities are completed without compromising food safety or quality
Hold employees accountable for completing assigned sanitation activities and following established procedures
Identify and communicate sanitation readiness and deficiencies
Push back when production priorities conflict with required sanitation standards
Stop or delay production when sanitation requirements have not been met or conditions may compromise food safety or product quality
Coordinate corrective actions and follow issues through to resolution
Work with Maintenance and other departments to address equipment and sanitation-related issues

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will bring:

Minimum 3 years of related sanitation, food manufacturing, or equivalent experience
3–5 years of sanitation experience in food manufacturing preferred
Experience with CIP systems and food-contact equipment sanitation is required
Previous supervisory or lead experience preferred
Food manufacturing experience required
Dairy, milk processing, beverage, or other high-care food manufacturing experience strongly preferred
Strong understanding of CIP systems, including critical parameters such as time, temperature, chemical concentration, and flow
Knowledge of COP cleaning, food-contact surface sanitation, chemical concentration testing, sanitation verification, pre-op inspections, SSOPs, GMPs, and HACCP principles
Understanding of environmental and microbiological sanitation principles
Knowledge of pumps, valves, solenoids, piping systems, tanks and silos, pasteurizers, fillers, and packaging equipment
Strong ability to identify sanitation issues, determine corrective actions, and follow problems through resolution
Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively across Production, Quality, Maintenance, and other plant teams
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook
High school diploma or GED required
Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, or a related field is a plus
Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus

The Right Fit

This opportunity is ideal for a hands-on sanitation leader with food manufacturing experience who understands the connection between sanitation, food safety, product quality, and production readiness.

The ideal candidate will have strong CIP knowledge and be comfortable troubleshooting sanitation issues by evaluating factors such as time, temperature, chemical concentration, flow, valves, and other system parameters. You should also be comfortable partnering closely with Production and Maintenance while maintaining clear sanitation standards, even when production pressures are high.

This role also calls for someone who can bring structure, accountability, and a continuous-improvement mindset to the sanitation operation—identifying opportunities to strengthen processes and improve overall plant performance.

The position is primarily first shift, but flexibility is important. The supervisor may periodically visit second or third shift and may occasionally work weekends or adjusted hours based on production and sanitation needs. The role may also require work at night, on weekends, holidays, and during changing production schedules.

Martins Investment Group

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