Job Description

Position Summary

The Sanitation Supervisor leads all sanitation and janitorial activities to ensure a clean, safe, and compliant production environment, supporting food safety through effective procedures and staff management in line with USDA, FDA, SQF, and internal standards. This role works closely with Quality Assurance, Maintenance, and Operations to drive continuous hygiene improvements, audit readiness, and foster a culture of cleanliness, teamwork, communication, and accountability across shifts, while maintaining composure under pressure. Additionally, the Supervisor manages the Environmental Monitoring Program by overseeing swabbing, microbial data analysis, deviation management, and corrective actions, with experience in sanitation tracking systems. The position requires a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends, to meet operational needs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

Strategic Sanitation & Hygiene Oversight:

• Ensures all sanitation, hygiene, and janitorial protocols meet or exceed Food Safety, Quality Assurance (FSQA), and regulatory requirements, demonstrating that the facility is maintained in a sanitary condition suitable for food production.
• Collaborates with FSQA and Operations to drive continuous improvement in cleaning and sanitation practices by developing and maintaining Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), hygiene controls, and sanitation training programs.
• Supports the development, implementation, and revision of sanitation programs aligned with SQF and other food safety certifications.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensures compliance with USDA, FDA, OSHA, and PA Dept of Agriculture sanitation requirements by implementing scientifically sound and defendable sanitation methods and schedules.
• Maintains strong working relationships with regulatory bodies and certification agencies.
• Leads sanitation readiness and support for daily USDA verification tasks, third-party audits, FDA inspections, and environmental monitoring programs.

Sanitation Process Optimization:

• Identifies trends and improvement opportunities related to sanitation effectiveness and facility cleanliness.
• Investigates sanitation-related issues (e.g., allergen cross-contact, environmental swabs, or foreign material findings), determining root causes and implementing corrective actions promptly.
• Oversee the daily activities, performance, and ongoing training of sanitation and janitorial staff, ensuring high standards of cleanliness, safety, and compliance are met throughout the facility.

Documentation, Monitoring & Reporting:

• Ensures accurate and timely completion of sanitation logs, verification checklists, and inspection reports.
• Analyzes sanitation data to identify recurring issues and propose targeted improvements.
• Prepares and presents reports on sanitation performance, trends, corrective actions, and audit readiness to management.

Key Metrics:

• Program Updates: Ensure all SSOP and sanitation program revisions are completed and communicated within 15 days of regulatory or operational changes.
• Internal Audits: Complete 100% of sanitation self-inspections monthly; implement all corrective actions within 72 hours.
• Incident Resolution: Address and resolve all sanitation-related non-compliances or incidents within 72 hours, with full corrective action implementation within 5 business days.
• Audit Preparedness: Achieve a passing rate on all third-party audits with no critical or major findings in sanitation sections.
• Training Compliance: Ensure 100% of sanitation staff complete the required food safety and sanitation training within designated timeframes; provide refresher training semi-annually.

Core Competencies

• Team leadership and coaching
• Root cause problem solving
• Working knowledge of sanitation chemicals
• Reading/interpreting swab data
• Handling audits and corrective actions

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Associate's or bachelor’s degree in environmental health, Food Safety, Industrial Hygiene, or related field preferred. 

• Minimum 3 years of experience in sanitation within a food manufacturing environment; supervisory experience required.

• Strong interpersonal skills with a focus on teamwork, effective communication, and coordination with Quality, Operations, and Maintenance teams under pressure.

• Flexible work schedule, including potential night and weekend shifts as required by operational needs.

• Strong understanding of SSOPs, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and sanitation chemical usage.

• Familiarity with USDA, FDA, and SQF requirements related to sanitation and environmental monitoring.

• Lead environmental monitoring activities, ensuring proper implementation of sanitation protocols, timely testing, and documentation to maintain compliance with food safety standards.

• Excellent leadership, team development, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving ability, with capability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office and capable of using sanitation and compliance tracking systems such as SafetyChain or equivalent.

• Comfortable working in cold, wet, and variable production conditions.

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