Cedarlane Foods is seeking a motivated, hands-on Assistant Sanitation Manager to provide sanitation leadership and operational support across two facilities. This position serves as the primary day-shift sanitation decision-maker for Production and Quality Assurance (QA), ensuring that sanitation activities are completed efficiently, safely, and in compliance with applicable food safety and regulatory requirements.
The Assistant Sanitation Manager leads day-shift sanitation operations, responds to real-time production and QA needs, verifies equipment and facility readiness, and ensures that production schedule changes and sanitation requirements are communicated effectively to the night sanitation crew.
Working closely with the Sanitation Manager, Production, QA, and Maintenance, this role supports compliance with USDA, FDA, GFSI/SQF, GMP, HACCP, and other applicable food safety standards while promoting a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Sanitation Leadership and Daily Operations
Lead, direct, and coordinate day-shift sanitation activities across assigned facilities.
Oversee mid-shift cleaning, production changeovers, allergen cleaning, kettle and container washing, tray and utensil washing, spill cleanup, trash removal, and compactor management.
Respond promptly to sanitation requests from Production and QA, making informed decisions on the floor to minimize production delays.
Establish sanitation priorities, assign work to crew members, and adjust resources based on changing production requirements.
Review completed sanitation work and verify that equipment and production areas meet established standards before release.
Ensure compliance with the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs), and USDA pre-operational inspection requirements.
Maintain production areas, hallways, docks, and exterior areas to high standards of cleanliness, organization, and audit readiness.
Promote a 5S culture and ensure facilities remain customer-visit and audit ready.
Employee Training and Team Development
Train and coach day-shift sanitation employees on SSOPs, cleaning methods, chemical safety, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), allergen controls, and safe work practices.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date sanitation training records.
Monitor employee performance and reinforce accountability, teamwork, and adherence to established procedures.
Communication and Cross-Functional Collaboration
Attend QA and sanitation department meetings, required training sessions, and other operational meetings.
Foster effective communication and collaboration among Sanitation, Production, QA, and Maintenance.
Required Qualifications
High school diploma or equivalent required; post-secondary education in food science or a related field preferred.
Minimum of 3 5 years of progressive sanitation experience in food manufacturing, including at least two years in a lead or supervisory capacity. Experience in a USDA-regulated facility is strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of SSOPs, MSS, GMPs, HACCP principles, sanitation chemicals, and food safety programs.
Experience leading and training sanitation crews on cleaning procedures, chemical safety, and food safety requirements.
Experience supporting USDA pre-operational inspections, internal sanitation audits, and regulatory compliance activities.
Knowledge of sanitation chemical concentrations, titration, and proper chemical handling.
Understanding of allergen changeover cleaning, environmental monitoring, and Listeria control.
Experience working within a GFSI-recognized food safety program, such as SQF.
Knowledge of preventive pest control and waste management programs.
Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to make sound decisions independently while collaborating effectively with Production, QA, Maintenance, and management.
Key Competencies
Sanitation and Food Safety Knowledge: Strong understanding of sanitation practices, food safety programs, and applicable regulatory expectations.
Regulatory Compliance: Understanding of applicable food safety regulations and the ability to support USDA/FDA requirements and GFSI/SQF standards.
SSOP and MSS Execution: Ability to consistently implement sanitation procedures and ensure adherence to established cleaning schedules.
Leadership and Training: Ability to lead, coach, and hold sanitation team members accountable.
Communication and Teamwork: Ability to communicate clearly, coordinate effectively across departments, and ensure smooth shift handoffs.
Problem-Solving and Decision-Making: Ability to resolve sanitation issues, prioritize tasks, and make sound decisions while minimizing production disruptions.
Accountability and Continuous Improvement: Commitment to maintaining high standards, ensuring timely corrective actions, and driving measurable operational improvements.
Essential job functions
Work in a fast-paced, high-volume food manufacturing environment operating seven days a week, with flexible hours, including weekends, as needed.
Work in hot and cold conditions.
Stand, walk, bend, and perform repetitive hand and wrist movements throughout the shift.
Lift up to 40 pounds as needed.
Use and read scales, rulers, and other basic measuring tools.
Basic written and verbal communication skills in English.
Basic computer skills and mathematical proficiency.
Work independently and adapt to changing operational priorities.
Bilingual English/Spanish skills strongly preferred.
Success in This Role
The successful candidate will be a hands-on sanitation leader who can balance production demands with rigorous food safety standards. They will demonstrate sound judgment, strong communication, effective team leadership, and the ability to maintain consistent sanitation performance while adapting to changing operational priorities.
Cedarlane Foods is seeking a results-driven professional who takes pride in maintaining safe, clean, compliant, and production-ready facilities every day.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Vision insurance