Sanitation Manager

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Sanitation Leadership
• Collaborate with site Sr. QA Manager, local leaders, and corporate partners to define/execute the facility’s sanitation strategy in alignment with plant and organization food safety objectives.
• Establish, sustain, and continuously improve sanitation SOPs, SSOPs, and hygienic design standards.
• Drive a preventive, risk-based sanitation culture focused on eliminating contamination risks
• Collaborate with operational teams on sanitation SOP’s, environmental monitoring, MSS, and food safety program support.
• Lead sanitation performance through KPIs, data analytics, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Food Safety & Risk Management
• Become site SME on environmental monitoring program (EMP) including trending, risk zoning, and pathogen control (e.g., Listeria and Salmonella )
• Lead root cause investigations and CAPA for microbiological, chemical and physical hazards to ensure food safety compliance.
• Ensure integration of sanitation programs with HACCP and food safety Preventive Controls
• Act as primary sanitation lead during food safety incidents and crisis response
• CIP Systems & Hygienic Design
• Provide technical leadership for CIP validation, verification, and optimization
• Ensure effective cleaning of complex dairy systems (tanks, HTST systems, evaporators, spray dryers, pipelines)
• Collaborate with corporate Sanitation and other cross-functional teams on equipment design, installation, and sanitary improvements
• Optimize chemical usage, water consumption, and cycle times while maintaining efficiency
• Team Leadership & Development
• Develop and integrate a Food Safety Sanitation and Quality culture through collaboration with site leadership.
• Coach team members while developing a multi-skilled team capable of supporting plant needs
• Drive engagement, accountability, and a strong safety culture sitewide.
• Ensure effective onboarding and ongoing training in sanitation, GMPs, and chemical safety
• Vendor & Resource Management
• Provide oversight of third-party vendors, including chemical suppliers, pest control, and sanitation service providers.
• Thorough review of service reports and timely execution of corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) for all identified findings.
• Evaluate vendor performance and leverage their technical expertise to achieve plant sanitation goals.
• Manage sanitation budget while identifying cost-savings initiatives and driving Sanitation/Food Safety performance.
• Compliance & Audit Leadership
• Lead plant readiness and response for regulatory inspections (FDA, USDA, CDFA) and customer audits
• Ensure sanitation documentation, validation records, and various training logs are within compliance standards
• Conduct internal audits and drive corrective actions to closure
• Act as backup to Quality leadership as needed
• Required Education & Experience:
• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry or related field with 5+ years of people leadership experience in a 24/7 food/dairy manufacturing processing or equivalent food plant experience.
• High School Diploma with 10 plus years of people leadership experience in a 24/7 food/dairy manufacturing processing or equivalent food plant experience OR
• Strong experience in dairy processing (fluid milk, butter, milk powder, UF and other dairy products)
• Required Technical Expertise:
• Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures
• CIP systems and validation
• Environmental monitoring and pathogen control
• Dairy microbiology (SPC, coliforms, pathogens)
• Sanitation chemistry (alkaline, acid, sanitizers)
• Preferred Technical Expertise:
• PMO (Grade “A” dairy requirements)
• Sanitary and hygienic design principles
• Required Leadership Competencies:
• Strategic thinking with strong execution capability
• Proven ability to lead teams in a 24/7 manufacturing environment
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills under pressure
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Data-driven mindset with focus on continuous improvement
• Work Environment
• 24/7 dairy manufacturing facility requiring on-call support
• Exposure to wet, cold, and variable processing environments
• Flexibility required for off-hours, weekends, and emergency response
• Salary Range: $93,360 - $140,040. In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry or related field with 5+ years of people leadership experience in a 24/7 food/dairy manufacturing processing or equivalent food plant experience.