Sanitization Lead

The Role: Our Clearwater facility is the operational heart of juice and supplement manufacturing plant where food safety is not a checkbox, it is the foundation. We are looking for a Sanitation Lead / Supervisor who owns the cleanliness, safety, and regulatory compliance of our production environment with the same precision and urgency we bring to every product we make. This is a hands-on leadership role. You will manage a sanitation team, run CIP systems, enforce HACCP protocols, and ensure our facility meets and exceeds the standards required to produce safe, high-quality juice products at scale. You will work closely with Production, Quality, and EHS to keep the plant running cleanly and compliantly --- every shift, every day.

What You'll Do: Specialized Juice Plant Operations Manage CIP (Clean-in-Place) Systems: Oversee automated cleaning loops for closed systems including pasteurizers, storage tanks, and extensive piping networks --- ensuring chemical concentrations, contact times, and temperatures meet validated parameters Control Biofilms and Yeast / Mold: Enforce strict sanitation cycles to eliminate persistent biofilms, wild yeasts, and molds that thrive on juice sugars; identify recurring contamination sources and implement corrective action Allergen Management: Coordinate thorough changeover cleanings to prevent cross-contamination when the plant processes both allergen-containing products (e.g., soy or almond milks) and pure fruit juices --- maintaining complete changeover documentation Acid and Sugar Removal: Ensure proper chemical concentrations --- typically highly alkaline cleaners followed by acid rinses --- to fully dissolve sticky fruit sugars and mineral scales across all contact surfaces Sanitation Crew Leadership: Schedule, train, and supervise sanitation team members across all shifts; set performance expectations, conduct observations, and hold the team accountable to SOP compliance Regulatory and Validation Focus Juice HACCP Compliance: Maintain precise documentation to demonstrate that the sanitation process supports the required 5-log reduction of target pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and others) in full alignment with 21 CFR Part 120 ATP and Swab Testing: Perform and manage environmental monitoring programs including rapid ATP swabbing on filling nozzles, filler bowls, and critical validation points --- review results, investigate failures, and approve or hold production release Wastewater Monitoring: Coordinate with plant engineers to monitor high-sugar, high-BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) sanitation runoff entering the wastewater system; ensure discharge compliance with local permit requirements Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS): Own and maintain the facility MSS --- schedule deep-clean cycles for all equipment, zones, and hard-to-reach surfaces; track completion and close out findings on time Regulatory Readiness: Ensure the facility is inspection-ready at all times for FDA, SQF, or customer audits; lead or support sanitation-related audit walkthroughs and response to findings Cross-Functional Partnership Partner with Quality Assurance on pre-operational and operational sanitation inspections --- ensure sign-off processes are followed before production release Collaborate with Production Supervisors to schedule sanitation windows that minimize downtime while meeting clean-out requirements What You'll Bring 3 -5+ years of sanitation experience in a food or beverage manufacturing environment; juice, dairy, or high-acid/low-acid processing experience strongly preferred Working knowledge of CIP systems, sanitation chemistry, and validation methods --- you understand how chemical concentration, temperature, time, and flow rate interact Strong understanding of HACCP principles, GMP requirements, and FDA food safety regulations, including 21 CFR Part 120 (Juice HACCP) Experience managing or leading a sanitation crew --- you set expectations, coach in real time, and hold people accountable with fairness and consistency Hands-on familiarity with ATP testing equipment, environmental monitoring programs, and pre-op inspection processes Ability to read and execute sanitation SOPs, maintain accurate documentation, and communicate findings clearly to QA and plant leadership Comfort working across shifts and non-standard hours, including weekends and holidays when production demands require it PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) certification or SQF Practitioner certification is a plus Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred --- our production team is diverse and clear communication across language is valued