Sanitation Manager (Poultry)

Role Purpose

The Sanitation Manager is responsible for leading and executing all sanitation programs within a USDA-FSIS regulated poultry processing facility to ensure food safety, regulatory compliance, and operational readiness. This role ensures effective implementation of SSOPs, supports HACCP programs, manages environmental monitoring, and drives a strong sanitation and food safety culture across the plant.

Key Responsibilities

Sanitation Operations

• Manage all plant sanitation activities including slaughter, evisceration, deboning, further processing, packaging, and common areas.

• Develop, implement, and maintain Master Sanitation Schedules (MSS).

• Ensure equipment and facilities are cleaned and sanitized to meet USDA, company, and customer requirements.

• Coordinate sanitation activities to support efficient production start-ups and changeovers.

Regulatory Compliance & Food Safety

• Ensure compliance with USDA-FSIS regulations, including:

  • Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)

  • HACCP prerequisite programs

  • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)

• Support FSIS inspections, regulatory visits, and enforcement actions.

• Maintain accurate sanitation documentation, records, and corrective actions.

• Participate in HACCP meetings and food safety risk assessments as required.

Environmental Monitoring & Verification

• Lead the plant Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) for pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria spp.

• Conduct investigations of positive findings, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions.

• Verify sanitation effectiveness through inspections, ATP testing, microbiological results, and trend analysis.

Team Leadership & Training

• Lead, supervise, and schedule sanitation teams, typically operating on night or off-shifts.

• Train employees on sanitation procedures, chemical handling, PPE, and food safety expectations.

• Enforce safety, hygiene, and chemical compliance requirements.

• Build accountability and engagement within the sanitation team.

Chemical, Equipment & Supplier Management

• Manage sanitation chemicals, tools, and equipment, ensuring proper use, storage, and labeling per OSHA and USDA requirements.

• Work closely with sanitation chemical suppliers and third-party service providers.

• Partner with Maintenance to address hygienic design issues and equipment repair needs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Quality, Food Safety, Maintenance, and Operations teams.

• Support new product launches, line changes, and capital projects from a sanitation perspective.

• Assist in internal audits, customer audits, and third-party certifications (e.g., SQF, BRCGS, if applicable).

Continuous Improvement

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on:

  • Reducing sanitation downtime

  • Improving first-pass start-up approvals

  • Lowering chemical and water usage

• Track sanitation KPIs and lead corrective actions based on trends and performance data.

Required Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Minimum 3-5 years of sanitation leadership experience in a US poultry or meat processing facility.

• Strong working knowledge of USDA-FSIS regulations, SSOPs, HACCP, and GMPs.

• Experience managing off-shift / night sanitation crews.

• Hands-on experience with environmental monitoring programs.

• Strong leadership and communication skills.

• Ability to work flexible hours and respond to food safety issues as needed.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Microbiology, or related field.

• HACCP certification and/or PCQI training.

• Experience in further-processed or RTE poultry operations.

• Familiarity with GFSI standards (SQF, BRCGS).