Sanitation Governance Manager

As employees of a farmer-owned cooperative, we come to work every day trying to honor the tireless effort and care these farming families put in every day, all day, 365 days a year. Our farmer-owners tend to think in generations, with some of our farms being run by the same families for over a century. We carry this approach into our business, knowing that each and every one of us makes a difference in allowing these generational traditions to continue, taking pride in knowing that we nourish our friends, neighbors, nation, and even the world with healthy and delicious dairy products. Our products include milk, flavored milk, yogurt, dip, sour cream, cottage cheese, Italian cheese, and ice cream mix marketed under the Upstate Farms, Bison, Milk for Life, and Intense Milk brands.

Job Overview: As the Sanitation Governance Manager, you will play a critical role in ensuring the highest standards of sanitation and food safety within our food and beverage manufacturing facilities. You will be responsible for providing direction to the site level sanitation leaders providing expectations, standards, and structure to cleaning and disinfection processes. You will partner with plant level leaders, as well as corporate and site quality leaders on implementing and maintaining food safety programs to meet regulatory requirements and company standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide governance to the sanitation teams at all locations, providing guidance, training, and support to ensure effective performance.

• Collaborate with plant leaders to schedule and coordinate sanitation activities to minimize production disruptions while maintaining the highest sanitation standards.

• Develop and implement cleaning and sanitation procedures for all processing equipment, production areas, and facilities.

• Monitor and inspect cleaning processes to ensure compliance with company protocols and regulatory standards.

• Ensure compliance with all relevant food safety regulations, including but not limited to HACCP, FSMA, and GMP.

• Conduct regular audits and inspections to identify potential risks and areas for improvement.

• Maintain accurate records of sanitation activities, including cleaning schedules, sanitation logs, and incident reports.

• Collaborate with S&OP process to ensure we maintain best practices with sanitation by allowing planned downtime when work cannot be done on off hours.

• Prepare and submit reports to regulatory agencies as required.

• Provide ongoing training to sanitation staff on best practices, safety protocols, and regulatory compliance.

• Stay updated on industry trends and advancements in sanitation and food safety.

• Collaborate with suppliers to ensure the quality and availability of cleaning and sanitation products and equipment.

• Develop and implement emergency response procedures for sanitation-related incidents.

• Willing to be flexible in their schedule to allow for support of off-hour sanitation teams and willingness to take calls outside of normal business hours.

• Other duties as assigned.

Experience & Education

• Bachelor's degree in food science, Microbiology, or a related field is preferred. Or an equivalent combination of education, and relevant workplace experience.

• 5+ years of leadership in cGMP environments that required a high level of sanitation as part of your direct area of responsibility

• In-depth knowledge of food safety regulations and standards preferred.

• Strong leadership and team management skills.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining high standards of cleanliness and safety.

• Certification in Food Safety (e.g., Certified Food Safety Manager) is a plus.

Knowledge & Skills

• In-depth knowledge of food safety regulations and standards, including HACCP, FSMA, and cGMP is preferred.

• Strong leadership and team management skills with the ability to motivate and supervise sanitation personnel.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact with cross-functional teams, regulatory agencies, and suppliers.

• Exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining high standards of cleanliness and safety.

• Strong problem-solving skills to identify sanitation issues, implement corrective actions, and prevent recurrence.

• Certification in Food Safety (e.g., Certified Food Safety Manager) is often preferred or required.

• Proficiency in using relevant software for documentation, reporting, and data analysis.

Confidentiality

The Sanitation Governance Manager may be periodically exposed to confidential and/or proprietary information relative to production methods, customers and company strategy. A high degree of confidentiality is required in this role.

Management Responsibility

The Sanitation Governance Manager has shared management responsibilities for the Sanitarian Team in collaboration with the plant leadership teams.

Work Environment

The Sanitation Governance Manager performs duties in both an office and manufacturing environment. Must be able to see, sit, stand, bend, and reach. Ability to operate general office equipment (computer, phone, etc.). Ability to perform physical tasks associated with sanitation duties and work in an environment with exposure to cleaning agents and chemicals. Must adhere to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and wear appropriate PPE when in the Manufacturing plant and exposed to loud noise, hot/cold temperatures and wet floors.

Pay: $93,200-$130,500 a year

• The salary range indicated in this posting represents the minimum and maximum of the salary range for this position. Actual salary will vary depending on factors including, but not limited to, budget available, prior experience, knowledge, skill and education as they relate to the position's qualifications, in addition to internal equity. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.