Sanitation Assistant Operations Manager

Wonder•Swedesboro, NJ

22d•$62,000 - $71,500•Onsite

About The Position

The Sanitation Assistant Operations Manager supports the daily execution of sanitation operations within a high-volume food production and distribution environment. This role is responsible for ensuring the facility, production equipment, and work areas are cleaned and sanitized in accordance with company standards, food safety requirements, regulatory expectations, and established sanitation procedures. The Sanitation Assistant Operations Manager provides hands-on leadership to frontline sanitation teams, coordinates daily staffing and workload, verifies completion of sanitation activities, and partners closely with Operations, Food Safety & Quality, Safety, Maintenance, and People/HR teams. This leader plays a critical role in ensuring the facility is safe, compliant, and ready for production while building a culture of accountability, safety, quality, and operational excellence. This role operates within a culinary production facility and warehouse environment where associates are exposed to food preparation equipment, refrigerated storage areas, and fast-paced production workflows. Strict adherence to safety, sanitation, and food handling standards is required.

Requirements

At least 2 years of lead, supervisor, assistant manager, or related leadership experience in sanitation, food production, manufacturing, warehouse operations, or a similar operational environment
Demonstrated experience leading frontline employees in a fast-paced environment
Knowledge of sanitation practices and safe chemical handling, with experience using sanitation chemicals and industrial cleaning equipment preferred
Understanding of food safety, HACCP principles, GMP, and workplace safety requirements preferred
Familiarity with environmental monitoring and pre-operational inspection programs, with experience supporting regulatory and third-party audits preferred
Ability to manage multiple priorities and make effective operational decisions in real time
Strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated ability to coach employees and reinforce performance and safety expectations
Ability to work collaboratively across Operations, Food Safety, Maintenance, Safety, and People teams
Bilingual preferred
18 years old and legally authorized to work in the US
Able to lift, pull, and push 50 pounds of weight by oneself
Able to stand for extended periods
Able to bend, reach, and operate production equipment
Ability to read and comprehend safety policies and operational manuals in English; ability to communicate effectively with team members and follow verbal instructions to ensure a safe and productive work environment
Ability to work flexible schedules, including mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays
Ability to work in varying temperature zones including cold environments for extended periods

Nice To Haves

Experience using sanitation chemicals and industrial cleaning equipment
Understanding of food safety, HACCP principles, GMP, and workplace safety requirements
Familiarity with environmental monitoring and pre-operational inspection programs, with experience supporting regulatory and third-party audits
Bilingual

Responsibilities

Support the daily execution of sanitation activities across production, warehouse, equipment, storage, and common work areas
Lead sanitation teams in completing required cleaning and sanitation activities safely, accurately, and within established timelines
Coordinate sanitation schedules based on production requirements, equipment availability, staffing, and operational priorities
Ensure sanitation activities are completed according to established Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOPs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and food safety requirements
Verify completion of sanitation tasks prior to releasing areas and equipment back to production
Conduct routine floor walks to assess cleanliness, sanitation execution, equipment condition, and team compliance
Identify sanitation deficiencies and ensure corrective actions are completed promptly
Coordinate shift transitions and provide clear handoffs regarding outstanding work, risks, and operational priorities
Escalate issues that may impact production readiness, food safety, employee safety, or operational continuity
Provide direct leadership, coaching, and support to frontline sanitation team members and leads
Establish clear expectations related to safety, quality, productivity, attendance, conduct, and sanitation standards
Conduct pre-shift meetings and communicate daily assignments, safety requirements, production priorities, and sanitation expectations
Provide timely coaching and feedback to reinforce strong performance and address performance gaps
Partner with the Operations Manager and Human Resources on attendance, performance management, employee relations, and other people-related matters
Support onboarding, training, certification, and cross-training of sanitation employees
Ensure team members understand proper sanitation procedures, chemical handling requirements, equipment usage, and required personal protective equipment
Support employee development and identify team members with potential for expanded responsibilities
Partner closely with Food Safety & Quality teams to ensure sanitation practices meet company and regulatory standards
Reinforce Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and established food safety requirements
Ensure sanitation documentation is completed accurately, consistently, and within required timelines
Support pre-operational inspections and address sanitation findings before production begins
Participate in investigations related to sanitation, environmental, food safety, or quality concerns
Support corrective and preventive actions resulting from audits, inspections, testing, or operational observations
Assist with internal, regulatory, and third-party audit preparation and execution
Maintain a high level of operational readiness to support food safety inspections and audits
Ensure sanitation chemicals are stored, labeled, mixed, handled, and used according to established procedures and manufacturer requirements
Reinforce required PPE and chemical-handling practices
Ensure Safety Data Sheets and required chemical information are accessible to employees as applicable
Monitor safe operation of sanitation equipment, including pressure-washing systems, foamers, scrubbers, hoses, and other cleaning equipment
Partner with Safety and Maintenance teams regarding equipment concerns, chemical risks, lockout/tagout requirements, and other safety matters
Immediately address or escalate unsafe conditions and behaviors
Ensure employees do not operate equipment or perform tasks for which they have not been appropriately trained
Support daily sanitation labor planning based on production schedules, sanitation requirements, workload, and available staffing
Assign employees to sanitation zones and tasks based on operational priorities and training
Monitor attendance and staffing throughout the shift and adjust assignments as needed
Partner with leadership to manage overtime and additional staffing requirements while maintaining operational coverage
Monitor productivity and ensure sanitation activities are completed within established cleaning windows
Identify staffing, training, or capability gaps and communicate recommendations to site leadership
Support accurate scheduling and timekeeping practices
Maintain a strong leadership presence and reinforce safe work practices throughout sanitation operations
Conduct routine safety observations and immediately address unsafe conditions
Ensure appropriate PPE is available and consistently used
Support incident reporting, investigations, and corrective-action processes
Reinforce procedures related to chemical safety, slips and falls, ergonomic risks, machine guarding, lockout/tagout, and other sanitation-related hazards
Partner with Safety leadership to implement preventive measures and reinforce required training
Maintain compliance with company policies and applicable local, state, and federal requirements
Monitor sanitation performance against established quality, safety, productivity, and completion expectations
Track recurring sanitation issues and identify root causes
Develop and support corrective-action plans for sanitation deficiencies
Identify opportunities to improve cleaning methods, workflows, staffing, equipment usage, and sanitation effectiveness
Support development and improvement of sanitation SOPs, SSOPs, checklists, and verification processes
Partner with Maintenance and Operations to improve equipment accessibility and sanitation effectiveness
Use operational data and observations to recommend process improvements
Support site-wide continuous-improvement initiatives
Partner closely with Production, Operations, Food Safety & Quality, Maintenance, Safety, Warehouse/Distribution, People/HR, and other support functions
Coordinate sanitation activities around production schedules and equipment availability
Communicate sanitation delays, food safety risks, equipment concerns, staffing gaps, and other operational issues to appropriate stakeholders
Participate in daily operational meetings and provide updates regarding sanitation readiness and performance
Build strong partnerships between sanitation and production teams to ensure clear accountability for facility and equipment conditions