Sanitation Supervisor

Our Home•Kankakee, IL

11h

About The Position

Our Home is seeking a Sanitation Supervisor to lead and oversee sanitation activities, ensuring a safe, clean, and food-safe manufacturing environment. The role partners with Production, Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, and Warehouse teams to support regulatory compliance, audit readiness, and operational excellence. The supervisor drives sanitation effectiveness through team leadership and development, continuous improvement, and adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices, company policies, and regulatory requirements. The position's success affects food safety, product quality, employee safety, and overall plant performance.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Minimum of 3 years of food manufacturing sanitation experience.
Minimum of 1 year of leadership, supervisory, or team lead experience.
Experience working within GMP, HACCP, and food safety environments.
Experience with sanitation documentation, inspections, and regulatory compliance requirements.
Strong knowledge of food safety regulations, sanitation principles, and GMP requirements.
Working knowledge of HACCP, SQF, USDA/FDA regulations, and environmental monitoring programs.
Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and employee development skills.
Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis capabilities.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and production reporting systems.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to drive accountability and influence positive performance outcomes.
Required to use hands and arms for computer work; reach, stand, walk frequently, climb stairs, bend, and twist.
Occasionally lift or move up to 50 lbs.
Specific vision capabilities include close, distance, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Must wear required personal protective equipment.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Operations, Industrial Management, or a related field.
SQF Practitioner, HACCP, or Preventive Controls certification.
Experience in a high-speed food manufacturing environment.
Bilingual English/Spanish skills.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop sanitation team members, providing training and performance feedback on sanitation procedures, food safety requirements, GMPs, and safety practices.
Schedule and allocate sanitation resources to meet requirements while supporting production demands.
Foster accountability, teamwork, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.
Ensure sanitation activities comply with FDA, USDA where applicable, OSHA, SQF, HACCP, GMP, and company food safety standards.
Maintain sanitation programs that support audit readiness and successful inspections.
Lead corrective actions resulting from sanitation findings, environmental monitoring results, or audit observations.
Promote food safety culture and compliance with allergen control and contamination prevention programs.
Oversee cleaning and sanitizing of equipment, production lines, facilities, and common areas.
Verify cleaning and sanitation procedures are completed accurately according to established SSOPs.
Ensure proper chemical handling, usage, storage, and documentation.
Evaluate sanitation effectiveness through inspections, pre-operational assessments, and validation activities.
Verify and oversee third-party MSS completion.
Partner with Quality Assurance to investigate sanitation-related non-conformances and implement corrective actions.
Analyze sanitation performance metrics and identify opportunities to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and resource utilization.
Lead root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives related to sanitation processes.
Support environmental monitoring and verification programs.
Ensure compliance with workplace safety policies and procedures; conduct safety observations and address unsafe conditions or behaviors.
Maintain compliance with lockout/tagout, confined space, chemical safety, and PPE requirements.
Participate in safety investigations and corrective action initiatives.
Coordinate sanitation activities with cross-functional teams to minimize operational disruptions.
Support equipment changeovers, preventive maintenance schedules, and startup readiness activities.
Communicate sanitation priorities, risks, and performance results to plant leadership.
Maintain accurate sanitation records, inspection reports, training records, and compliance documentation.
Ensure sanitation documentation is completed accurately and retained according to company standards.
Monitor department inventories and coordinate ordering of sanitation chemicals, tools, and supplies.
Assist with budget management and departmental cost controls.
Participate in plant projects, startup initiatives, and continuous improvement activities.
Support customer, regulatory, and third-party audits as needed.
Serve as a backup resource for operational leadership functions when required.
Perform other duties as assigned to support business objectives.