Sanitation Technician

Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc.•Battle Creek, MI

6d•$22 - $30•Onsite

About The Position

The Sanitation Technician maintains food safety, sanitation, quality, and housekeeping standards throughout a dairy manufacturing facility. The role performs sanitation and Clean-In-Place (CIP) operations on production equipment, processing systems, packaging lines, and facility areas while following company policies, regulatory requirements, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). The technician works independently and collaboratively to support plant operations, learns multiple sanitation systems and production support functions, and assists in other operational areas as needed. The position may involve exposure to moving machinery, cleaning chemicals, temperature fluctuations, and production operations. Employees must follow safety, quality, food safety, and sanitation standards. Physical requirements include regularly lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling up to 61 pounds; standing and walking for extended periods; and frequently bending, squatting, kneeling, climbing, reaching, and twisting. The work may take place in wet, humid, cold, hot, and noisy environments, and requires wearing PPE such as safety glasses, gloves, and hearing protection.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED preferred.
Ability and willingness to perform all assigned sanitation and operational duties.
Commitment to maintaining high quality, sanitation, food safety, and manufacturing standards.
Demonstrated ability to perform quality work with attention to detail.
Self-starter able to work independently and prioritize tasks effectively.
Strong communication and teamwork skills.
Mechanical aptitude and ability to learn equipment operation, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting fundamentals.
Willingness to cross-train and perform duties in multiple departments.
Ability to learn sanitation programs, chemical handling procedures, and CIP operations.
Ability to work without direct supervision.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite.
Comfort working in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
Coachable and willing to learn; able to quickly learn the organization's systems.
Proficient with and enjoys detailed work.
Ability to regularly lift, carry, push, and pull up to 61 pounds; stand and walk for extended periods; and frequently bend, squat, kneel, climb, reach, and twist.
Ability to work in wet, humid, cold, hot, and noisy environments and around sanitation chemicals while following safety requirements.
Ability to wear required PPE, including safety glasses, gloves, and hearing protection.

Nice To Haves

Previous sanitation experience in a food, beverage, dairy, or manufacturing environment.
Experience with CIP systems and food processing equipment.
Experience performing equipment disassembly, inspection, rebuilding, and reassembly.
Understanding of GMPs, HACCP, SQF, and food safety requirements.

Responsibilities

Perform daily sanitation activities according to company procedures, food safety programs, and regulatory requirements.
Clean and sanitize production equipment, processing systems, fillers, conveyors, packaging equipment, and facility areas.
Operate and monitor CIP systems to ensure proper cleaning and sanitizing of processing equipment.
Inspect equipment and facility areas to verify cleanliness and sanitation effectiveness.
Comply with GMPs, HACCP, SQF, FDA, USDA, OSHA, and company quality standards.
Accurately document sanitation activities, inspections, corrective actions, and required records.
Immediately identify and report sanitation, food safety, or quality concerns.
Learn and operate multiple sanitation and CIP systems throughout the facility.
Perform preventive sanitary maintenance on production equipment and processing systems.
Assist with equipment disassembly, cleaning, inspection, rebuilding, and reassembly.
Use mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting skills to identify operational concerns and support corrective actions.
Maintain tools, sanitation equipment, and cleaning systems in proper working condition.
Notify leadership of equipment issues requiring maintenance intervention.
Assist with duties related to assigned shifts as directed by Group Leaders, Supervisors, or Management.
Support production, cooler operations, dock operations, blow mold operations, warehouse activities, and material handling.
Cross-train across departments to support operational needs and staffing requirements.
Perform additional duties and assignments as directed by management.
Follow safety policies, procedures, and lockout/tagout requirements.
Properly use and maintain required PPE.
Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment.
Participate in safety meetings, training sessions, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Immediately report unsafe conditions, near misses, incidents, or injuries.