Weekend Sanitation Lead

U.S. Waffle Company•Liberty, SC

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Weekend Sanitation Lead is responsible for providing leadership, direction, and oversight of sanitation operations throughout the facility during assigned weekend shifts. This position coordinates sanitation personnel and activities to ensure production equipment, processing areas, and designated facility areas are cleaned and sanitized in accordance with established SSOPs, GMPs, food safety requirements, chemical handling procedures, safety requirements, and company standards. The successful candidate will maintain an active presence on the production floor, monitor sanitation activities in real time, provide direction and coaching to sanitation employees, and ensure assigned areas and equipment are properly cleaned and prepared for Quality pre-operational inspection and Production startup. The Weekend Sanitation Lead serves as the primary sanitation representative during the assigned shift and maintains effective communication with Sanitation Management, Quality Assurance, Production, and Maintenance regarding sanitation status, staffing, equipment concerns, corrective actions, and operational needs. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strong attention to detail, sound judgment, accountability, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Previous sanitation, food manufacturing, or related experience required.
Working knowledge of SSOPs, GMPs, food safety, sanitation, and allergen-control practices.
Ability to safely work with approved sanitation chemicals.
Ability to effectively lead, train, coach, and communicate with sanitation employees.
Ability to identify sanitation deficiencies and ensure corrective actions are completed.
Ability to communicate effectively with Sanitation, Quality, Production, and Maintenance.
Basic documentation and computer skills.
Ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions during weekend sanitation operations.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple sanitation priorities.
Dependable attendance and willingness to work assigned weekend shifts, extended sanitation shifts, and additional hours as required by plant operations.

Nice To Haves

Previous lead or leadership experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Direct, organize, and support sanitation employees throughout the assigned weekend shift.
Assign employees to production lines, equipment, drains, floors, freezers, and other designated sanitation areas according to the sanitation schedule.
Maintain an active floor presence and monitor sanitation activities while work is in progress.
Ensure sanitation activities are completed safely, thoroughly, efficiently, and according to established procedures and schedules.
Monitor employee performance and provide coaching, direction, and corrective feedback as needed.
Ensure adequate workforce coverage and communicate staffing concerns to management.
Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, food safety, and safe work practices.
Ensure employees understand and follow approved SSOPs for each piece of equipment and designated sanitation area.
Verify proper equipment disassembly, cleaning, rinsing, sanitizing, reassembly, and inspection.
Enforce GMP, allergen-control, cross-contamination prevention, and food safety requirements.
Ensure sanitation practices effectively address potential microbial harborage areas, including drains, standing water, floors, framework, equipment niches, undersides, and other difficult-to-clean areas.
Identify and immediately address conditions that may create a food safety or sanitation risk.
Ensure required environmental swabs are completed accurately, properly identified, and documented.
Ensure sanitation chemicals are properly prepared, labeled, handled, stored, and used in accordance with approved procedures and manufacturer requirements.
Conduct and document required daily chemical titrations to verify proper chemical concentrations.
Ensure chemical carts, hoses, foamers, containers, and related equipment are properly controlled and are not left unattended.
Train and coach employees on proper chemical handling and application procedures.
Ensure employees follow required PPE, chemical safety, LOTO, ladder safety, and other applicable safety procedures.
Immediately report chemical incidents, safety hazards, unsafe conditions, serious injuries, and equipment concerns to appropriate management.
Conduct sanitation inspections before requesting Quality pre-operational inspection.
Verify that equipment and areas are clean, sanitary, properly assembled, and ready for Production.
Confirm visible food residue, grease, soil, standing water, chemical residue, and other sanitation concerns have been addressed before releasing an area for pre-op.
Immediately address deficiencies identified during sanitation inspections or Quality pre-op inspections.
Assign employees to reclean affected areas and verify completion of corrective actions.
Work closely with Quality and Production to ensure areas are released appropriately and on schedule.
Ensure brushes, scrub pads, hoses, squeegees, and other sanitation tools are clean, properly stored, and used only in designated areas.
Ensure electrical components, control panels, motors, bearings, sensors, and other water-sensitive equipment are properly protected during sanitation.
Identify equipment conditions or maintenance concerns that may affect sanitation effectiveness, food safety, employee safety, or Production startup.
Communicate equipment-related concerns promptly to Maintenance and appropriate management.
Ensure required sanitation, chemical, inspection, corrective action, environmental monitoring, and training records are completed accurately and on time.
Communicate sanitation status, deficiencies, incomplete work, staffing concerns, equipment issues, maintenance needs, and other operational concerns to Sanitation Management, Quality, Production, and Maintenance.
Provide an accurate weekend sanitation shift report identifying completed work, outstanding issues, corrective actions, and equipment requiring additional attention.
Maintain clear and effective shift handoffs to ensure continuity between weekend and weekday operations.
Immediately escalate conditions that may create food safety, employee safety, equipment, or operational risks.
Coach and train sanitation employees on proper cleaning methods, SSOP requirements, chemical applications, equipment cleaning, food safety expectations, PPE, and safe work practices.
Reinforce established sanitation standards and identify opportunities for employee development.
Identify opportunities to improve cleaning effectiveness, employee organization, sanitation tools, SSOPs, and overall sanitation performance.
Support implementation of corrective and preventive actions related to sanitation performance.
Perform other sanitation-related duties as assigned by management.