Validation & Sanitation Manager

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$/yr - $/yr

NO EXTERNAL RECRUITERS PLEASE

• No Sponsorship/Transfer Available

For over 60 years, Meri Cal has been at the forefront of innovation in the dietary supplement industry, delivering custom manufacturing and packaging solutions with passion and precision. With state‑of‑the‑art facilities in Southern California and Ogden, UT, we transform ideas into high‑quality products—from research and development to the finished products. Our team, with over 230 years of combined experience, is dedicated to crafting exceptional gummies, probiotics, tablets, capsules, chewables, and powders using clinically backed ingredients.

At Meri Cal, we don’t just meet expectations—we exceed them, every time. Join us and be part of a dynamic, forward‑thinking team shaping the future of nutrition!

The Sanitization Lead is responsible for developing, executing, and managing the sanitation and all equipment cleaning validation programs. This position ensures that all cleaning, hygiene, environmental monitoring, pest control, and cleaning validation processes are compliant with company, local, state, and federal food sanitation and GMP standards, customer requirements, and applicable third‑party certification. The Manager oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of cleaning equipment and cleaning validation activities, including IQ/OQ/PQ.

They serve as the primary contact for sanitation and validation matters during regulatory inspections, audits, and internal reviews. The manager also collaborates closely with cross‑functional teams—such as Quality Assurance, Engineering, Production, and Regulatory Affairs—to ensure operational excellence, risk mitigation, and continuous compliance cGMP standards. The role leads a team of sanitation and janitorial professionals, drives continuous improvement initiatives, and ensures that all site personnel are trained and held accountable for maintaining high standards in cleanliness, hygiene, and equipment/cleaning validation.

In addition to day‑to‑day execution, the Sanitation Validation Manager will contribute to strategic planning and long‑term site readiness related to validation lifecycle management and sanitation infrastructure.

• Disassemble, clean, sanitize, processing equipment such as kettles, CFA's, cooling, tunnels, incline conveyors, z elevators, bottling and packaging equipment, scoops, and all other machines, components and parts as directed by the Sanitation Supervisor.
• Lead and enforce the policies and procedures surrounding the food safety, sanitation, hygiene, environmental monitoring and pest control programs.
• Ensure facility compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal sanitation and cGMP regulations (21 CFR Part 111/117 and 21 CFR Part 210/211).
• Participate in internal/external audits.
• In instances of violations, develop/coordinate a cross‑functional plan to correct the issues found.
• Processing a keen understanding of industry laws, then consult with management to address compliance issues and make recommendations to improve processes.
• Develop and maintain sanitation SOPs and the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS) across all manufacturing shifts and areas.
• Keep detailed records of all sanitation‑related activities and issues, such as inspections and violations, also noting how and when each situation was resolved.
• Develop and conduct cleaning validations on production equipment.
• Develop Validation Master Plan, process flow diagrams, and test cases in compliance with company standards, current industry standards, and regulatory expectations.
• Ensure cleaning validation protocols include visual inspection criteria, swab/surface testing (e.g., TOC, HPLC), and worst case scenario evaluations (e.g., allergen, active ingredient carryover).
• Chemical management.
• Identify deviations from established product or process standards and provide recommendations for resolving deviations.
• Analyze validation test data to determine whether systems or processes have met validation criteria or to identify…