Sanitation Manager

SANITATION MANAGER

At Ideation, we turn great food ideas into products people love. We are a growing food manufacturing and co-manufacturing company based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in the development, production, packaging, and fulfillment of innovative baked and better-for-you food products.

From cookies and brownies to donuts, bars, snacks, and specialty products, we work with both emerging and established brands to take a product from an idea in the R&D kitchen all the way to the finished product that reaches consumers.

We believe in working together, treating people with respect, communicating openly, and supporting one another. We want our employees to learn, grow, take ownership of their work, and know that what they do matters. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, being part of a team, learning new things, and taking pride in producing something you can see on a store shelf,
Ideation may be the place for you.

Come grow with us. Be better than yesterday.

The Sanitation Manager is responsible for providing strong, hands-on leadership to the Sanitation Department and ensuring the facility consistently meets or exceeds all applicable personnel safety, food safety, sanitation, regulatory, customer, and company requirements.

The Sanitation Manager is accountable for the effective execution and continuous improvement of the facility's sanitation and cleaning programs. This includes ensuring that production areas, processing equipment, utensils, tools, facilities, and supporting areas are properly cleaned and sanitized in accordance with federal, state, local, customer, SQF, and company requirements.

The Sanitation Manager will work closely with Quality Assurance/Quality Control, Operations, Maintenance, and Safety Compliance leadership to ensure the facility is properly prepared for production and that sanitation activities support food safety, product quality, employee safety, and operational efficiency.

This is a working leadership position requiring active participation in daily sanitation activities, facility inspections, special projects, employee training, and operational problem-solving. The Sanitation Manager is expected to lead by example, establish clear performance expectations, develop and coach employees, and maintain a high level of accountability throughout the department.

The Sanitation Manager will exercise independent judgment when addressing operational issues and will be responsible for communicating significant issues, corrective actions, and recommendations to management. The position is also responsible for identifying opportunities to improve sanitation methods, employee performance, productivity, efficiency, and overall plant sanitation standards.

• Lead the Sanitation Department in maintaining a safe, clean, and sanitary manufacturing environment.
• Ensure sanitation activities comply with applicable SQF, GMP, OSHA, food safety, allergen control, customer, regulatory, and company requirements.
• Ensure proper cleaning and sanitation of production equipment, processing areas, floors, walls, ceilings, drains, tools, utensils, and other facility areas.
• Develop, implement, and maintain sanitation procedures and cleaning standards consistent with company and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure proper handling, dilution, labeling, storage, and use of cleaning chemicals and sanitation equipment.
• Promote safe chemical-handling practices and ensure employees use required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Understand the manufacturing process and equipment design to ensure effective sanitation while protecting equipment integrity and supporting efficient production start-up.
• Work closely with QA/QC to support pre-operational inspections, sanitation verification, environmental monitoring activities, corrective actions, and audit readiness.
• Identify sanitation deficiencies and coordinate appropriate corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Ensure sanitation activities are completed within established time frames without compromising food safety or sanitation effectiveness.

• Provide daily leadership, direction, supervision, and accountability to all sanitation employees.
• Establish clear work standards, procedures, and performance expectations while consistently leading by example.
• Prepare and communicate weekly sanitation staffing and work assignment schedules based on production…