Sanitation Manager

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A great job-and a great future‑awaits you at Smithfield Foods. We are an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. We’re looking for motivated people who want to join our team and grow lasting and meaningful careers with us.
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The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section.

Step into a role where your leadership directly safeguards product quality, regulatory compliance, and consumer trust. As Sanitation Manager
, you will be responsible for driving the plant's sanitation program, ensuring all activities are executed in alignment with SSOPs and USDA requirements. Beyond addressing deficiencies, you’ll champion proactive measures that prevent issues before they arise-creating a culture of excellence in food safety.

This position is central to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and operational integrity, ensuring the production of safe, wholesome meat products that meet both regulatory expectations and customer confidence.

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned.

• Sanitation System Compliance - Verifies that sanitation activities are properly designed, executed, and documented to ensure safe, wholesome products and compliance with USDA regulations and company objectives.
• Regulatory Oversight & Audit Performance - Makes defendable compliance decisions that balance productivity with regulatory requirements, while ensuring low incidence of preop NRs, shelf life failures, and microbial swabbing issues, and achieving strong audit results.
• USDA & Vendor Liaison - Serves as the primary contact with USDA during plant startup and participates in weekly meetings with the sanitation service provider, plant management, and USDA to review findings and resolve issues.
• Employee Training & Development - Ensures sanitation staff receive preop inspection training, provides feedback on performance, and fosters strong working relationships with USDA and the sanitation company.
• Leadership & Supervision - Provides guidance and direction to sanitation employees, including hiring, training, performance management, and resolution of employee concerns, in alignment with organizational policies and applicable laws.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

• Education & Experience - Bachelor's degree from an accredited four‑year college or university in Food Science, Engineering or related field and 5+ years of relevant experience in the professional sanitation or meat industries and processes; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• Leadership - 2+ years of demonstrated experience in team management/development or project leadership is required.
• Technical & Regulatory Expertise - Knowledge of sanitation science, USDA/FSIS/HACCP/SSOP requirements, and the ability to interpret sanitation guidelines, technical procedures, and government regulations.
• Communication, Analytical & Systems Skills - Strong written and verbal communication abilities, skilled in report writing and business correspondence, with proficiency in Microsoft Office (Access, Excel, Word), and capable of performing mathematical calculations, data analysis, and interpreting instructions in multiple formats.
• Standards, Compliance & Workplace Culture - Demonstrated ability to uphold regulatory, company, and customer standards while fostering strong relationships, maintaining a positive work environment, and contributing…