Sanitation Manager

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!

A day in the life…

As the Sanitation Manager you will manage the site’s sanitation team (crew of 20+.) As a leading expert, you will supervise the site’s sanitation support function. Plant Sanitation will focus on effective use of chemicals including handling practices and PPE evaluation, Manual, COP, and CIP cleaning processes, SSOP creation and compliance, sanitary design, implementing sanitation assurance initiatives, and regulatory compliance programs for sanitation. You will develop, implement, and continuously improve Sanitation Programs, policies, and key performance indicators (KPI’s) for the facility. You will ensure cooperation and collaboration with all departments and ensure a positive and productive culture.

 

What you will be doing…

• Lead the overall direction and results of the plant sanitation program, including the plant, warehouse, and grounds.
• Plan, direct, and supervise the sanitation team to ensure efficient execution of routine tasks.
• Responsible for managing significant budget for chemicals, PPE, supplies, etc.
• Advise management on the effectiveness of routine sanitation and cleaning programs, ensuring continuous improvement and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee follow-up and corrective actions related to Environmental Monitoring Programs, ensuring timely detection and elimination of contamination sources.
• Conduct sanitary design reviews and develop sanitation plans and verification procedures for new equipment start-ups, product launches, and equipment relocations.
• Investigate sanitation issues, which are resulting in product contamination, reduced shelf-life, or customer rejection of products.
• Partner with chemical suppliers to optimize products, explore new cleaning technologies, and coordinate trials.
• Recommend equipment changes, retrofits, and design modifications to improve sanitary design.
• Partner with Engineering and vendors to ensure new or modified equipment meets all sanitary and regulatory requirements before installation.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by providing an educational environment that promotes the adoption of enhanced cleaning procedures, equipment, technologies, and other advancements in the field of sanitation.
• Conduct internal sanitation audits.
• Ensure compliance with Russell Stover Chocolates Quality, Sanitation, and Food Safety Systems.

• Promote employee safety through training, coaching, LOTO, and observation.
• Participate in internal quality and GMP audits of the plant.
• Partner with the Quality Manager to ensure success of any third-party facility inspections.
• Address and communicate any issues or potential issues to Management in a timely manner.
• Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines to ensure product quality and uphold food safety standards.
• Learn to identify and address potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities, while maintaining proactive communication with supervisors.
• Document food safety and quality procedures, maintaining detailed records of monitoring, verification, and corrective actions.

This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

Do you have what it takes?

(Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 5+ years in a supervisory role
• 5+ years in manufacturing
• Knowledge of Food Safety standards (AIB, GFSI, etc.)
• Experience with internal auditing and familiarity with FDA regulations, FSMA, GMPs, HACCP, Food Allergens, Pest Control, and the Principles of Food Safety
• Knowledge of cleaning chemicals and sanitizers
• Solid business judgment and decision making
• Appropriate attention to detail and balance of multiple tasks
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation
• Ability to work a flexible schedule

Do you stand above the rest?

(Preferred Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Technology, Food Science, and Microbiology, Chemistry or other related field
• Excellent knowledge of sanitary design, sanitation, and pest management in food processing
• Excellent understanding of microbiological organisms and their impact on process design, sanitary design, and sanitation
• Knowledge in using a full range of statistical and analytical tools and fundamentals

Experience Life at Russell Stover Plants!

• Safety First: Your well-being is our top priority, and we’ve got you covered with protective gear. On day one, you’ll dive into Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training, and we’ll keep you on your toes with daily safety tips to ensure you’re always in the know!
• Surroundings: Get ready to work alongside a variety of equipment like automated packing machines, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and those irresistible chocolate candy banks/steels – it’s a dynamic environment where every day brings something new!
• Active & Engaging Work: Whether you’re on your feet for extended periods, moving around, climbing ladders, or lifting up to 50 lbs, there’s never a dull moment. This is a place where you’ll stay on the move!
• Comfortable Climate: In most roles, you will be comfortable year-round with our climate-controlled environment.
• Appealing Smells: The air is filled with sweet aromas of chocolate, and by the time your shift ends, you might just leave smelling like chocolate!
• Dress to Impress (Food Safety Style): A simple yet important dress code ensures safety and hygiene, following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to keep everything running smoothly.

Allergens: You will be exposed to a variety of ingredients that may be considered food allergens.

 

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

 

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.