QFS Leader Hygiene & Sanitation

UNAVAILABLE; Hoofddorp; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Premium pension

Healthcare discounts

Product discounts

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

Danone is seeking a Sanitation Leader to drive global sanitation strategy, governance, and hygiene risk management across its Netherlands network. You will develop standards, validation methods, and training materials for sanitation programs, while collaborating with Operations, Engineering, and Quality teams to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.

The role offers a hybrid work setup across Danone’s Netherlands offices with Hybrid engagement, training, and continuous development in a

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in food manufacturing, quality, or food safety.
• Deep expertise in sanitation management, hygiene protocols, and risk assessment.

Responsibilities

• Develop global sanitation strategy and best-practice program.
• Serve as global expert and point of contact for sanitation methodology.
• Develop standards, procedures, tools, and training for sanitation programs.
• Develop standards for cleaning validation, detergents/chemistry, verification and environmental hygiene.
• Support zones via regional sanitation leads and ensure consistent execution and auditing.
• Drive sanitation-related contamination risk reduction and capability training.

Skills

Sanitation management

Hygiene protocols

Risk assessment

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Degree in Food Science or related field

Job description

Short Intro and About the Job

MISSION

Ensure the Quality and Food Safety of Danone products by driving QFS governance and compliance, mitigating risk through scientific principles and deep technical expertise, and delivering on our promise to consumers and customers every day. Build and govern global sanitation strategy, methods, validation, and capability frameworks. The Sanitation Leader ensures the effectiveness of sanitation standards, drives capability building, governance, compliance, and continuous improvement in cleaning protocols, hygiene management, risk mitigation, and prevention of food safety incidents across the network..

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Global sanitation strategy and best‑practice program (aligned to process hygiene and PRPs).
• Serve as the global expert and key point of contact for sanitation methodology and implementation
• Develop, deliver, and maintain standards, procedures, tools, and training for sanitation programs
• Develop standards for cleaning validation, detergents/chemistry, verification and environmental hygiene.
• Support zones via regional sanitation leads and ensure consistent execution and auditing
• Drive sanitation-related contamination risk reduction and crisis support..Capability building & training curriculum.
• Track and confirm sanitation compliance through FSI, identify trends and gaps, and ensure all network issues are visible and standards remain relevant at shopfloor
• Provide onsite support to priority projects and factories for sanitation implementation and troubleshooting
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (Operations, Engineering, R\&I, Quality in Design, Quality in Sourcing) and external partners to advance sanitation practices
• Stay current with regulatory guidelines, new technologies, and industry best practices in sanitation and hygiene risk management

KEY DELIVERABLES:

• Effective standards for sanitation implementation and verification
• Training materials and workshops delivered to regional teams
• Continuous improvement initiatives and risk mitigation strategies
• Technical expertise and support for sanitation

MAIN INTERACTIONS:

Internal: QFS Regions and Factories, Operations, Engineering, R&I, Global QFS

External: Industry associations, committees, regulatory and certifying agencies

KEY METRICS:

• Compliance with sanitation standards Effectiveness of sanitation controls (e.g., incident rates, corrective actions) reduction in sanitation-driven contamination incidents or repeat deviations
• Training completion and capability building metrics for sanitation.

About You

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE:

• Degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Food Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum 10 years of experience in food manufacturing, quality, or food safety, with demonstrated expertise in hygiene, sanitation, and food safety management systems.

INNOVATION SKILLS & COMPETENCIES:

• Deep expertise in sanitation management, hygiene protocols, and risk assessment
• Advanced knowledge of sanitation design, assessment, and verification methods
• Strong communication and training skills for capability building in sanitation
• Analytical skills for risk assessment and continuous improvement of food safety controls
• Ability to work cross-functionally and influence change in sanitation practices

About Us, We offer and What's next

At Danone, we offer a complete package of benefits, with a competitive primary salary and yearly bonus, but also benefits like a premium free pension, 30 days annual leave and several discounts on a collective health insurance and even on some of our products.

In the Netherlands we also offer a hybrid working environment which enables each team to meet our people's desire for flexibility. Across our 3 office hubs in Hoofddorp, Zoetermeer and Utrecht this helps us create better opportunities for connection & synergies across our entities, teams, functions and categories.

What's next:

We put people at the center of everything we do. Bring your unique perspective, ambitions and ideas to the table – the impact you could make might surprise you. We are committed to embrace diversity, nurturing an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is deeply embedded in Danone's DNA.

Need more information? Please contact Talent Manager Fariha Samad at [e-mail],Aamna Qureshi, HRBP OR Hiring Manager Farai Maphosa.

* All applications will be considered for a vacancy without discrimination based on ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, disability, or any other protected status.

#LI-NL #LI-HYBRID