Assistant Cheese Sanitation Team Leader

Glanbia Nutritionals, Inc.; Clovis (NM); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Glanbia Nutritionals, Inc. in New Mexico seeks a sanitation supervisor to lead CIP and sanitation operations in our cheese plant. You will support equipment breakdowns, troubleshoot issues, and coordinate staff coverage to ensure safety and compliance.

The role requires knowledge of sanitation procedures, GMP, and regulatory standards, with a focus on continuous improvement and teamwork across operations, maintenance, and management.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED preferred; ability to read safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees.

Responsibilities

• Lead CIP and sanitation operations in the cheese plant.
• Verify CIP systems operate correctly and monitor temperatures and cleaning efficacy.
• Coordinate sanitation during planned and unplanned shutdowns.
• Maintain sanitation records and documentation per procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Provide training to sanitation team members and ensure SOP compliance.
• Assist with Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) activities as required.

Skills

Sanitation procedures

GMP compliance

Safety compliance

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Reading technical docs

Prioritization

Team training

Education

High school diploma

Job description

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Operates and leads all Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) and kitchen operations throughout the cheese plant. Supports equipment breakdowns, troubleshooting, and staff coverage for all sanitation operations.

Essential Functions

• Responsible for knowledge of all sanitation procedures, equipment, and systems within the assigned production areas.
• Ensures sanitation activities are completed in accordance with food safety, GMP, SSOP, and company standards.
• Verifies Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) systems are operating correctly, including monitoring piping temperature, valve operation, and cleaning effectiveness.
• Conducts routine inspections of production equipment, conveyors, hard-to-clean areas, niche points, lights, covers, caps, spray balls, and other sanitation-critical components to ensure cleanliness and compliance.
• Assists with and coordinates sanitation activities during planned and unplanned production shutdowns.
• Leads assigned sanitation projects and special cleaning initiatives during plant shutdowns and maintenance events.
• Assists in Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) activities as required to safely perform sanitation and inspection tasks.
• Supports ventilation system cleaning, chamber cleaning, spray ball inspections, and other preventive sanitation programs.
• Performs and coordinates periodic deep-cleaning activities, including bins, tanks, fans, dollies, and other plant equipment.
• Identifies sanitation deficiencies and works with operations, maintenance, and leadership teams to implement corrective actions.
• Responsible for maintaining accurate sanitation records and documentation in accordance with company procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Assists in communication between sanitation team members, operations personnel, maintenance personnel, and management.
• Facilitates training of new sanitation team members and helps ensure compliance with sanitation standards and procedures.
• Ensures safe work practices are followed and assists in reporting and analyzing work-related injuries and safety concerns.
• Utilizes GPS processes, drives zero losses, and upholds the culture of Southwest Cheese non-negotiables.
• Supports continuous improvement initiatives focused on food safety, sanitation effectiveness, operational efficiency, and cost reduction.
• Comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act which are applicable to his/her own actions and conduct.
• Complies with all applicable food safety regulations and mandates (Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Safe Quality Foods (SQF), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO)).

Delivering on Glanbia’s Values:

• “Showing Respect” - Research issues & incidents with internal teams, business partners and customers in a collaborative manner that includes professional, honest and transparent communication.
• “Find a Better Way” - Work with internal and external teams to implement process improvements and/or procedural changes that eliminate non-value added activities and drive more business value.
• “Winning Together” - Assist with training of new team members. Facilitate or oversee training and standard operating procedure reviews to ensure new hires develop proficiency of role.
• “The Customer’s Champion” – Proactively engage to support our customer needs on an end to end basis and strive to meet or exceed SLA timelines. Take ownership of customer requests and engage with internal teams as needed and within a timely manner.
• “Performance Matters” – Meet or exceed all key metrics in line with expectations for role. Continually update knowledge of products, product changes, processes and services offered to deliver a dynamic customer experience.

Additional Functions

• Serve on committees as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED) preferred.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.
• Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, handle multiply projects simultaneously and delegate assignments to others.
• Comply with all safety policies, practices and procedures. Report all unsafe activities to supervisor and/or Human Resources
• Participate in proactive team efforts to achieve departmental and company goals.
• Provide leadership to others through example and sharing of knowledge/skill.
• Intermediate personal computer skills, including electronic mail, routine database activity, word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, etc.

Typical Environmental Conditions

• May be exposed to loud noise levels (i.e. manufacturing equipment).
• May be exposed to humidity, intense heat, and areas with possible air contamination, fumes and toxic chemicals.
• May work in areas with mechanical moving parts, above ground with risk of fall, or areas with risk of electrical shock.

Travel Requirements

• Minimal travel limited within the local area.

Disclaimer

Must perform the essential duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation efficiently and accurately without causing significant safety threat to self or others. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required of all personnel so classified.

Are you someone who likes to make it happen, make it better and make it fun? If so, our company offers you an excellent opportunity to do really interesting work and develop a career in a dynamic and innovative environment that is all about making you and our business successful.

At Glanbia, we celebrate diversity, because we know that our individual strengths make us stronger together. We welcome and encourage interest from a wide variety of candidates, and we will give your application consideration, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

At Glanbia our culture will celebrate individuality, knowing that together we are more.