Sanitation Manager

Daisy Brand LLC; Boone (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

No deductible health plan

401(k) with company match

Paid time off + floating holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Disability coverage

Volunteer time off

Job summary

Daisy Brand is seeking a Sanitation Manager to lead plant sanitation programs ensuring safe, high-quality dairy production and regulatory compliance. You will develop and improve sanitation systems, verify cleaning, and drive continuous improvement with cross-functional teams.

Reporting to the Production Manager, you will supervise Sanitation Technicians, Engineers, and janitorial staff, coordinating with QA, Maintenance, and Engineering to maintain compliance with PMO, FSMA, GMP, HACCP and SQF.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred with relevant food science background.
• 5–10 years sanitation leadership in food, beverage, or dairy manufacturing.
• Experience leading sanitation in 24/7 manufacturing.
• Knowledge of PMO, FSMA, GMP, HACCP, SQF and environmental monitoring.
• Formal training in sanitation systems or continuous improvement preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead sanitation operations and set department goals and performance expectations.
• Recruit, train, and develop sanitation and engineering staff.
• Coordinate sanitation priorities with cross-functional teams.
• Develop and maintain Master Sanitation Schedules and SOPs.
• Ensure compliance with food safety programs and regulatory requirements.
• Lead audits, investigations, and corrective actions.
• Support continuous improvement and hygienic design reviews.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Computer skills

Team leadership

Dairy process knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Engineering, Environmental Science, or related technical field

Job description

Position Summary

The Sanitation Manager leads plant sanitation programs to ensure safe, high-quality dairy production and compliance with company, customer, food safety, regulatory, and operational requirements. This role develops and continuously improves sanitation systems, verification activities, labor performance, chemical use, environmental controls, and employee safety.

This position reports to the Production Manager and leads Manufacturing Systems Engineers, Sanitation Technicians, and Janitors. The role partners with Production, Quality Assurance, Maintenance, Engineering, and Technical Services and serves as the plant subject matter expert for sanitation systems, hygienic design, environmental controls, pest control, and regulatory compliance.

Location and Travel Requirements

There will be a need for 50-75% travel to other Daisy facilities for onboarding for the first 6-9 months. Once onboarding is complete the ongoing travel expectation is up to 25% until plant startup. Post plant startup travel is as needed.

For Boone, IA location: The position is currently located at a temporary office in Ames, IA. Expected in 2028, upon completion of construction, the position will be moving to be onsite at our new manufacturing plant in Boone, IA.

Key Responsibilities

Management and Leadership

• Lead plant sanitation operations and establish department goals, standards, and performance expectations.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop sanitation and engineering team members.
• Build a culture of food safety, accountability, engagement, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate sanitation priorities with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, and Technical Services.

Sanitation Systems and Technical Support

• Develop, maintain, and improve Master Sanitation Schedules and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures.
• Manage environmental sanitation, pest control, sanitation chemical programs, vendors, and inventory.
• Verify cleaning through visual inspection, ATP, microbiological, allergen, and environmental monitoring results.
• Lead sanitation-related investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and effectiveness checks.
• Evaluate sanitation technology and support hygienic design reviews, validation, passivation, process improvements, and capital projects.

Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with PMO, FDA, FSMA, GMP, HACCP, SQF, customer, and company requirements.
• Maintain readiness for regulatory, customer, SQF, and third-party audits.
• Support Food Safety Plans, Food Defense programs, internal audits, management reviews, and food safety team activities.

Safety Management

• Enforce company safety requirements, including lockout/tagout, confined space, chemical handling, and personal protective equipment.
• Lead safety observations, risk assessments, incident investigations, corrective actions, and sanitation safety improvement.

SQF Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, verify, validate, and continuously improve sanitation programs supporting the SQF System and Food Safety Plan.
• Monitor prerequisite programs, environmental monitoring, sanitation preventive controls, food safety programs, and sanitation verification activities.
• Oversee sampling, inspection, and analysis of food-contact and non-food-contact surfaces, environmental sites, water and utility systems, and CIP, SIP, and COP systems.
• Conduct sanitation audits, verify corrective-action effectiveness, support inspections, and participate in annual program review and validation.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications And Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related technical field preferred.
• Five to ten years of progressive sanitation leadership experience in food, beverage, dairy, or related manufacturing.
• Experience leading sanitation in a 24/7 manufacturing environment preferred.
• Working knowledge of PMO, FSMA, GMP, HACCP, SQF, environmental monitoring, and food safety management systems.
• Formal training in sanitation systems, food safety, environmental monitoring, or continuous improvement preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and computer skills.
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• Ability to train, motivate, and lead cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with cultured dairy products, processes, and equipment.

Company Overview

Daisy Brand is the market leader in two billion-dollar categories – sour cream and cottage cheese. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, we’ve earned the trust of Americans through consistency and quality across five generations as a family-owned company. Our success has been guided by a simple belief: good food, much like good work, starts with integrity. That mindset continues to shape how we make our products, run our business, and support the people behind the brand.

At Daisy Brand, tradition and innovation go hand in hand. We invest thoughtfully in advancements that strengthen our products and operations, supporting responsible, long-term growth. In 2025, we broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in Boone, Iowa, further strengthening our supply chain alongside our established plants in Garland, Texas; Casa Grande, Arizona; and Wooster, Ohio. Looking ahead, our state-of-the-art Innovation Center, opening in 2026, will bring together research, food science, culinary, and technology teams to shape the future of our products. Recent work from these teams includes the development of the squeeze pouch and new line of dips, reflecting an intentional approach to modernization while staying true to the quality our consumers expect.

At the heart of Daisy Brand is its people. The company is intentionally structured to be collaborative and accessible, with an entrepreneurial mindset encouraged at every level. We hire with the goal of building long-term careers and provide an environment where employees are trusted to think critically, take initiative, and continue learning. Growth here isn’t accidental; it’s actively supported and shared.

To support our employees and their families, Daisy Brand offers a people-first benefits package that includes:

• A no deductible, $0 premium option for employee only medical coverage
• Access to virtual healthcare and wellness programs
• A 401(k) program with company match, plus weekly safe harbor and annual profit-sharing contributions
• Company paid short and long-term disability coverage and 2x annual salary in life and AD&D insurance
• Four weeks of paid time off, plus 20 hours of floating holidays in your first full year of employment
• Annual rollover and payout options for any unused paid time off
• Paid time for volunteering and community involvement
• Tuition reimbursement and ongoing professional development opportunities
• Fitness and wellness incentives
• And more.

Daisy Brand is a nicotine-free company. Daisy Brand is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Veterans and disabled encouraged to apply.