Sanitation Manager - BB Nash

BB Nash; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

BB Nash in Nashville produces Ready-to-Eat protein bars for the US market. The Sanitation Manager leads sanitation and environmental hygiene, partnering with FSQA, Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering to maintain an audit-ready facility and support continuous improvement initiatives.

The role requires 5+ years in sanitation with 2+ years in supervision, strong GMP and food safety knowledge, and experience with sanitation chemicals and equipment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years sanitation experience in a food manufacturing environment and 2 years supervisory experience.
• Strong knowledge of GMPs, sanitation principles, and food safety systems and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with sanitation chemicals and equipment, and proficiency with MS Office and electronic recordkeeping.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily sanitation operations and supervise the sanitation team.
• Develop staffing plans and schedules to cover production demand.
• Train and coach sanitation staff and conduct performance evaluations.
• Maintain Master Sanitation Schedule and SSOPs.
• Ensure GMP, allergen, chemical handling, and safety training and records.
• Oversee cleaning verification, ATP monitoring, and environmental monitoring.
• Collaborate with FSQA, Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering for audit readiness and continuous improvement.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for sanitation issues.
• Support recall and crisis response with sanitation records.

Skills

Leadership

GMP knowledge

Communication

Microsoft Office

Recordkeeping

Off-shift availability

Education

PCQI certification

HACCP certification

SQF Practitioner

Tools

FOAM cleaning systems

COP systems

Sanitation equipment

Job description

BB Nash in Nashville, Tennessee facility, we produce protein bars for the US market, supporting continued nationwide growth through a strong focus on quality, efficiency, and operational excellence.

The Sanitation Manager is responsible for leading and managing all sanitation activities for the BB Nash facility, ensuring a clean, sanitary, and food-safe environment that supports the production of high-quality Ready-to-Eat (RTE) products. This position is accountable for developing, implementing, and continuously improving sanitation programs to ensure compliance with FDA regulations, SQF requirements, customer expectations, and company standards.

About the role:

The Sanitation Manager serves as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for sanitation and environmental hygiene and provides leadership to sanitation personnel while partnering closely with FSQA, Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering to maintain an audit-ready facility and support continuous improvement initiatives. The Sanitation Manager supports the site’s food safety and recall team.

Key responsibilities:

Sanitation Leadership

• Provide daily leadership, direction, and support to the sanitation team.
• Develop staffing plans and schedules to ensure adequate coverage for production demands.
• Train, coach, and develop sanitation employees to achieve high performance and accountability.
• Conduct performance evaluations and support employee development initiatives.
• Foster a culture of food safety, ownership, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.
• Ensure all sanitation personnel follow GMPs, safety requirements, and company policies.
• Ensure sanitation employees receive required GMP, allergen, chemical handling, and safety training, and that training records are maintained.

Sanitation Program Management

• Own and maintain the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS).
• Develop and maintain Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and sanitation work instructions.
• Establish and verify cleaning frequencies for equipment, facility infrastructure, and environmental surfaces.
• Ensure sanitation activities are completed and documented accurately and on time.
• Oversee sanitation verification programs, including ATP monitoring, allergen cleaning validation, and environmental monitoring support.
• Do not release equipment or lines to production until sanitation is complete and the FSQA pre-operational inspection has passed.
• Evaluate and improve sanitation processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions related to sanitation deficiencies or environmental findings.

Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance

• Serve as the sanitation Subject Matter Expert for SQF, FDA, FSMA, GMP, and customer requirements.
• Ensure sanitation programs support compliance with the SQF Code edition in effect and with regulatory expectations.
• Support internal audits, customer audits, third-party audits, and regulatory inspections.
• Participate in risk assessments, HACCP reviews, Food Safety Plan activities, and preventive controls programs.
• Ensure allergen cleaning procedures and segregation requirements are effectively implemented.
• Partner with FSQA to maintain environmental monitoring and sanitation verification programs.
• Investigate and resolve sanitation-related nonconformances and deviations.

Chemical and Equipment Management

• Manage sanitation chemical programs and maintain compliance with Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
• Ensure proper chemical concentrations, usage, storage, and handling practices.
• Oversee sanitation tools, COP systems, foam systems, and sanitation equipment.
• Manage sanitation inventories, budgets, and supply ordering.
• Partner with suppliers and vendors to optimize chemical usage and sanitation effectiveness.
• Maintain sanitation equipment and coordinate repairs with Maintenance as needed.

Recall & Crisis Response

• Support the recall team as assigned by the FSQA Director (Recall Team Coordinator).
• Provide sanitation and environmental monitoring records needed for traceability and root cause investigations.
• Support cleaning and verification of equipment and areas after a recall, and participate in mock recalls.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations to support production schedules and minimize downtime.
• Work closely with Maintenance to improve equipment cleanability and accessibility.
• Support new equipment installations and sanitary design reviews, and follow the site’s documented change-control process for equipment and process changes.
• Participate in startup activities, process validations, and continuous improvement projects.
• Collaborate with FSQA to investigate customer complaints and quality issues related to sanitation.
• Assist in developing and implementing 5S and plant organization initiatives.

Safety

• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all safety policies and procedures.
• Ensure proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Ensure lockout/tagout procedures are followed during sanitation activities.
• Conduct safety observations and participate in incident investigations.
• Identify and eliminate unsafe conditions and practices.

What we are looking for:

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of sanitation experience in a food manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or leadership experience.
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and directly related experience in food manufacturing, sanitation, quality, maintenance, or operations will be considered.
• Strong knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), sanitation principles, food safety systems, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with sanitation chemicals, foam cleaning systems, COP systems, and sanitation equipment.
• Strong communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic recordkeeping systems.
• Ability to work an off-shift.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Ready-to-Eat (RTE) food manufacturing.
• Experience with SQF, BRCGS, FDA, FSMA Preventive Controls, and environmental monitoring programs.
• PCQI certification.
• HACCP certification.
• SQF Practitioner experience.
• Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement experience.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to frequently walk throughout a 92,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
• Ability to climb stairs, ladders, and access elevated platforms.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to work in wet, hot, cold, or humid environments.
• Ability to wear required PPE, including bump caps, safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, and protective footwear.

We appreciate LinkedIn, but to get a full picture of your experience, we ask you to also include a CV.

BB Nash is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.