Sanitation Superintendent

High Liner Foods; Newport News (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

High Liner Foods in Newport News, VA is seeking a sanitation specialist to provide on-site support and oversee third-party sanitation activities during the night shift.

You will coordinate with QA, Operations, Maintenance, and contractors to ensure safety, cleanability, and readiness for production, while reporting KPI updates to site leadership.

The role requires HACCP knowledge, GMPs, and the ability to influence without direct authority, with a schedule around 11pm–7am and possible flex hours.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in food manufacturing sanitation or related support.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.
• HACCP certification and third-party audits experience strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of sanitation requirements, chemical safety, GMPs, and regulatory standards.
• Ability to influence without direct authority and manage vendor partnerships.
• Strong communication, follow-up, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work a third shift (11pm-7am) and flex schedule as needed.
• Reliable, professional, and able to remain calm under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily on-site support and oversight of third-party sanitation activities.
• Serve as the primary third-shift contact for the sanitation contractor and escalate risks to Plant Food Safety and Quality Manager.
• Support pre-operational readiness and ensure areas are ready for line set-up and QA pre-operational review.
• Partner with QA, Operations, Maintenance, Warehouse, Dry Storage, the contractor, and the chemical provider to resolve sanitation issues.
• Support sanitation validation, verification, CAPA, and root cause activities with leadership.
• Communicate sanitation status, pre-op concerns, production readiness, KPI updates to stakeholders.
• Build productive relationships with contractor leadership and reinforce commitment to food safety and sanitation execution.

Skills

Sanitation programs

GMP knowledge

HACCP certified

Vendor relationships

Communication skills

Decision making

Shift work

Food safety compliance

Regulatory standards

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Job description

Newport News
190 Enterprise Drive
Newport News, VA 23603, USA

Description

• Provide daily on-site support and oversight of third-party sanitation activities,includingensuringwork is completed safely, effectively, and in alignment with the MSS, food safety requirements, regulatory standards, and site policies.
• Serve as the primary third-shift High Liner Foods contact for the sanitation contractor, supportingtimelycommunication and follow-up while escalating significant risks, performance gaps, or compliance concerns to the Plant Food Safety and Quality Manager.
• Support pre-operational readiness by confirming sanitation work is complete, deficiencies are addressed, verification activities are completed asrequired, and areas are ready for line set-up and QA pre-operational review.
• Partner with QA, Operations, Maintenance, Warehouse, Dry Storage, the sanitation contractor, and the chemical provider to resolve sanitation-related issuesimpactingcleanability, food safety, quality, and production readiness.
• Support sanitation validation, verification, CAPA, and root cause activities in partnership with Plant Food Safety and Qualityleadership.
• Communicate sanitation status, pre-op concerns, production readiness, KPI updates, and follow-upneedsto appropriate internal stakeholders,siteand contractor leadership.
• Build andmaintaina productive working relationship with contractor leadership by setting clear expectations, coordinating daily priorities, supportingtimelyfollow-up, and reinforcing a shared commitment to food safety, quality, and effective sanitation execution.

Chemical & Equipment Management

• Partner with the chemical provider and sanitation contractor to support proper chemicalselection, concentration, titration, and usage verification.
• Verify contractor practices for chemical storage, handling, dispensing, PPE, tools, and sanitation equipmentto alignwith site requirements.
• Identifychemical, equipment, supply, or process gaps and coordinate follow-up with theappropriate internalor external partner.

Documentation, Compliance & Communication

• Review sanitation records for accuracy and completeness, including MSS completion, chemical logs,titration records,equipment cleaning records, verification activities, and contractor-provided documentation.
• Ensure thatSSOPs are documented,maintained, updated asnecessary,andare alignedwith actual sanitation practices followed.
• Support enterprise and sanitation audit preparedness and execution,maintainingthe site audit ready every day.
• Provide shift summaries, KPI updates, and vendor performance feedback to the Plant Food Safety and Quality Managerand site leadership team.
• Participate in routine shift handover meetings and regular sanitation performance meetings withcontractorsand High Liner leadership.
• Engage with the plant food safety team to ensure sanitation is an active participant. Support changes, and improvements to the site HACCPProgramas necessary.
• Use KPI trends, pre-op findings, environmental results, audit observations, and contractor feedback toidentifyand support sanitation improvements.
• Partner with key internal and external stakeholders to improve sanitation methods, tools, equipment cleanability, pest control practices, chemical systems, and overall program effectiveness.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in food manufacturing sanitation, food safety, or sanitation program support; experience working with third-party sanitation contractors preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred but notrequired.
• HACCP certification and experience with third-party auditsstronglypreferred.
• Strong knowledge of sanitation requirements, chemical safety, pre-operational inspection expectations, GMPs, and regulatory standards.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority, build strong vendor partnerships, and hold external partners accountable toestablishedperformance expectations.
• Strong communication, follow-up, conflict resolution, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to worka thirdshift (approximately11pm-7am) and flex schedule as needed to support business demands.
• Reliable, professional, and able to remain calm and effective under pressure.

Working conditions:

Office Environment: The noise level in the office work environment is moderately quiet.

Plant Environment: The plant work environment will expose the employee to loud noise, food grade dust & odors, moving & vibrating machinery, heavy equipment, powered industrial trucks, heights, traffic, anhydrous ammonia, oil and electricity. The employee may be exposed to adverse weather conditions including extreme cold, heat, rain, snow, dust, smoke and odors. Flexibility of work hours. Ability to work on feet for extended periods of time if needed.

Physical requirements/Allergens

Lifting, pushing, and pulling of approximately 70 pounds and prolonged standing and walking.

Work with allergen containing food materials: Fish, shellfish, tree nuts (including coconut), eggs, wheat, soy, dairy and other sensitizing agents.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk, sit, talk, listen, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to use hands to handle, operate, and feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to operate a motor vehicle to travel to off-site meetings. The employee must have visual acuity sufficient to operate a motor vehicle and digital camera, as well as other office and position equipment. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. Employee must be able to hear and speak clearly in order to communicate with clients, coworkers, employees and vendors.

Travel:

Expected travel for this role is 0-5%

Direct reports:

yes

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

AAP/EEO Statement

High Liner Foods (USA), Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, High Liner Foods (USA), Inc. complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.