Senior Manager FSQA & Sanitation

See's Candies; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

See’s Candies is seeking a Senior FSQA & Sanitation Manager to lead food safety, quality assurance, and sanitation programs across five manufacturing and distribution facilities. This role ensures compliance with FDA, FSMA, USDA, CDPH, SQF, GFSI, HACCP/HARPC, GMPs and drives continuous improvement and a strong food safety culture.

The position provides strategic leadership, partnering with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Procurement, Warehousing, R&D, and Corporate Leadership to protect

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Sanitation, or related functions within food manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of FDA, FSMA, SQF, GFSI, HACCP/HARPC, GMPs, lean manufacturing, environmental monitoring.
• Certified SQF Practitioner, PCQI, HACCP/HARPC certifications preferred.
• Experience managing sanitation programs and Master Sanitation Schedules (MSS).

Responsibilities

• Lead FSQA and Sanitation teams across multiple facilities.
• Coach and develop FSQA Managers and staff to drive accountability and excellence.
• Ensure compliance with FDA, FSMA, USDA, CDPH, SQF, GFSI, HACCP/HARPC, GMPs and related standards.
• Maintain audit readiness and pass internal, regulatory, customer, and third-party audits.
• Drive continuous improvement in food safety, sanitation, and quality programs.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in food science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or related field

Certified SQF Practitioner, PCQI, HACCP/HARPC certifications preferred

Job description

Work is Sweet!
'Quality without Compromise' is not just a motto at See’s Candies. It is the most important ingredient in our recipe for success. See’s Candies has been in business since 1921 and maintains a reputation for producing the highest quality candy and providing superior customer service.

Work is Sweet!
'Quality without Compromise' is not just a motto at See’s Candies. It is the most important ingredient in our recipe for success. See’s Candies has been in business since 1921 and maintains a reputation for producing the highest quality candy and providing superior customer service.
See’s is a leader in the confectionery industry with over 250 retail shops across the USA, a growing e-commerce business, and expanding opportunities internationally. We are seeking friendly, enthusiastic individuals who are passionate about helping us grow and thrive in our second century.

Job Description Summary

POSITION OBJECTIVE:
The Senior FSQA & Sanitation Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing all Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Sanitation programs across five manufacturing and distribution facilities. This role ensures compliance with all applicable FDA, FSMA, USDA, CDPH, OSHA, SQF, GFSI, EPA, and local regulatory requirements, while driving quality, operational excellence, continuous improvement, and a strong food safety culture throughout the organization.

This position provides strategic leadership and technical expertise for food safety systems, sanitation execution, environmental monitoring, supplier quality, audit readiness, integrated pest management, regulatory compliance, and quality systems management. The Senior FSQA & Sanitation Manager partners cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Procurement, Warehousing, R&D, and Corporate Leadership to protect product quality, consumer safety, and the company’s legacy of excellence.

The pay range for this position is expected to be $135k - $150k annually, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Job Description

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and manage FSQA and Sanitation teams across multiple manufacturing, packaging, and distribution facilities, ensuring proper staffing, scheduling, training, and performance management.
• Coach, mentor, and develop FSQA Managers, Sanitation Managers, Supervisors, and support staff to foster accountability, consistency, and operational excellence.
• Manage all personnel-related activities, including hiring, onboarding, labor budget management, performance evaluations, coaching, discipline, training, and termination recommendations in accordance with company policies and union contract requirements where applicable.
• Promote a culture of safety, food safety, quality, sanitation excellence, continuous improvement, and employee engagement across all facilities.
• Ensure effective communication and seamless transitions between shifts to support food safety, quality, sanitation, sustainability, and operational goals.
• Oversee and maintain Food Safety and Quality Management Systems to ensure compliance with FDA, FSMA, USDA, CDPH, SQF, GFSI, HACCP/HARPC, GMP, and company standards.
• Lead the review, validation, verification, and continuous improvement of The Food Safety HACCP/HARPC plans, SOPs, SSOPs, OPLs, forms, registers, and prerequisite programs.
• Manage document control systems to ensure all food safety, sanitation, and quality documentation remains accurate, current, accessible, and compliant.
• Ensure all facilities maintain audit readiness and successfully pass internal, regulatory, customer, and third-party audits with minimal findings.
• Lead site crisis management activities, mock recalls, traceability exercises, regulatory inspections, and product recall execution.
• Verify and validate corrective and preventive actions related to food safety, sanitation, environmental monitoring, and quality deviations.
• Utilize SPC and other analytical tools to identify trends, establish KPIs, improve process capability, and drive operational improvements.
• Lead root cause investigations related to customer complaints, food safety incidents, sanitation failures, environmental findings, and quality losses.
• Develop, implement, and standardize sanitation programs, SSOPs, Master Sanitation Schedules (MSS), sanitation validation procedures, and cleaning effectiveness programs across all facilities.
• Oversee sanitation operations to ensure manufacturing, packaging, and warehouse areas are always maintained in sanitary and food-safe conditions.
• Lead environmental monitoring and pre-operational inspection programs to verify sanitation effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
• Manage integrated pest management programs and third-party sanitation and chemical suppliers to ensure performance, compliance, and cost effectiveness.
• Drive sanitation innovation and continuous improvement initiatives focused on water conservation, chemical optimization, dry-cleaning technologies, and waste reduction.
• Ensure proper chemical handling, hazardous communication compliance, sanitation safety practices, and employee training programs are effectively implemented.
• Evaluate supplier quality audit programs and evaluate supplier compliance with food safety and quality standards.
• Serve as backup support for Facility FSQA Managers and Sanitation Managers to ensure continuity of operations when needed.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Procurement, Warehousing, and Supply Chain teams to ensure products are manufactured in compliance with food safety, quality, and sanitation requirements.
• Support implementation of new technologies, ERP systems, sanitation equipment, and process improvements to enhance operational efficiency and compliance.
• Participate in continuous improvement and capital projects that improve food safety, sanitation, sustainability, and operational performance.
• Ensure all assigned facilities comply with approved SOPs, SSOPs, sanitation standards, GMPs, food defense, and food security programs.
• Maintain compliance with all applicable environmental, food safety, occupational safety, and sanitation regulations and standards.
• Maintain safe work environments by ensuring proper safety procedures, training, and corrective actions are consistently applied.
• Keep current with industry regulations, emerging technologies, regulatory changes, and best practices related to food safety, sanitation, quality assurance, and sustainability.
• Perform other duties and special projects assigned to support organizational objectives.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, or related field required.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive leadership experience in Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Sanitation, or related functions within food manufacturing environments, including multi-site oversight preferred.
• Strong knowledge of FDA, FSMA, SQF, GFSI, HACCP/HARPC, GMPs, lean manufacturing, continuous process improvements, sanitation systems, principles of Sanitary and Hygienic Design, environmental monitoring, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Certified SQF Practitioner, PCQI, HACCP/HARPC certification preferred.
• Experience managing sanitation programs, Master Sanitation Schedules (MSS