Director of Food Safety & Sanitation

The Director of Food Safety & Sanitation provides direction and support and coordinates all Plant Food Safety and Quality activities for Savencia Cheese USA. This position is responsible for ensuring that all Food Safety and Sanitation programs are up to date and meet all FDA and Savencia guidelines. This person will work with the Plant Operations and Quality and Sanitation teams to ensure that they are producing Safe Quality products that meet or exceed our Quality standards. This position will track and trend all critical data and present to the teams monthly. This person also has responsibility for communicating and providing training to the plant teams. The position follows standard work methods and practices safe work habits to ensure production is as efficient and safe as possible.

Essential Functions:

• Develops and implements product safety and quality and sanitation programs while meeting Company and regulatory standards.
• Directs the plant operation teams on proper sanitation methods.
• Ensures product safety, regulatory compliance, and compliance with company standards as stated in the Quality Manual, Laboratory Manual, and Company Policy and Programs by inspecting and auditing the product, process, and all systems.
• Helps drive Continuous Improvement efforts in product quality/performance and process optimization.
• Provides leadership in coaching, education, and training of plant employees and training on Food safety and Sanitation programs.
• Active member of HACCP/FSP teams, provides direction and support to the teams.
• Leads the interaction with the Chemical companies’ plants chemical use and training and SSOP development.
• Ensures adherence to appropriate regulations and Company standards for ingredient and finished product quality.
• Supervises the appropriate chemical, bacteriological, sensory and utilization tests on raw materials and finished product test results.
• Communicates quality/ sanitation metrics and inspection results to appropriate plant teams and others in leadership positions including, but not limited to daily, weekly, or monthly KPI reporting to Corporate.
• Ensures that proper sanitation procedures are utilized and that adequate sanitation tests are performed; provides “troubleshooting” efforts in the event of sanitation system failure.
• Leads local, state, customer/third party, group, and federal audits and inspections.

Travel: This position requires up to 25-30% travel.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Dairy Science, or a science-based area of study with a focus on microbiology.
• Minimum of 5 years of supervisory experience (Quality-Food Safety-Sanitation).
• Possesses a working knowledge of sanitation systems, techniques, and procedures.
• Solid experience with Good Manufacturing Practices/Food Safety and Sanitation.
• Experience leading and following Safety/Security Policies and Procedures.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and computer-based applications.
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills.
• Strong collaborator and leader with the ability to work across multiple functions and disciplines.
• Ability to adapt to changing organizational and operational needs; ability to lead others through change.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to follow all Sanitation and Quality Policies and Procedures, and report and follow through on any deficiencies.
• Knowledgeable in FSMA rules and regulations including Preventive Controls for Human Food, Sanitary Transportation Rule, Food Defense, Food Fraud, and Foreign Supplier Verification Programs.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Dairy experience.
• Sensory experience.
• Experience in Continuous Improvement (CI) Processes.
• Food Safety-Sanitation.
• Previous experience as a lead auditor.
• Master’s degree in food science or biology.