Director of Sanitation and Sanitary Design

The Director of Sanitation provides strategic oversight, support, and governance for all aspects of sanitation and sanitary design across all Land O'Lakes facilities. This role leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive sanitation strategy, collaborating with all manufacturing locations to establish and maintain sanitary design standards, robust SOPs, master sanitation schedules, and reviews and approves equipment design and modifications from a sanitary standpoint. Through proactive leadership, clear communication, and cross-functional collaboration, the Director of Sanitation and Sanitary Design ensures that quality and food safety success, while effectively preventing sanitation and design-related food safety failures. This position champions accountability, empowers the corporate sanitation team and facility sanitation professionals, and fosters an environment where sanitation excellence is embedded in the company's culture and operations. This role will work in an office or manufacturing environment and requires the ability to travel 50-70% of the time.

This role can be based in Arden Hills, MN (preferred) or Virtual.

Job Duties:
- Develop and implement sanitation and sanitary design standards: This involves creating guidelines for optimizing cleaning and disinfection processes, ensuring standardization across facilities, and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Provide technical support: Offer deep subject matter expertise in sanitation and sanitary design to other teams within the organization. Standardize and oversee pest control programs, ensuring integration with overall sanitation strategy.
- Assess new equipment and processes: Ensuring that new or modified equipment adheres to sanitary design principles and regulatory requirements before purchase and installation.
- Investigate non-conformities: Collaborate with the cross functional team to determine the root cause of sanitation issues and recommend corrective actions.
- Training: Educating staff on proper cleaning practices and sanitation procedures is a critical part of the role. Stay current on emerging sanitation technologies, regulatory changes, and industry trends; proactively implement improvements to enhance food safety and operational efficiency. Represent Land O'Lakes in industry meetings, academia partnerships, and trade organizations in the areas of sanitary design, sanitation practices and food safety.
- Provide leadership and direction for corporate, fostering a culture of food safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. Develop, mentor and support sanitation managers across locations through coaching and expertise to drive performance and engagement.

Required Experience:
- Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Microbiology or a related technical field of study in the applied sciences
- 20 years of experience in food manufacturing with a preference for dairy manufacturing
- Current advanced working knowledge in sanitation, hygienic design, food safety plans, microbiology, pest control and quality systems
- Ability to influence and communicate with all levels of the organization and drive food safety culture across the organization

Salary Range: $159, 520 - $299, 100. In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources. Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k).

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Neither Land O'Lakes, nor its search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.