About the Role: Sanitation Team Lead
As a Sanitation Team Lead, you will be the driving force of execution on the plant floor. This is an hourly, non-exempt, highly hands-on role where you will own the cleaning outcomes of your assigned production area while simultaneously guiding, coaching, and training your fellow team members.
Your focus will be on leading by example—modeling flawless safety standards, ensuring technical accuracy, and training both new and existing Sanitation Technicians. You will work under the direct guidance of the Sanitation Supervisor or Site Manager, balancing individual sanitation tasks with early-stage team leadership.
What You’ll Do
- Own Your Area: Perform hands-on, high-level technical sanitation, coordinating and executing the efficient disassembly, deep cleaning, sanitizing, and reassembly of complex food production machinery in your assigned zone.
- Train and Coach: Serve as the primary on-the-floor trainer for new hires and existing Sanitation Technicians, ensuring they master proper cleaning techniques, equipment handling, and plant-specific workflows.
- Model Safety & Compliance: Lead by example by strictly adhering to and enforcing OSHA standards, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), HAZCOMM, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guidelines, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
- Support Sanitation Chemistry: Under the direct supervision of the Sanitation Supervisor or Site Manager, assist in conducting chemical titrations to verify that cleaning and sanitizing solutions meet regulatory strength requirements.
- Inspect and Verify: Continuously audit your assigned area to guarantee that pre-operational and mid-shift standards are met, proactively catching and correcting any sanitation gaps.
- Execute Technical Sanitation: Work daily within heavily regulated USDA and FDA frameworks, ensuring strict adherence to Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and the 7 steps of sanitation.
What You Bring
- Experience: * 1–3 years of hands-on technical sanitation experience in a food processing facility (USDA/FDA regulated environment preferred).
- Demonstrated informal leadership skills, such as peer-to-peer coaching, onboarding new hires, or acting as a designated point-of-contact during shifts.
- Technical Sanitation Expertise: Strong working knowledge of SSOPs, chemical safety protocols, and wet/dry cleaning methodologies.
- Commitment to Safety: Proven track record of strict compliance with OSHA safety regulations, including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and HAZCOMM.
- Bilingual Preferred: English/Spanish fluency is highly valued to effectively train and communicate with diverse frontline teams.
- Adaptability: Willingness to work dynamic shifts (primarily nights, weekends, and holidays) within challenging plant environments (hot, cold, wet, loud).
Core Competencies for Success
- Hands-On Leadership: You lead from the trenches. You wouldn't ask your team to do a sanitation task you aren't willing to do yourself.
- Passion for Development: You take pride in helping others succeed, demonstrating patience and clarity when training team members on complex procedures.
- Technical Precision: You understand that food safety is a science; you are meticulous about chemical accuracy, water temperatures, and mechanical cleaning steps.
- Safety-First Mindset: You never cut corners on safety and proactively call out or correct unsafe behaviors to protect your team.
- Dependability: You take personal ownership of your assigned area, ensuring it is audit-ready and handed over to production on time, every time.
What We Value
- Partnership: Working collaboratively with frontline teams and site management to achieve uncompromised food safety goals.
- Excellence: Delivering high-quality, precise sanitation results on every piece of machinery, every single shift.
- Integrity: Doing the right thing for consumer safety, even when no one is watching.
The Details
- Job Type: Full-time, Hourly (Non-Exempt)
- Location: On-site at a client food production facility
- Schedule: Shift-based; requires night, weekend, and holiday availability
- Environment: Heavy industrial food production setting; requires continuous use of specialized PPE and adherence to strict safety rules.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive hourly wage with overtime eligibility
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off and holiday pay
- Clear career pathways toward salaried Sanitation Supervisor and Assistant Site Manager roles.
- Retirement plan options
Your Future Starts Here
The Sanitation Team Lead position is the perfect stepping stone for an ambitious technician looking to build a long-term career in food safety management. At Ecowize, we actively invest in your professional development, giving you the leadership tools and technical support needed to step up the ladder.
If you are ready to lead by example, train the next generation of technicians, and protect millions of consumers, we want to hear from you.
Apply today and grow with us.
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Why Ecowize?
At Ecowize North America, we go beyond cleaning food production facilities — we safeguard public health and drive operational excellence. As part of our team, you’ll join a mission-driven organization committed to food safety, innovation, and people development. If you’re ready to lead, inspire, and make a measurable difference, this role is for you.