Position Summary:

The Sanitation Operator’s primary responsibility is to perform the disassembly, sanitizing, and reassembly of food processing machinery and other cleaning and sanitary needs in a safe manner. To follow all food safety practices while performing duties. The continued achievement of safe work and food safety will ensure our customers’ needs and the needs of Ventura Foods are achieved on a daily basis.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Adhere to all worker safety, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), food safety, and customer-specific practices: a) work safely at all times, strictly following Ventura Foods’ worker safety and food safety rules and guidelines. b) Keep all work and storage areas clean and hazard-free. c) Strictly follow all Ventura Foods’ GMP procedures
• Perform cleaning procedure on all process equipment as assigned: a) Perform proper pre-cleaning inspections on all equipment. b) Completion of required food safety related equipment inspections and reporting as prescribed by the facility’s sanitation preventive controls and HACCP program. c) Follow all safety procedures/policies. d) Report any safety hazards. e) Become proficient at operation, including protection, of all process equipment in cleaning process. f) Follow established Standard Sanitation Operating Procedures (SSOPs) at all times and return equipment to pre-operating state when cleaning process is completed
• Perform cleaning procedures throughout the entire facility both inside and outside: a) Perform tasks on master cleaning schedule and record the completion of those tasks. b) Complete action items from safety and food safety inspections. c) Address areas as needed that need cleaning including lunchroom, locker room and hand wash sinks. d) Empty garbage cans, sweep, vacuum, paint, cobweb removal and operate floor scrubber. e) Perform oil recovery and cleaning tasks in the waste water building. f) Assist with pest control program as directed (no pesticide or rodenticide contact or application). g) Other cleaning and weed removal as directed
• Preform pre-cleaning tasks on a daily basis: a) Evaluate the daily cleaning tasks to be performed and ensure all personal protective equipment (PPE) is available in working condition and used to perform the required cleaning tasks
• Other Duties: a) Notify a manager, supervisor, foreperson or lead person about any issue(s) that may impact personal safety, product quality or product integrity. b) Complete and submit all required paperwork. c) Keep updated on new products, packaging, supplies, equipment, etc. as they relate to the cleaning process and line set up issues. d) Lock up facility and set alarm as directed. e) Work production if so directed. f) Check seals and hook up railcars on a nightly basis. g) Run both crystallizers and do proper procedures checks and keep accurate paperwork. h) Tank inventory at end of the night
• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma/GED or equivalent experience
• 1 or more years of sanitation experience preferred

Knowledge and Skills:

• Capable of being forklift licensed/certified
• Capable of becoming qualified to operate all production equipment as required to perform cleaning tasks and operate it in a safe and efficient manner
• Must be able to understand defined operating and cleaning procedures and their application to producing, handling and cleaning quality product in a safe and efficient manner
• Must be able to read and write legibly and understand safety data sheets, chemical labels and other documents related to chemical usage and cleaning
• Must be able to perform basic mathematic functions, including rate and ratios