Sanitation & Microbiology Manager

About the job

Clorox is the place that’s committed to growth – for our people and our brands. Guided by our purpose and values, and with people at the center of everything we do, we believe every one of us can make a positive impact on consumers, communities, and teammates. Join our team. #CloroxIsThePlace

Your role at Clorox:

The Sanitation & Microbiology Program Manager is the senior site subject matter expert accountable for the strategy, governance, technical rigor, and sustained effectiveness of the site's sanitation and contamination-control systems. The role integrates deep cleaning and sanitation expertise with applied industrial microbiology to protect product quality, consumer safety, regulatory compliance, and reliable manufacturing operations.

This is an advanced individual-contributor leadership role. The position does not have direct reports; however, it provides functional direction, technical oversight, coaching, qualification, and ongoing support to Process Operators and other personnel who execute cleaning and sanitation activities under the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS). The role establishes expectations, verifies capability and execution, and influences Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, Logistics, Learning, and Technical Services through a dotted-line operating model.

The role is expected to independently assess complex contamination risks, translate microbiological and sanitation data into practical controls, make technically sound recommendations, escalate significant risk, and lead cross-functional resolution of systemic or recurring issues. The position serves as a primary site authority for sanitation, hygienic design, environmental monitoring, water monitoring, sanitation verification and validation, pest control, housekeeping, and contamination-control readiness.

In this role, you will:

• Own the site Sanitation Program and Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), ensuring cleaning frequencies, methods, responsibilities, documentation, and standards are risk-based, executable, and aligned with cGMP and corporate requirements.
• Lead the site's microbiological and contamination-control programs, including environmental monitoring, water-system monitoring, sanitation verification, microbiological risk assessments, and contamination-prevention strategies.
• Analyze and trend environmental, water, sanitation, product, and microbiological data to identify emerging risks, repeat failures, contamination pathways, and opportunities for improvement.
• Provide technical leadership during microbiological excursions, contamination events, sanitation failures, and atypical results, including containment, root cause analysis, CAPA development, effectiveness checks, and closure.
• Develop and approve cleaning validation and verification strategies, including acceptance criteria, sampling locations, chemical concentrations, contact times, temperatures, equipment disassembly, inspection, and ongoing verification.
• Provide functional leadership and training to Process Operators and other employees performing cleaning and sanitation activities, including qualification standards, coaching, job aids, direct observation, and proficiency assessments.
• Serve as the site's technical authority for hygienic and sanitary design, evaluating new equipment, capital projects, facility modifications, utilities, repairs, and process changes for cleanability and contamination risk.
• Lead cross-functional investigations and continuous improvement efforts using tools such as 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, risk ranking, statistical trending, and CAPA effectiveness verification.
• Maintain audit and regulatory readiness by ensuring sanitation, microbiology, pest control, water systems, documentation, training, and contamination-control programs meet applicable cGMP, regulatory, corporate, and industry requirements.
• Exercise technical authority to escalate contamination risks and influence operational decisions, including intensified cleaning, resampling, equipment release, temporary controls, production planning, maintenance priorities, capital needs, and training requirements.

What we look for:

• 3+ years of progressive experience in sanitation, microbiology, quality, or contamination control within Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), cosmetics, food and beverage, household products, pharmaceutical, medical device, or a similarly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in both plant sanitation program development and execution and applied microbiology or contamination-control program management, with experience extending beyond routine coordination, scheduling, or recordkeeping.
• Proven experience leading or playing a significant role in Master Sanitation Schedules (MSS), environmental monitoring, water monitoring, cleaning validation/verification, microbiological trending, and response to adverse or out-of-specification results.
• Strong technical knowledge of cGMP requirements, sanitation chemistry and application, hygienic design, microbial control, sampling and testing fundamentals, documentation practices, and risk-based decision-making.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex investigations and CAPAs related to microbiological contamination, sanitation failures, environmental or water results, equipment design concerns, or recurring process deviations.
• Proven ability to provide technical leadership, training, qualification, and coaching to manufacturing and operations personnel, including influencing teams without direct reporting authority.
• Experience developing, reviewing, and approving technical procedures, sanitation standards, risk assessments, validation/verification protocols, investigation reports, and technical communications.
• Ability to support operations across shifts and respond outside normal business hours, when necessary, to address significant sanitation, microbiological, or contamination-control events.

#LI-ONSITE

Workplace type:

Onsite Our values-based culture connects to our purpose and empowers people to be their best, professionally and personally. We serve a diverse consumer base which is why we believe teams that reflect our consumers bring fresh perspectives, drive innovation, and help us stay attuned to the world around us. That’s why we foster an inclusive culture where every person can feel respected, valued, and fully able to participate, and ultimately able to thrive. Learn more.

[U.S.]Additional Information:

At Clorox, we champion people to be well and thrive, starting with our own people. To help make this possible, we offer comprehensive, competitive benefits that prioritize all aspects of wellbeing and provide flexibility for our teammates’ unique needs. This includes robust health plans, a market-leading 401(k) program with a company match, flexible time off benefits (including half-day summer Fridays depending on location), inclusive fertility/adoption benefits, and more.

We are committed to fair and equitable pay and are transparent with current and future teammates about our full salary ranges. We use broad salary ranges that reflect the competitive market for similar jobs, provide sufficient opportunity for growth as you gain experience and expand responsibilities, while also allowing for differentiation based on performance. Based on the breadth of our ranges, most new hires will start at Clorox in the first half of the applicable range. Your starting pay will depend on job-related factors, including relevant skills, knowledge, experience and location. The applicable salary range for every role in the U.S. is based on your work location and is aligned to one of three zones according to the cost of labor in your area.

–Zone A: $90,900 - $170,100

–Zone B: $83,400 - $155,900

–Zone C: $75,800 - $141,700

All ranges are subject to change in the future. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

This job is also eligible for participation in Clorox’s incentive plans, subject to the terms of the applicable plan documents and policies.

Please apply directly to our job postings and do not submit your resume to any person via text message. Clorox does not conduct text-based interviews and encourages you to be cautious of anyone posing as a Clorox recruiter via unsolicited texts during these uncertain times.

To all recruitment agencies: Clorox (and its brand families) does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to Clorox employees, including any members of our leadership team. Clorox is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.