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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:

1. Sanitation Program Strategy and Governance

·        Own the site sanitation program and its multi-year improvement strategy, including product-contact cleaning and sanitization, non-product-contact cleaning, housekeeping, pest control, chemical control, tools and equipment, and sanitation documentation.

·        Establish, maintain, and continuously improve the MSS, ensuring frequencies and methods are risk-based, operationally executable, clearly assigned, and aligned with corporate standards, cGMP requirements, and site risk assessments.

·        Define program standards, decision criteria, escalation pathways, risk-based frequencies, and key performance indicators. Routinely assess program health and communicate trends, gaps, and priorities to site and corporate leadership.

·        Lead periodic sanitation risk assessments and deep-dive reviews to identify contamination pathways, difficult-to-clean conditions, recurring failures, and opportunities to improve control effectiveness or reduce unnecessary burden.

·        Own technical requirements and performance management for sanitation chemical, pest-control, and other relevant third-party service providers, including service reviews, issue escalation, corrective actions, and supplier performance.

·        Ensure records, procedures, work instructions, forms, and electronic systems provide complete, accurate, and inspection-ready evidence of program execution.

2. Microbiological and Contamination-Control Program Leadership

·        Own and govern the site contamination-control framework, including environmental monitoring (EM), water-system monitoring, sanitation effectiveness verification, microbiological risk assessments, and other applicable facility or process monitoring programs.

·        Apply advanced knowledge of microorganisms, growth conditions, biofilm risk, harborage, sampling science, recovery methods, indicator organisms, and contamination pathways to establish scientifically sound monitoring and response strategies.

·        Lead review, trending, and interpretation of EM, water, cleaning and sanitation, product, and related microbiological data. Detect weak signals, adverse trends, seasonal patterns, repeat locations, and systemic risks before they become significant events.

·        Establish scientifically justified alert and action limits, sampling locations, frequencies, response plans, and escalation criteria in partnership with Site Quality Leadership and corporate microbiology or BQM resources.

·        Provide technical leadership for microbiological excursions, out-of-specification or atypical results, contamination events, and repeat sanitation failures. Guide containment, risk assessment, investigation strategy, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action (CAPA), effectiveness checks, and documented closure.

·        Translate complex microbiological findings into clear risk statements and practical operating decisions for non-technical audiences, including recommendations regarding intensified cleaning, resampling, equipment release, process controls, or escalation.

3. Cleaning Validation, Verification, and Technical Standards

·        Develop or approve risk-based cleaning validation and verification strategies for new and existing equipment, processes, products, and formulations, including rationale for methods, acceptance criteria, worst-case selection, sampling locations, and ongoing verification.

·        Assess and approve cleaning and sanitization methods, chemical concentrations, contact times, temperatures, mechanical action, sequencing, disassembly requirements, inspection criteria, and verification methods.

·        Lead technical evaluation of failed or marginal cleaning results and determine when re-cleaning, enhanced inspection, additional sampling, validation work, or broader corrective action is required.

·        Ensure sanitation methods remain effective as formulas, equipment, run strategies, soils, water conditions, or operating practices change.

4. Functional Leadership, Training, and Capability Building

·        Provide dotted-line functional leadership to Process Operators and other personnel responsible for executing C&S activities under the MSS. Set technical expectations, coach execution, observe work, provide feedback, and escalate capability or adherence gaps through Operations leadership.

·        Develop role-based qualification standards, training content, job aids, demonstrations, and effectiveness checks for sanitation execution, inspection, documentation, chemical handling, hygienic practices, and contamination response.

·        Qualify or support qualification of personnel performing critical sanitation activities and periodically reassess proficiency through direct observation, record review, practical demonstration, and performance data.

·        Lead sanitation forums, tier discussions, and cross-functional reviews that clarify priorities, ownership, due dates, and risk-based decisions.

·        Build site capability so that sanitation and microbiological controls are understood and consistently executed across shifts, departments, and leadership levels.

5. Hygienic Design and Change Management

·        Serve as the site technical authority for hygienic and sanitary design reviews involving new equipment, utilities, facility modifications, capital projects, repairs, temporary controls, and process changes.

·        Assess cleanability, accessibility, drainability, material compatibility, dead legs, niches, hollow bodies, utility interfaces, traffic patterns, zoning, condensation, water management, and potential microbial harborage.

·        Define sanitation and contamination-control requirements for design specifications, factory or site acceptance testing, commissioning, startup, qualification, and handoff to Operations.

·        Approve sanitation-related change-control deliverables and confirm that procedures, training, validation or verification, spare parts, and sustainment requirements are complete before routine operation.

6. Investigation, Risk Management, and Continuous Improvement

·        Lead complex, cross-functional problem solving using structured methods such as 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, fault-tree thinking, risk ranking, statistical trending, and CAPA effectiveness verification.

·        Independently distinguish isolated execution errors from systemic program failures and prioritize actions based on product, consumer, compliance, and business risk.

·        Develop and manage short-term containment and long-term corrective-action plans, balancing production needs with non-negotiable quality and contamination-control requirements.

·        Use data, direct observation, scientific evidence, and external expertise to improve sanitation effectiveness, reduce recurrence, strengthen standard work, and simplify controls where risk permits.

·        Maintain a prioritized program roadmap and provide transparent status, risk, decision needs, and resource implications to Plant Management and Quality leadership.

7. Audit and Regulatory Readiness

·        Assess conformance to applicable regulatory requirements, cGMP expectations, corporate requirements, and recognized industry practices relevant to the site and product portfolio.

·        Own or support responses to audit observations involving sanitation, microbiology, water, pest control, hygienic design, documentation, training, or contamination-control systems.

·        Ensure corrective actions address root cause, are completed on time, and demonstrate sustained effectiveness.

Decision Rights and Expected Influence

·        Establish site sanitation and microbiological program standards within corporate and regulatory requirements.

·        Recommend or require intensified cleaning, targeted inspection, resampling, temporary controls, or escalation when contamination-control evidence is insufficient.

·        Provide sanitation and microbiological approval for new equipment, process changes, cleaning validation or verification plans, startup readiness, and significant procedure changes.

·        Escalate conditions that may create unacceptable product, consumer, compliance, or operational risk to the Plant Quality Leader and appropriate leadership forums.

·        Influence resource priorities, capital needs, maintenance actions, production planning, and training requirements based on risk and program performance.

·        Functional leadership is exercised through technical authority and dotted-line support; formal performance management remains with each employee's direct manager.

What we look for:

Required Qualifications

·        3+ years of progressive experience in sanitation, microbiology, quality, or contamination control within Consumer Packaged Goods, cosmetics, food, beverage, household products, pharmaceutical, medical-device, or a similarly controlled manufacturing environment.

·        Demonstrated depth in: (1) plant sanitation program design and execution, and (2) applied microbiology or contamination-control program management. Experience must extend beyond routine coordination or record administration.

·        Demonstrated experience owning or materially leading an MSS, environmental monitoring, water monitoring, cleaning verification or validation, microbiological trending, and response to adverse results.

·        Advanced knowledge of cGMPs, sanitation chemistry and application, hygienic design, microbial control, sampling and test-method fundamentals, documentation practices, and risk-based decision making.

·        Experience leading complex investigations and CAPAs involving microbiological contamination, sanitation failures, water or environmental results, equipment design, or recurring process deviations.

·        Demonstrated ability to provide technical direction, training, qualification, and coaching to manufacturing personnel without direct reporting authority.

·        Experience authoring and approving technical procedures, standards, risk assessments, validation or verification protocols, investigation reports, and leadership communications.

·        Strong written, verbal, facilitation, data-interpretation, and executive-communication skills, including the ability to convert technical risk into clear decisions and actions.

·        Ability to work across shifts or respond outside normal business hours when required by significant sanitation or contamination events.

·        Ability to travel approximately 5%, with flexibility based on business needs.

Preferred Qualifications

·        5+ years of relevant experience, including site-level program ownership in a regulated/controlled manufacturing environment.

·        Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Food Science, Engineering, or a related discipline.

·        Formal training or certification in sanitation, hygienic design, food safety, quality, or micro, such as PCQI, HACCP, SQF Practitioner, ASQ Quality Engineer, or recognized sanitation/hygienic-design coursework.

·        Experience supporting regulatory, customer, corporate, or third-party audits and defending sanitation or microbiological program design and outcomes.

·        Experience managing sanitation chemical suppliers, pest-control providers, contract sanitation resources, or laboratory service providers.

Leadership Competencies

·        Technical authority: Uses strong scientific and sanitation expertise to make defensible decisions in ambiguous or high-risk situations.

·        Influence without authority: Builds alignment, sets clear expectations, and drives accountability across functions and reporting lines.

·        Capability building: Develops others through practical coaching, qualification, feedback, and sustained standard work.

·        Systems thinking: Identifies interactions among people, equipment, methods, environment, materials, and data rather than treating failures as isolated events.

·        Judgment and escalation: Differentiates routine variation from meaningful risk and escalates promptly with clear options and recommendations.

·        Execution discipline: Converts strategy into measurable standards, owners, due dates, verification, and sustainable controls.

Workplace type:

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.