Job Title: Sr. Manager, Sanitation and Food Safety
Location: Greater Toronto Area
About Us:
Welcome to Lactalis Canada! We’re proud to be Canada’s #1 branded dairy company and to be consistently recognized as one of the country’s top employers by Forbes. Our purpose is to enrich and nurture the lives of Canadians by offering the best of dairy from Canada’s favourite dairy brands like Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia. In fact, our products can be found in over 90% of Canadian refrigerators in any given time. As part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, we remain focused on innovation and quality and are seeking like-minded individuals to join us as we continue our growth journey.
Our flexible hybrid work model accommodates 40% remote work, adapting to the evolving needs of our workforce. Step into a collaborative hub with our revamped office, and enjoy free parking, endless coffee, delicious Lactalis snacks, an on-site gym, and more!
About the opportunity:
As a member of the Lactalis Canada Quality and Food Safety Leadership Team, the Senior Manager, Sanitation and Food Safety, provides strategic leadership, technical expertise, and operational oversight for all sanitation and food safety prerequisite programs across all manufacturing facilities. This role ensures the design, implementation, validation, and continuous improvement of food safety and sanitation to protect product integrity, regulatory compliance, and consumer safety, while supporting operational efficiency with a focus on non-quality cost reduction, safety and sustainability objectives.
The attributes we are looking for:
1. Lactalis Canada’s long-term Quality and Food Safety objectives:
· Establish, implement and improve sanitation, hygiene and food safety prerequisite programs across all manufacturing sites to avoid business disruption. This includes, but is not limited to, SSOPs, sanitation master plans, environmental monitoring plans, HACCP, allergen management, and foreign object elimination.
· Act as the sanitation subject matter authority during incidents and crises.
2. Non-Quality Cost Reduction (Primary Focus):
· With Manufacturing and procurement, own and deliver measurable reductions in sanitation-related Non-Quality Costs, including:
o Product losses linked to sanitation failures or variability
o Hygiene-related downtime and restart delays
o Environmental positives, and corrective sanitation events
o Complaint-driven costs linked to hygiene failures
· Build a sanitation NQC cost model by plant, standardize root cause analysis and corrective actions for sanitation-driven losses, lead cross-plant improvement programs targeting right-first-time sanitation, and partner with Finance to track savings and validate cost avoidance.
3. Drive Performance: Define sanitation KPIs and dashboards across the 18-plant network:
o Environmental results and trends
o Sanitation effectiveness vs. over cleaning indicators
o Cost per clean / per line / per volume
o Sanitation related downtime and yield losses
· Use statistical trending and risk-based monitoring to focus resources where value is highest, drive fact-based decision making and prioritization.
4. Lead and develop the Sanitation and Food Safety team
o Animation of Yogurt and Fluid plants network (continuous improvement, reporting…)
o Milk management (including raw milk)
o HACCP
o Food Safety training
o Support to plants in addressing non-compliance from FS audits
o Ensure permanent audit ready sanitation systems (CFIA, SFCR, FSSC, customer audits).
· Create a strong culture of sanitation focused on ownership, discipline, and continuous improvement.
What you will bring:
· University degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Engineering, or related scientific discipline · Minimum 15–20 years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing, with significant responsibility for sanitation and food safety· 10+ years of people leadership experience in complex, multi‑site organizations · Proven experience leading enterprise‑level sanitation and food safety programs across multiple facilities or regions · Demonstrated experience interfacing with regulators, certification bodies, and major customers · Willingness and ability to travel up to 40–50%, domestically and occasionally internationally
· Expert‑level knowledge of sanitation systems, environmental monitoring, hygienic design, and sanitation validation in food manufacturing
· Deep understanding of GMPs, HACCP, Preventive Controls, and regulatory frameworks (CFIA, GFSI schemes)
· Strong enterprise risk management and decision‑making capabilities
· Proven ability to influence and align executive leadership, Operations, Engineering, and Supply Chain around food safety priorities
· Exceptional leadership, coaching, and change‑management skills
· Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret trends, assess risk, and set strategic direction
· Excellent communication skills, including the ability to lead executive‑level discussions and external engagements
· High level of integrity, accountability, and commitment to consumer safety
What Lactalis will offer:
Lactalis Canada believes in rewarding its people with the following comprehensive benefits package and perks:
- A Competitive Base Salary
- A Performance-Based Bonus System
- 4 Weeks of Vacation
- Benefits starting day 1
- A Pension Program with an Employer Match at 100% of up to 6%
- Tuition reimbursement plan of up to $3,000/year
- A Volunteer Day to give back to your community
- Learning and Development opportunities
- A commitment to internal career advancement with potential for international mobility
Our ESG commitment:
Our ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) roadmap drives our sustainability mission. We aim to positively impact communities and the planet by enabling stakeholders including our people, consumers, customers, suppliers, dairy farmers, government, and industry partners to have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our communities and the planet through all that we do.
At Lactalis Canada, we value our employees as catalysts for positive change. Together, we will create a sustainable future, promote belonging, and make a lasting impact on the world.
Our commitment to DEI:
Fuel Our Culture with Your Uniqueness! Lactalis thrives on the value each person brings. We're dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, inviting personal and professional growth, and embracing everyone's true selves. We're committed to crafting an environment that genuinely welcomes all, reflecting the richness of our people and communities. We apply an equal access to employment program and invite women, aboriginal people, visible minorities, and people with disabilities to apply.
Our promise extends to accessible processes and spaces. If you require accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary, or permanent), please inform our Talent Acquisition team – confidentiality will be maintained.
Note: Lactalis Canada does not conduct credit or background checks through LinkedIn. If required, we'll contact you after signing a Job Offer.
Compensation:
As part of our commitment to fairness, trust, and transparency and our ambition to be an Employer of Choice, the base salary range for this position is $127 000 – $158 800+.
Please note: Along with a comprehensive Total Rewards package, your actual base salary will be fair, competitive, and be based on your skills, experience, and qualifications.
Pay: $127,000.00-$158,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Dental care
- Flexible schedule
- Life insurance
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision care
- Wellness program
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Etobicoke, ON M9C 5J1
