Food Safety Supervisor
At Hilmar Cheese Company we improve lives around the world through wholesome dairy products. Since our founding in 1984, Hilmar Cheese Company has been committed to innovation and sustainability. Our state-of-the art production facilities convert an abundance of locally sourced high-quality milk into a variety of nutritious cheeses, whey protein and lactose. The Cheese and Ingredients that we produce create a wide variety of retail and food service products from sliced and shredded cheeses, to protein supplements and infant formula. We are a trusted partner to premier food and beverage brands in more than fifty countries helping bring their vision into reality.
Throughout our decades of success and growth we have remained committed to our mission and values and these principles unite our people and guide all that we do.
A Typical Day
The Food Safety Supervisor provides day-to-day leadership and technical support for food safety programs at the Dodge City cheese and whey ingredients facility. The role ensures effective execution, verification, documentation, escalation, and closure of HACCP, sanitation, environmental monitoring, pre-operational inspection, equipment food safety, and related regulatory and customer requirements. The supervisor partners with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality Systems, and FSQA to protect product, strengthen preventive controls, and sustain audit readiness.
Job Responsibilities
Food Safety Program Leadership and Record Review
• Review PINs, batch records, HACCP documentation, HTST charts, Charm antibiotic test records, Master Sanitation Schedule records, metal detector checks, allergen controls, and packaging records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance.
Pre-Operational Inspection and Sanitation Verification
• Lead and perform Plant 7 pre-operational inspections, including vat, belt, tower-line, and other assigned equipment and areas; evaluate findings and determine or escalate acceptability before start-up. Perform and document pre-operational titrations and other sanitation verification activities.
• Review completion and effectiveness of sanitation and Master Sanitation Schedule activities; initiate follow-up when requirements are not met. Manage Equipment Food Safety Inspections and the Food Safety Permit process from observation and review through documentation, upload, follow-up, and closure.
Environmental Monitoring and Investigation
• Ensure effective execution of the site Environmental Monitoring Program, including routine and investigative swabbing, sample submission, result review, trending, escalation, and corrective-action follow-up.
• Oversee Environmental Disruption Reports (EDRs), including pre-clean and post-clean sampling, SAP updates, verification of effectiveness, follow-up, and closure.
• Plate environmental samples and interpret environmental Petri film, air-plate, and water microbiological results when trained and authorized; communicate adverse or atypical results promptly.
• Support hygiene zoning and pest-control program execution, inspections, trending, and follow-up.
Audits, Training, and Cross-Functional Support
• Conduct, document, and report GMP, HACCP, environmental, sanitation, and pest-control inspections or audits; hold self and others accountable for timely correction of findings.
• Support customer, SQF, regulatory, and internal audits and inspections, including evidence preparation, facility support, response development, and corrective-action follow-up.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality Systems, and Corporate FSQA to resolve food safety risks and achieve common site goals.
Supervision and Operational Coverage
• Provide daily direction, scheduling, training, coaching, performance feedback, and accountability for assigned Food Safety and laboratory employees.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the site FSQA Manager.
What You Will Need
• Bachelor's degree plus 2 years of related experience or equivalent experience
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and rotating shifts
• Intermediate understanding of Food Safety related State and Federal Regulations
• Able to demonstrate leadership, critical thinking, interpersonal, and organizational skills
• Ability to lift 50 lbs.
What Will Put You Ahead
• Bachelor's degree plus 5 year related experience OR Master’s degree in related field
• Supervisory experience
• Experience with SAP, SharePoint, MES Logs, and Evotex or comparable workflow/document-control systems.
• Knowledge of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), preventive controls, environmental monitoring, hygienic design, and dairy sanitation.
• HACCP, PCQI, SQF Practitioner, internal auditor, or related food safety credentials.
Physical Demands & Work Environment
The role has periods of time when the work environment is sedentary and conducted in an office environment balanced with frequent occasions that require prolonged walking or standing, lifting/ carrying/handling moderate weight objects on a regular basis. Is required to wear PPE and have a regular presence in manufacturing and warehouse environments in both temperature controlled and uncontrolled locations. Must frequently interact with people verbally. Specific details of the essential functions of the position is available in the Job Safety Analysis, made available on request.
Food safety is a companywide responsibility and each employee must know their role in the manufacture and distribution of safe, wholesome, and high quality products.
This description is a general statement and does not include other duties as assigned
Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer/EEO. We participate in E-Verify.
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Salary Range: USD ($68,879.00 - $103,319.00) ANN
Nearest Major Market: Garden City