The Senior Sanitary Design Specialist is a subject matter expert responsible for driving the design, evaluation, and compliance of food processing and packaging equipment to meet USDA, FDA, FSMA, and 3-A Sanitary Standards. This role leads hygienic engineering initiatives across multiple sites, guides capital project teams, and ensures that all equipment designs support food safety, cleanability, and regulatory adherence. The specialist partners with internal stakeholders and external suppliers to embed sanitary design principles into manufacturing infrastructure and capital equipment.
Serve as the enterprise expert on sanitary and hygienic design, providing leadership on all matters related to equipment and process cleanability.
Lead sanitary design reviews during equipment selection, specification development, procurement, and commissioning phases.
Ensure all new and modified equipment meet or exceed USDA, FDA, FSMA, and 3-A Sanitary Standards.
Conduct plant-level assessments to identify and resolve sanitary design deficiencies or food safety risks.
Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Operations, and Procurement to align equipment and facility standards.
Develop and maintain corporate sanitary design guidelines, SOPs, and standard equipment requirements.
Evaluate and approve vendor equipment designs and fabrication practices to ensure sanitary compliance.
Support commissioning, validation, and regulatory inspections for new equipment and facilities.
Lead training sessions on hygienic design for engineers, maintenance teams, and project managers.
Serve as a key contributor to cross-functional capital projects and continuous improvement initiatives involving equipment and utility systems.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Food Engineering, or related field required.
Master’s degree or relevant certifications (e.g., 3-A Sanitary Design, EHEDG, Six Sigma, PMP) preferred.
Experience:
8+ years of experience in sanitary equipment design, hygienic engineering, or regulatory compliance in food, beverage, or pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Deep working knowledge of USDA, FDA, FSMA, 3-A Sanitary Standards, and AMI hygienic principles.
Technical Skills:
Expertise in evaluating and designing equipment for cleanability, including surface finishes, CIP/SIP, sanitary welds, and microbiological risk mitigation.
Proficient in CAD tools and mechanical drawing review.
Experience with regulatory inspections, validation protocols, and equipment FAT/SAT documentation.
Familiarity with processing, packaging, piping, and utility systems in hygienic environments.
Leadership & Soft Skills:
Strong leadership, training, and mentoring skills.
Ability to influence multi-site engineering and procurement teams.
Effective communicator with a cross-functional and strategic mindset.
Strong analytical and documentation capabilities.