Hygiene and Sanitation Expert

Purpose of the Job: The Hygiene and Sanitation Expert is responsible for safeguarding the cleanliness, hygiene, and sanitation standards of the winery to ensure the production of safe, high-quality wines that meet regulatory, customer, and company requirements. The role works closely with production, cellar, packaging, laboratory, engineering, and warehouse teams to foster a strong food safety culture and maintain a clean and hygienic environment throughout the facility.

Key Responsibilities

Monitor the implementation and continuous improvement of hygiene and sanitation programs across all winery operations, ensuring that production areas, cellar operations, packaging lines, warehouses, laboratories, utilities, and employee facilities consistently meet established hygiene standards. Monitor daily sanitation activities and provide technical guidance to sanitation personnel to ensure cleaning procedures are carried out effectively, efficiently, and in accordance with approved standards and schedules.

Conduct routine inspections of facilities, equipment, and operational areas to verify cleanliness and identify potential hygiene risks before they impact product quality or food safety. Ensure that fermentation tanks, storage vessels, pipelines, filters, bottling equipment, packaging machinery, and supporting infrastructure are cleaned and sanitized appropriately to prevent contamination and maintain operational integrity.

Evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitation activities through inspections, environmental monitoring results, microbiological data, and trend analysis, taking timely action whenever improvements are required. Work collaboratively with laboratory teams to review microbiological findings, investigate sanitation-related deviations, and implement corrective actions that strengthen contamination prevention measures.

Coordinate pest management activities and verify that preventive controls remain effective in protecting the winery from potential pest-related risks. Manage sanitation chemicals and disinfectants responsibly by ensuring proper storage, handling, dilution, application, and compliance with safety requirements.

Support the implementation and maintenance of Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), HACCP, and other food safety management system requirements applicable to winery operations. Participate in internal audits, external audits, customer inspections, and regulatory assessments, ensuring sanitation-related requirements are effectively demonstrated and maintained.

Investigate hygiene-related non-conformities, customer complaints, contamination incidents, and audit findings to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective and preventive actions. Develop and deliver hygiene and sanitation awareness programs that strengthen employee understanding of personal hygiene, food safety responsibilities, and contamination prevention practices.

Maintain accurate sanitation records, inspection reports, monitoring data, and verification documentation to support traceability, compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives. Prepare periodic reports on sanitation performance, hygiene compliance trends, risks, and improvement opportunities for review by the Quality Assurance Manager and site leadership.

Promote a proactive culture where hygiene, cleanliness, food safety, and workplace discipline are recognized as shared responsibilities across all departments. Continuously identify opportunities to improve sanitation effectiveness, reduce risks, optimize resource utilization, and enhance overall winery hygiene performance.

Performs other related tasks assigned by the immediate supervisor. Core

Competencies

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Proficient in Microsoft office: Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel. Knowledge of ISO standards. Self-motivated and able to work independently. Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Education

BSC Degree in Environmental Health or Environmental Science or Sanitary Science.

Experience

2 years of work experience, preferably in Beverage industry or food industry.