Hygiene Manager

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced Hygiene & Safety Manager to lead hygiene, food safety and workplace safety practices at our Chikhli manufacturing facility.

The candidate will be responsible for maintaining high standards of GMP, GHP, personal hygiene, sanitation, workplace safety, risk assessment, safety training, audits, incident management and statutory compliance.

The ideal candidate should have strong hands-on experience in food manufacturing, FMCG, food processing or a similar industrial environment, with the ability to implement and monitor hygiene and safety systems across the plant.

Key Responsibilities

Food Hygiene & Plant Hygiene

• Develop, implement and monitor hygiene standards across the manufacturing facility.
• Ensure compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP).
• Monitor personal hygiene standards of employees, workers, contractors and visitors.
• Conduct regular hygiene inspections across production, warehouse, utility and common areas.
• Ensure proper cleaning and sanitation practices across the plant.
• Monitor cleaning schedules and verify completion and effectiveness.
• Ensure appropriate handling and disposal of waste.
• Identify hygiene risks and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Coordinate with Production, Quality and Housekeeping teams to maintain required hygiene standards.

Food Safety Support

• Support the Quality/Food Safety team in maintaining food safety standards throughout manufacturing operations.
• Ensure hygiene controls are followed at critical stages of production and handling.
• Monitor employee practices that may create food contamination risks.
• Ensure appropriate personal protective equipment and hygiene practices are followed in production areas.
• Support implementation and maintenance of food safety systems and procedures.
• Participate in food safety and hygiene audits.

Health & Safety Management

• Take responsibility for workplace health and safety practices across the plant.
• Conduct regular safety inspections and identify unsafe conditions and practices.
• Carry out workplace risk assessments and recommend corrective measures.
• Ensure employees and contract workers follow required safety procedures.
• Monitor usage and availability of appropriate PPE.
• Ensure safety signage, emergency equipment and safety procedures are properly maintained.
• Coordinate safety drills including fire, emergency evacuation and other relevant drills.
• Investigate workplace accidents, incidents and near-misses.
• Conduct root-cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions.

Safety Training

• Conduct regular safety and hygiene training for employees, workers and contractors.
• Develop training programs covering:
• Personal hygiene
• GMP/GHP
• PPE usage
• Fire safety
• Emergency response
• Electrical and machinery safety
• Chemical handling
• Workplace housekeeping
• Safe material handling
• Maintain training attendance and competency records.
• Ensure new employees receive appropriate safety and hygiene induction.

Audits & Inspections

• Conduct regular internal hygiene and safety audits.
• Prepare audit reports and track corrective actions.
• Coordinate with external auditors, customers and regulatory authorities during inspections.
• Ensure timely closure of audit observations.
• Maintain records of inspections, findings and corrective actions.
• Monitor compliance with company hygiene and safety SOPs.

Regulatory & Statutory Compliance

• Ensure plant safety practices comply with applicable occupational health and safety requirements.
• Maintain required health, safety and hygiene documentation.
• Coordinate with relevant departments for statutory inspections and compliance requirements.
• Keep the management informed about changes in applicable safety and hygiene requirements.
• Ensure necessary licenses, certificates, inspection records and safety documentation are maintained.

Emergency Preparedness

• Develop and maintain emergency response procedures.
• Coordinate fire and emergency evacuation drills.
• Ensure fire extinguishers, alarms, emergency exits and other safety equipment are available and functional.
• Maintain emergency contact lists and response procedures.
• Investigate emergency incidents and recommend preventive measures.

Contractor & Visitor Safety

• Ensure contractors and visitors follow plant safety and hygiene requirements.
• Conduct safety induction for contractors and new workers.
• Monitor contractor compliance with PPE and safe working practices.
• Ensure appropriate permits and safety procedures are followed for high-risk activities.

Documentation & MIS

Prepare regular reports covering:

• Safety incidents and near-misses
• Accident frequency and severity
• Hygiene audit scores
• Safety audit observations
• Corrective and preventive actions
• Training conducted
• PPE compliance
• Plant inspection findings
• Fire and emergency drills
• Employee hygiene compliance

Present key findings and improvement plans to management.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree/Diploma in Industrial Safety, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Health & Safety, Food Technology, Microbiology, Food Science or a related field.
• Relevant safety certification such as NEBOSH, IOSH, ADIS/DIS or equivalent will be an advantage, depending on statutory requirements.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in hygiene, food safety, EHS or plant safety.
• Strong experience in FMCG, food processing, food & beverage or manufacturing preferred.
• Good knowledge of GMP, GHP and workplace safety practices.
• Experience conducting safety and hygiene audits.
• Experience handling incident investigations and risk assessments.
• Good knowledge of PPE, fire safety and emergency response.
• Strong documentation and reporting skills.
• Good working knowledge of MS Excel and MS Office.

Preferred Candidate Profile

• Candidates with experience in food manufacturing/FMCG plants will be strongly preferred.
• Experience handling hygiene and safety for a large workforce will be an advantage.
• Knowledge of food safety systems such as HACCP, ISO 22000/FSSC 22000 will be preferred.
• Strong knowledge of industrial safety practices.
• Should be comfortable working on the manufacturing floor and conducting regular inspections.
• Strong communication and training skills.
• Ability to independently identify risks and implement corrective actions.
• Candidates available to join within a short notice period will be preferred.

Key Performance Indicators

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Maintaining high plant hygiene standards
• Reduction in workplace incidents and near-misses
• Improved PPE and safety compliance
• Timely closure of audit observations
• Improved employee hygiene compliance
• Completion of scheduled safety and hygiene inspections
• Completion of mandatory safety and hygiene training
• Effective emergency preparedness
• Compliance with applicable statutory and company requirements

Compensation

Salary: As per experience, qualifications and interview performance.