How to hire a food safety director

How to hire a food safety director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step food safety director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a food safety director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new food safety director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a food safety director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a food safety director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a food safety director to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a food safety director that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of food safety directors.

   Type of Food Safety Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Food Safety Director	Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.	$16-65
   Restaurant Manager	A restaurant manager is responsible for handling the overall restaurant operations. These include monitoring revenues and daily restaurant sales, checking inventories and supplies, negotiating with third-party vendors, and managing customers' inquiries and complaints... Show more	$18-33
   Catering Manager	Catering managers are responsible for managing the daily catering operations and services in hotels, restaurants, and resorts. They monitor the quality of food and service provided by their outlets as well as make sure they are presented well... Show more	$17-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Service
   • FDA
   • HACCP
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Culinary
   • Fsma
   • SQF
   • USDA
   • Food Handling
   • Sops
   • Quality Standards
   • GMP
   • OSHA
   • Food Production

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage operations and provide support to a team of 245 union employees at various elementary, middle and high school cafeterias.
   • Prepare HACCP analysis report and provide reports for the areas not meeting the quality standards.
   • Supervise culinary selection, catering, event planning, and baking/cooking functions and oversee menu development.
   • Assist with the development and execution of HACCP plans specific to projects and special events.
   • Ensure collaboration between interdisciplinary teams including the clinical, culinary, and patient food service management staff to improve department efficiency.
   • Assist in directing total food service operation in accordance with USDA policies and procedures.

   More food safety director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your food safety director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A food safety director can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, food safety directors' average salary in kansas is 52% less than in new hampshire.
   • Seniority. Entry-level food safety directors 75% less than senior-level food safety directors.
   • Certifications. A food safety director with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a food safety director's salary.

   Average food safety director salary

   $69,299yearly

   $33.32 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level food safety director salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 1, 2026

   Average food safety director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Hampshire	$108,820	$52
   2	New York	$106,385	$51
   3	District of Columbia	$97,124	$47
   4	Virginia	$92,858	$45
   5	California	$88,178	$42
   6	Washington	$87,966	$42
   7	Wisconsin	$76,591	$37
   8	Maryland	$72,845	$35
   9	Illinois	$72,475	$35
   10	Texas	$68,445	$33
   11	Oregon	$67,636	$33
   12	Missouri	$61,857	$30
   13	Arizona	$60,366	$29
   14	Florida	$53,934	$26

   Average food safety director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	CyberCoders	$112,687	$54.18
   2	Perrigo	$104,996	$50.48
   3	PepsiCo	$102,040	$49.06	3
   4	World Wildlife Fund	$99,701	$47.93
   5	Counterpart International	$94,767	$45.56
   6	Dawn Foods Global	$64,427	$30.97
   7	Nu Life Products Co	$58,643	$28.19
   8	Bunge	$55,781	$26.82	5
   9	Regis	$47,850	$23.00
   10	Americorps	$46,691	$22.45	8
   11	Save A Lot	$45,877	$22.06
   12	Compass Group USA	$44,412	$21.35	3,718
   13	The Bryan-College Station Eagle	$42,289	$20.33
   14	Bland Farms	$38,746	$18.63
   15	Sprouts Farmers Market	$35,181	$16.91	4
   16	Chick-fil-A	$34,555	$16.61	319

4. Writing a food safety director job description

   A job description for a food safety director role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a food safety director job description:

   Food safety director job description example

   SANITOR
   
   Lawrence, KS
   
   Competitive Starting Pay $18.53
   
   Non-traditional schedule consisting of four 10-hour shifts throughout the week
   
   Some overtime is required
   
   Why Smucker is the Place for You
   You deserve a positive and encouraging work environment. One that allows you to deliver your best work while enjoying each day. That is exactly what you will find at Smucker.Inspired by our unique culture, we are determined to support every employee as part of our commitment to be an employer of choice. Highlights include:Comprehensive benefits package effective first day of employment, including: medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) Savings Plan with up to 7% Company match, 3 weeks paid vacation, 12 paid company holidays plus 4 personal days, Parental leave, Perfect Attendance Bonus, and Annual Holiday BonusEnsuring a collaborative and friendly workplace - an environment you will look forward to coming into each day Your OpportunityAt Smucker, we view our manufacturing operations as the heart of our efforts to deliver food people and pets love. It is foundational to our commitment to provide safe, high-quality products our consumers count on for themselves and their families. With this, we believe passionately in promoting manufacturing as a career. That means ensuring continued growth and development opportunities to help you expand your skills while providing an enjoyable and supportive environment. In this role, you will:Sanitation and janitorial duties in support of the manufacturing of products such as Kibbles ‘n Bits, Gravy Train, and Ol' Roy. Activities include responding to upset sanitation events in the facility as well as performing routine sanitation and janitorial duties Ensure that pest control systems are operating effectively Provide input for addressing environmental food safety concerns of the facility The Right Role For YouAre you motivated by the chance to help provide quality products consumers count on every day? Are you interested in working with a collaborative team to get the job done while learning new skills? If so, you are exactly who we are looking for to join our Company!What we're looking for:High school diploma or equivalent required Experience in a food manufacturing environment and knowledge of process improvement preferred Proven mechanical or electrical aptitude preferred Ability to prioritize work in a fast paced, high speed manufacturing environmentA proven track record of good attendance and consistent performance delivering consistent safety and quality Capability to work well in a team environment and be willing to help solve problems and implement solutions Expectations:Able to operate, perform basic physical activities: climbing, standing, bending, twisting, and moving around stairs, ladders, platforms and various equipment Able to lift objects up to 65 pounds frequently Must be able to effectively read, comprehend, interpret, record, and apply information from documents Qualified candidates may be required to complete an assessment
   
   Learn More About Working at Smucker
   Thriving Together Philosophy Our Continued Progress on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Our Values That Define the Smucker Culture

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right food safety director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with food safety directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit food safety directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your food safety director job on Zippia to find and recruit food safety director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting food safety directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new food safety director

   Once you've found the food safety director candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new food safety director. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a food safety director?