Global OpEx Specialist

AAK; Denmark; On-site; DKK 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

AAK is seeking a Global Operational Excellence Specialist to shape and embed its OWOW/OWOZ journey across the global network. You will work with international stakeholders to develop standards, tools, training, and frameworks enabling operational excellence across the value chain.

This role suits someone who translates improvement methodologies into practical solutions across Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, Commercial and R&D, driving measurable impact across

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, or similar role, ideally in a global or multi-site environment.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, or related methodologies; Black Belt certification is an advantage.
• Experience with TRACC or similar Operational Excellence systems is highly desirable.
• Proven analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills, with the ability to drive multiple initiatives concurrently.
• Experience developing and delivering standards, training programs, SOPs, and capability-building materials.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex concepts into practical solutions.
• Collaborative, adaptable, and comfortable working across functions, regions, and cultures.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve AAK’s global Operational Excellence standards, frameworks, tools, maturity model, and deployment materials, ensuring they remain practical, scalable, and aligned with business priorities.
• Create and enhance global OpEx capability programs, training curricula, and learning materials covering Lean, TPM, Daily Management Systems (DMS), visual management, problem solving, Focused Improvement, 5S, Asset Care, and related methodologies.
• Support the deployment of OpEx methodologies across AAK’s global network by translating standards into practical implementation packages, incorporating field feedback, and enabling consistent adoption across sites, regions, and functions.
• Analyze operational performance, maturity assessments, and KPI trends to identify improvement opportunities, support the global OpEx roadmap, and provide governance reporting, dashboards, and leadership insights.
• Support strategic OpEx initiatives and cross-functional improvement programs through methodology development, project coordination, benchmarking, stakeholder engagement, and implementation follow-up across the end-to-end value chain.

Job description

Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the chilly southern coast of Scandinavia. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people across the globe.

We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.

Everything we do is about Making Better Happen™.

AAK Locations

This position is based in our office in Malmo (SE)

About The Role

Are you passionate about continuous improvement and turning strategy into practical impact? As our Global Operational Excellence Specialist, you will play a key role in shaping and embedding AAK’s Operational Excellence journey across our global network.

Working closely with international stakeholders, you will help develop and deploy standards, tools, training programs, and frameworks that enable operational excellence across the entire value chain. From Operations and Supply Chain to Engineering, Quality, Procurement, Commercial, and R&D, you will support teams worldwide in bringing AAK's Our Way of Working (OWOW) and Our World of Zero (OWOZ) frameworks to life.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in a global environment, enjoys translating improvement methodologies into practical solutions, and wants to make a visible impact across multiple functions and regions.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve AAK’s global Operational Excellence standards, frameworks, tools, maturity model, and deployment materials, ensuring they remain practical, scalable, and aligned with business priorities.
• Create and enhance global OpEx capability programs, training curricula, and learning materials covering Lean, TPM, Daily Management Systems (DMS), visual management, problem solving, Focused Improvement, 5S, Asset Care, and related methodologies.
• Support the deployment of OpEx methodologies across AAK’s global network by translating standards into practical implementation packages, incorporating field feedback, and enabling consistent adoption across sites, regions, and functions.
• Analyze operational performance, maturity assessments, and KPI trends to identify improvement opportunities, support the global OpEx roadmap, and provide governance reporting, dashboards, and leadership insights.
• Support strategic OpEx initiatives and cross-functional improvement programs through methodology development, project coordination, benchmarking, stakeholder engagement, and implementation follow-up across the end-to-end value chain.

About You

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field (Master's preferred).
• 5–7 years of experience in Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, or a similar role, ideally in a global or multi-site environment.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, or related methodologies; Black Belt certification is an advantage.
• Experience with TRACC or similar Operational Excellence systems is highly desirable.
• Proven analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills, with the ability to drive multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Experience developing and delivering standards, training programs, SOPs, and capability-building materials.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex concepts into practical solutions.
• Collaborative, adaptable, and comfortable working across functions, regions, and cultures.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.

About AAK

Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate and confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.

AAK prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or employment and application for employment.