Sr. Director Operational Excellence

Jack Link's Protein Snacks; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 195,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental and vision benefits

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401k participation

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

Link Snacks is seeking a Sr Director of Operational Excellence to lead the company’s continuous improvement strategy across all manufacturing sites. You will build a standardized framework grounded in lean principles, structured problem solving, and performance management.

You will develop CI training, tools, playbooks, and a network of plant-level champions to accelerate adoption, while tracking KPIs and cost savings across the network, with a strong safety partnership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in operations, manufacturing, supply chain, business, engineering, food science, or related field.
• 7–10 years experience in a manufacturing environment, including a leadership role.
• 5+ years in influencing roles, such as CI, Lean, or support functions.
• Experience with statistical process control, root-cause analysis, or other analytical methods.
• Training and hands-on experience with value stream mapping, kaizen methods, 5S, leader standard work, and other Lean tools.
• Project management experience leading cross-functional teams to deliver on timelines, budgets, and goals.
• Experience developing or implementing a MOS and CI program playbook across sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead the CI change effort and develop the Continuous Improvement strategy and roadmap across all factories.
• Establish a common CI methodology, tools, governance, terminology, and expectations.
• Develop CI training, tools, playbooks and learning programs.
• Build a network of plant-level CI champions to accelerate adoption.
• Track plant KPIs and develop action plans to close gaps.
• Own KPI visibility and ensure data is clear for leaders; simplify data with Power BI and SAP.
• Apply analytics to identify improvement opportunities and support decisions.
• Track cost savings and deliver against savings targets.
• Partner with Safety Director to embed safety in improvement work.

Skills

Lean principles

Continuous Improvement

Cross-functional leadership

Data analytics

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in operations/engineering/business/related field

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Job description

• Compensation: USD 195,000 - USD 225,000 - yearly

Company Description

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands— Jack Link’s® , Lorissa’s Kitchen® , Golden Island® , BiFi® , and Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

The Sr Director of Operational Excellence leads the company's continuous improvement strategy across all manufacturing sites. This role will build the process, capabilities, tools, and governance necessary to create a consistent and sustainable approach to continuous improvement across all factories. The Sr Director will establish a standardized manufacturing excellence framework grounded in lean principles, structured problem solving, loss elimination, standard work, and performance management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the CI change effort. Develop and lead the company’s Continuous Improvement strategy and roadmap across all factories.
• Establish a common CI methodology, tools, governance, terminology, and expectations across the manufacturing network.
• Establish common standards for Lean practices, structured problem solving, daily management, standard work, and performance improvement.
• Establish and advance Lean manufacturing practices including standard work, Kaizen, 5S, value-stream mapping, visual management, root-cause analysis, waste elimination, centerlining, and structured problem solving.
• Develop CI training, tools, playbooks and learning programs.
• Develop a network of plant-level Continuous Improvement champions to accelerate adoption and share knowledge.
• Manage performance. Work with the Plant Leadership Team to track plant targets and KPIs regularly and set action plans and follow-up meetings to close gaps.
• Own KPI visibility. Manage the daily, weekly, and monthly KPI charting and posting process to keep teams accountable.
• Simplify data. Use Power BI and SAP to turn complex operational data into clear, usable information for plant and operations leaders.
• Apply analytics. Use statistics and other analytical methods to identify improvement opportunities and support decisions.
• Track savings. Implement and manage a cost savings tracking process aligned with corporate standards and deliver against savings targets.
• Partner on safety. Partner with the Safety Director to embed safety into improvement work, including incident investigation, hazard reduction, and safety considerations in kaizen events.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in operations, manufacturing, supply chain, business, engineering, food science, or related field, or equivalent experience in continuous improvement.
• 7 to 10 years experience in a manufacturing environment, including a leadership role.
• 5+ years in influencing roles, such as CI, Lean, or support functions.
• Experience or education in statistical process control, root cause analysis, or other analytical methods.
• Training and hands‑on experience with value stream mapping, kaizen methods, 5S, leader standard work, and other Lean tools.
• Project management experience leading cross‑functional teams to deliver on timelines, budgets, and goals.
• Experience developing or implementing a playbook for a management operating system (MOS) and a continuous improvement program, including how the playbook was rolled out across sites.

Preferred

• Experience with SAP and Power BI for operational reporting.
• Experience in food or consumer packaged goods manufacturing.
• Experience with Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), with at least working exposure to its Autonomous Maintenance (AM) and Planned Maintenance (PM) pillars.

Skill and Competencies

• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence leaders at every level.
• Diplomacy in communicating needs and recommendations, with credibility that earns trust across functions.
• A proactive style that drives projects to completion despite obstacles.
• A collaborative team approach in all situations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and workstreams at once.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Additional Information

The salary range for this role is $195,000 - 225,000 annually

Link Snacks provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.