Jack Link's Protein Snacks
Food & Beverage
OperationalExcellence(OPEX)Manager
Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for mid candidates.
“Operational Excellence (OPEX) Manager at Jack Link's Protein Snacks. Skills: TPM leadership, Equipment reliability, Loss elimination. Lead TPM pillars deployment. Establish TPM governance”
What You'll Achieve.
Improve OEE; Reduce downtime; Stabilize processes; Build frontline ownership; Improve throughput; Reduce cost; Improve reliability; Ensure food safety compliance; Optimize changeovers; Improve yield
Industry & Context.
Root Cause Analysis; 5 Why; Fishbone; Pareto
Wear PPE, Stand for extended periods, Lift up to 50 pounds, Visually inspect equipment, Work in 40 degree temperature, Exposure to raw meat
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
410,000 sq ft facility experience, 500 team members experience, USDA-regulated manufacturing experience, TPM pillars implementation, OEE improvement, Downtime reduction, Process stabilization, Frontline ownership of equipment
Nice to Have
TPM maturity roadmap progression
What You'll Do.
Lead TPM pillars deployment
Establish TPM governance
Drive operator equipment care
Improve asset performance metrics
Strengthen PM/PdM practices
Eliminate chronic losses
Align TPM to bottlenecks
Lead structured problem-solving
Facilitate Kaizen events
Train operators on failure signs
Transition maintenance tasks
Improve PM compliance
Incorporate predictive tools
Align maintenance strategies
Drive reduction of reactive maintenance
Train production supervisors
Coach operators on TPM
Train maintenance teams
Develop TPM champions
Build frontline accountability
Implement visual management
Lead performance reviews
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
Cross-functional partnership; Operations partnership; Maintenance partnership; Quality partnership; Engineering partnership
Process & Methodology
Kaizen events
Full Job 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®](https://www.jacklinks.com/) , [Lorissa’s Kitchen®](https://www.lorissaskitchen.com/) , [Golden Island®](https://www.goldenislandjerky.com/) , [BiFi®](https://www.bifi.com/en) , and [Peperami®](https://www.peperami.tv/) and [KOOEE!®](https://www.kooeesnacks.com.au/) 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. Position Summary The Operations Excellence (OpEx) Manager is responsible for driving Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), continuous improvement, and operational performance across a 410,000 sq ft, highly automated USDA-regulated manufacturing facility with ~500 team members. This role leads the implementation and sustainment of TPM pillars to improve OEE, reduce downtime, stabilize processes, and build frontline ownership of equipment. The OpEx Manager partners cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Quality
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