Associate Director, Project Management

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 SUMMARY

The Associate Director of Project Management is a high-impact leadership role responsible for driving the strategic execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives across the organization. You will lead a team of project managers to ensure that critical business projects, ranging from product innovation to infrastructure modernization, are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with Jack Link’s core objectives. A primary focus of this role will be the development and oversight of an LSI’s strategic framework to optimize all key pillars of growth that include execution of 3-year innovation pipeline, leading all volume growth initiatives for the Jack Link’s Brand & LSI emerging brands, and prioritization of the entire project portfolio.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the project portfolio and align delivery with long-term business goals, including Innovation Big Bets.
• Manage the prioritization of a massive portfolio (144+ projects), balancing resource constraints against commercial impact.
• Directly lead and mentor a team of project managers, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Set clear performance standards and conduct regular reviews to ensure the team meets all project accountabilities.
• Establish and uphold rigorous PMO standards and methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid) across the organization.
• Standardize project delivery frameworks to ensure consistency, specifically for large-scale manufacturing and supply chain projects.
• Partner with Senior Leadership in Marketing, Operations, and Supply Chain to resolve resource conflicts and ensure alignment on project outcomes.
• Act as a “Trusted Advisor” to executive stakeholders, providing transparent insights into project health and risks.
• Define project requirements, budgets, and resource estimates for the entire portfolio.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks, escalating critical issues to the executive level before they impact the bottom line.
• Maintain real-time dashboards and status trackers to provide clear, actionable reporting on project health and resource utilization.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is an office setting with varying degrees of temperature and noise levels. The vast amount of work is conducted in a climate-controlled office. Travel may be required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an Team Member to be successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the Team Member is regularly required to sit, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The Team Member is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The Team Member must occasionally lift and/or more up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering or a related field; MBA preferred.
• 7+ years of project management experience in a fast-paced Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) or manufacturing environment.
• Expert proficiency in MS Project, Smartsheet, or Jira; strong experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP) and data analytics tools like Power BI.
• Proven track record of managing direct reports and leading cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• PMP or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt preferred.

Additional Information

The salary range for this role is $140,000 - $170,000 (Annually). Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Jack Link’s Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Jack Link’s 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.

This job description is intended to generally describe the nature and level of work to be performed by employees in this position. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and skills required of employees performing this role.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Jack Link’s provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic that is protected by federal, state or local law.

E-VERIFY

Jack Link’s is a participant in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For information about the E-Verify program, please visit: All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.