Operational Excellence (OPEX) Manager

Operational Excellence (OPEX) Manager

• • Full-time

• Sub-Department: Engineering & Maintenance

• Department: Operations

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

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, and Engineering to deliver measurable improvements in throughput, cost, reliability, and food safety compliance.

Key Responsibilities

TPM System Leadership (Primary Ownership)

• Lead full-site deployment and maturity of TPM pillars:

• Autonomous Maintenance (AM)

• Planned Maintenance (PM)

• Focused Improvement (FI / Kaizen)

• Early Equipment Management (EEM)

• Quality Maintenance

• Establish TPM governance structure, cadence, and accountability at all levels

• Define and advance TPM maturity roadmap (Levels 1–5 progression)

• Drive operator ownership of basic equipment care (clean, inspect, lubricate, tighten)

Equipment Reliability & OEE Improvement

• Own and improve key asset performance metrics:

• OEE (Availability, Performance, Quality)

• MTBF / MTTR

• Planned vs. unplanned downtime

• Partner with Maintenance and Reliability teams to:

• Strengthen PM/PdM practices

• Identify and eliminate chronic losses

• Ensure TPM activities are aligned to highest-value bottlenecks (formulation, smokehouse, packaging, automation systems)

Loss Elimination & Continuous Improvement

• Lead structured problem-solving using:

• Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

• 5 Why, Fishbone, Pareto

• Facilitate cross-functional Kaizen events focused on:

• Downtime reduction

• Changeover optimization

• Yield improvement

• Build and maintain loss trees to prioritize improvement focus

Autonomous Maintenance (AM) Deployment

• Develop and roll out AM standards across all lines:

• Center lining

• Cleaning and inspection standards

• Abnormality identification and tagging

• Train operators to identify early signs of failure

• Transition basic maintenance tasks from maintenance to operators where appropriate

• Audit AM execution and effectiveness

Planned & Predictive Maintenance Integration

• Partner with Maintenance leadership to:

• Improve PM compliance and quality

• Incorporate predictive tools (vibration, thermal, etc.)

• Ensure maintenance strategies align with failure modes and production risk

• Drive reduction of reactive maintenance through improved planning

Change Management & Capability Building

• Train and coach:

• Production supervisors and operators on TPM principles

• Maintenance teams on reliability-centered practices

• Develop TPM champions within each department

• Build a culture of ownership and accountability at the frontline

Performance Management & Visual Management

• Implement plant-wide visual management systems:

• Tiered accountability boards

• Daily performance tracking (OEE, downtime, defects)

• Lead daily/weekly performance reviews tied to TPM metrics

• Establish standard KPI tracking across lines and departments

Data, Analytics & Systems Integration

• Leverage CMMS, MES, and production data systems to:

• Identify trends and losses

• Track improvement impact

• Ensure data accuracy and consistency across reporting platforms

• Develop dashboards for leadership visibility into performance

USDA / GMP / Food Safety Integration

• Ensure all TPM and maintenance practices comply with:

• USDA regulations

• GMP standards

• Food safety requirements

• Integrate sanitation and equipment care into TPM routines

• Support audit readiness and compliance efforts

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Act as a key bridge between:

• Operations

• Maintenance

• Engineering

• Quality & Food Safety

• Align improvement initiatives with plant priorities and production goals

• Support capital projects with TPM and reliability input

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations, or related field

• 7+ years in manufacturing (food or high-speed automation preferred)

• 3+ years leading TPM, Lean, or OpEx programs

• Demonstrated success improving OEE and reducing downtime at scale

• Strong knowledge of:

• TPM pillars

• Reliability principles (RCM, PM optimization)

• Lean methodologies

• Experience with CMMS and production data systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in USDA or highly regulated food manufacturing

• Certification in Lean, Six Sigma, or TPM (e.g., Black Belt, JIPM familiarity)

• Background in highly automated environments (robotics, packaging, continuous processes)

Key Competencies

• Systems thinking (end-to-end operations)

• Change leadership in large workforce environments

• Data-driven decision making

• Frontline engagement and coaching

• Bias for action and results

• Strong cross-functional influence

Success Metrics (KPIs)

Reliability / Equipment

• OEE improvement (+5–15 pts over baseline)

• Reduction in unplanned downtime (% and minutes)

• MTBF increase / MTTR reduction

Maintenance Effectiveness

• Planned maintenance compliance (>90–95%)

• Reduction in reactive maintenance %

TPM Deployment

• AM completion and audit scores

• TPM pillar maturity progression

• Number and impact of Kaizen improvements

Financial Impact

• R&M cost optimization

• Productivity gains (labor and throughput)

• Waste and yield improvements

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Plant Manager

• Direct/Indirect: CI Engineers, TPM Leads, cross-functional project teams

What Success Looks Like in This Role

• TPM is embedded—not a program, but how the plant runs

• Operators own their equipment condition

• Downtime is predictable, not reactive

• Improvement efforts are prioritized and measurable

• The facility achieves best-in-class reliability and throughput

Additional Information

The pay range for this role is $150k- $170k (Annual). Actual wage 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

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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

While performing the duties of this job the Team Member will be required to wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (i.e. beard/hairnet, ear plugs, frock, boots, etc.), stand for extended periods of time, and use hands/arms to push, pull, reach and occasionally lift above head. The Team Member must occasionally lift, push, pull up to 25 pounds and 50 pounds infrequently. Team Members are requested to visually inspect equipment and/or product.

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 a plant setting with wet/slippery floors, varying degrees of temperatures with an average temperature of 40 degrees in the production area. Team Members will be exposed to raw and/or cooked meat products and moving equipment and will be required to follow all Food Safety Quality requirements.

EEO Statement:

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.

Jack Link’s is 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:

Disclaimer:

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