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. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar.
As part of the Link Snacks global enterprise, our team across EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) is focused on driving the growth of the real meat protein snack category with a strong emphasis on our brands: Jack Link’s®, Peperami®, BiFi®, and Minuets. We operate through a network of regional offices and production sites across Europe in Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom.
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.
But we’re not just about snacks; we’re driven by our core values: We team up, we tell it like it is, we own our game and shoot for the moon!
Values we bring to life. Every. Single. Day.
StellenbeschreibungMake a difference by becoming part of the No. 1 protein snack manufacturer worldwide as Head of Continuous Improvement EMEA at Link Snacks.
Our spacious and modern EMEA HQ is located in the vibrant Amsterdam, and includes a highly international team, with more than 25 different nationalities. Our EMEA team is committed to continuing its impressive EMEA expansion, one bite at a time, and becoming the regional leader in branded protein snacks.
This position is based in Ansbach and you will be reporting to the Manufacturing Director EMEA.
The Head of Continuous Improvement EMEA is responsible for leading the Continuous Improvement transformation across the EMEA region (Germany & France) and for building a sustainable culture of operational excellence.
The role will define and deploy a common Continuous Improvement strategy, operating system, methodologies and capabilities across the organization.
Your main responsibilities will include:
- To establish Continuous Improvement as the way we work – creating sustainable improvements in Safety, Quality, Customer Service, Productivity, Cost, Delivery, People Engagement and overall operational performance.
- Partner with the Operations Leadership Team, Plant Leadership Teams, and Supply Chain organization to identify, prioritize, and execute strategic improvement initiatives across the end-to-end value chain.
- To be a subject matter expert and internal trainer for TPM, LEAN and Six Sigma, equipping leaders and employees with the knowledge, skills, and tools required to sustain a high-performance improvement culture.
- To establish a structured Operational Excellence roadmap, embed best practices across the organization, and ensure sustainable performance improvements aligned with the company's growth ambitions.
- To delivere measurable operational efficiencies, productivity gains, cost reductions, waste elimination, process standardization, capability development, and working capital improvements across all EMEA manufacturing sites and supply chain functions.
- Continuous Improvement Strategy & Deployment
- Culture & Leadership Transformation: Lead the transformation towards a culture in which continuous improvement, problem solving and operational discipline are embedded in everyday work.
- People Leadership: Lead and develop a team of 3 direct reports
- Develop, standardize and deploy appropriate Continuous Improvement methodologies across EMEA, including: Lean Manufacturing / Lean Management, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Six Sigma / DMAIC, Kaizen / Rapid Improvement Events, Value Stream Mapping, 5S and Visual Management, Standard Work.
- Operational Efficiency & Productivity: Lead cross-functional improvement programs and standardization of best practices across all manufacturing sites and supply chain functions.
- Performance Measurement & Analytics: Develop and maintain a Continuous Improvement performance management framework.
EU Citizenship and/or valid work permit is required. Please note that relocation assistance is not available for this position. All applications must be submitted in English, as it is the company’s corporate language.
- Bachelors Degree and/or Master's Degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- Minimum 10 years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, or Supply Chain Transformation roles.
- People Leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
- Proven experience delivering significant operational efficiency, productivity, and cost improvement programs across multiple sites. (Design and Implementation of TPM, LEAN and Six Sigma methodologies in manufacturing and supply chain environments.
- Experience within FMCG, Food Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, or a similarly complex production environment preferred.
- Experience leading cross-functional improvement program, large-scale business transformation and change management initiatives.
- Fluency in English and German is mandatory ; plus an additional European language (ideally French) is an advantage.
- Availability to travel regularly across the EMEA region, with an estimated presence of 60% at the manufacturing plant in Ansbach, Germany, 20% at the plant in Guben, Germany, and 20% at the plant in Lyon, France.
Our benefits
At Link Snacks, you’ll find a competitive compensation and benefits package that supports performance, flexibility, and employee well-being!
- Company bike leasing
- Health and wellness benefits
- Discounts at the factory outlet
- An interesting and independent role in a highly specialised food manufacturing facility
- The opportunity to shape your role and contribute your own ideas
- A respectful and collaborative working environment with a positive workplace culture
- Company pension scheme
- Free on-site parking
- Subsidised meals in the company canteen
- Occupational health physician
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
Link Snacks 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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field
- At least 10 years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, or Supply Chain Transformation
- People leadership experience in a manufacturing environment
- Proven experience delivering operational efficiency, productivity, and cost improvement programs across multiple sites
- Experience designing and implementing TPM, Lean, and Six Sigma methodologies in manufacturing and supply chain environments
- Experience leading cross-functional improvement programs, large-scale business transformation, and change management initiatives
- Fluency in English and German
- EU citizenship or a valid work permit
- Experience in FMCG, food manufacturing, consumer goods, or a similarly complex production environment
- Fluency in an additional European language, ideally French
- Regular travel across EMEA manufacturing sites
What We Do
When it comes to being wild, we know a thing or two. We're not afraid of trying something new or the hard work it takes to make it happen. It's in our DNA. We've turned a family recipe into a new snacking category. And the wilderness into the world's largest meat snack business, that's still proudly family owned and operated. We're a company built by innovators, and are driven to not only satisfy your hunger, but to also feed your journey – whether that journey is on the road, on the run, at the campground, at the playground, in the office or in the moment. It’s a journey we share with you. It’s the journey forward of our people, of our communities, of our category…with a reverence for quality and an irreverence for the status quo. At Jack Link's Protein Snacks, we see every moment of every day as an opportunity to move forward, to forge new ground. To realize our vision of becoming the World’s #1 Protein Snacking Company. We never give up. You never give up. Together, we keep going. Are you wild enough to join us?
