Operational Excellence (OPEX) Manager

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

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

  • Autonomous Maintenance (AM)
  • Planned Maintenance (PM)
  • Focused Improvement (FI / Kaizen)
  • Early Equipment Management (EEM)

• 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)

• 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)

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

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.

Work Environment

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.

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.