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.

The Business Process Owner & Manager – Food Safety & Quality (FSQ) Management Systems is accountable for end-to-end FSQ business processes, outcomes, and compliance enabled by digital systems across Jack Link’s manufacturing and support operations.

In addition to owning FSQ process standards and performance, this role leads and develops a team responsible for FSQ process execution, enablement, and continuous improvement. The role provides clear direction, prioritization, and coaching to ensure consistent adoption of standard processes across plants.

This role partners closely with IT Business Relationship Managers (BRMs), Enterprise Architecture, Analytics, and Delivery teams to ensure business requirements are translated into scalable and compliant technology solutions.

Key Accountabilities

Business Process Ownership & Governance

• Own the end-to-end FSQ business processes supported by SAP S/4HANA, PLM, MES, and electronic FSQ systems
• Define process standards, controls, variants, and success metrics for FSQ operations across manufacturing sites
• Ensure FSQ processes consistently meet USDA, FDA, SQF, and BRC compliance requirements
• Establish and maintain process KPIs, adoption metrics, and value realization tracking
• Act as the business signatory for FSQ process design and validation decisions

People Leadership & Direction

• Lead, coach, and develop a team responsible for FSQ process enablement and execution
• Set clear priorities, objectives, and expectations aligned to FSQ and enterprise goals
• Provide ongoing direction, mentoring, and performance feedback to team members
• Build team capability in:

• FSQ process excellence
• Digital enablement and data-driven decision making
• Cross-plant standardization and adoption

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and compliance discipline

Business Requirements & IT Partnership

• Engage FSQ stakeholders in the Support Center and manufacturing sites to understand business needs, outcomes, and constraints
• Translate business needs into clear, well-documented functional business requirements and use cases
• Partner with IT BRMs to support demand intake, prioritization, and sequencing
• Collaborate with IT delivery teams during solution design and testing to validate process fit, not technical design
• Provide business input to evaluate solution options and tradeoffs presented by IT
• Explicit Boundary: This role does not perform solution architecture, system design, configuration, or vendor selection

FSQ Process Optimization & Enablement

• Map current-state FSQ workflows and identify opportunities to:
• Eliminate paper-based processes
• Reduce redundant data entry
• Improve data quality, availability, and timeliness
• Define where and how FSQ data should be captured from a business process perspective
• Partner with IT to enable workflow automation, system notifications, and reporting aligned to FSQ requirements

SAP S/4HANA Quality Management (QM) & Integrated Processes

• Represent FSQ business process interests in SAP S/4HANA design forums
• Define FSQ process requirements related to:
• Inspection plans and quality checks
• Batch management and traceability
• Product hold, release, and disposition workflows
• Partner with IT and data governance teams on master data standards (e.g., specifications, shelf life, inspection limits)
• Validate that SAP-enabled processes integrate effectively with production, procurement, and warehouse operations

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

• Provide business process direction for PLM capabilities supporting FSQ, including:

• Specifications and formulations
• Labeling and compliance data
• Approval workflows

• Partner with IT and PLM product owners to ensure end-to-end data flow across the product lifecycle
• Support and guide FSQ team members responsible for PLM process execution

Electronic Forms & Process Enablement

• Define business requirements for electronic FSQ forms and workflows supporting activities such as:

• Sanitation inspections
• Environmental monitoring
• Temperature and chemistry checks
• Packaging integrity verification

• Partner with IT to ensure digital enablement aligns to process efficiency, compliance, and usability

Reporting, Insights & Performance Management

• Define FSQ reporting and analytics requirements in partnership with IT and Analytics teams
• Validate dashboards and reports that support:
• FSQ KPIs

• Program compliance metrics
• Non-conformance and CAPA trends
• Audit readiness and traceability insights

• Use insights to drive continuous process improvement and risk reduction

Change Enablement & Capability Building

• Provide process guidance, training, and adoption support to FSQ teams across manufacturing sites
• Support continuous improvement by reinforcing standard processes and best practices
• Partner with site leadership to ensure consistent execution and accountability

Required Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Food Science, Quality, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience

Required Experience:

• 7+ years of experience in Food Safety, Quality, or Manufacturing Operations
• Demonstrated experience owning or leading business processes in regulated food manufacturing environments
• Strong working knowledge of FSQ-related systems, such as:
• SAP S/4HANA Quality Management
• Electronic FSQ platforms (e.g., SafetyChain, RedZone, Pillir, similar)
• Proven experience with:
• FSQ compliance programs
• Audit preparation and execution
• Batch traceability and non-conformance management
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder-engagement skills
• Experience partnering with IT teams on large-scale system initiatives

Preferred:

• SAP or Six Sigma certification
• Experience operating in multi-plant manufacturing environments

The pay range for this role is $95,000 – $120,000 (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 an employee to be 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 employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or more up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is a plant/office setting with varying degrees of temperatures and noise levels. Exposure to manufacturing equipment movement and wet/slippery floors. However, the vast amount of work is conducted in a climate-controlled office. Travel may be required.

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 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:  http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employees

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.