Senior Director Of Product Jobs in Minneapolis, MN

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 Technical Product Manager (TPM) is a technical, cross-functional leader responsible for ensuring that all new and existing products meet food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements from early development through commercialization and into ongoing production. A TPM bridges the gap between new product ideation and execution — coordinating subject matter expert input from Operations, Quality, and Regulatory functions and translating product concepts into compliant, scalable, and technically sound solutions that protect the brand and accelerate launch readiness.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the primary technical liaison between Marketing/R&D product initiatives and Food Safety & Quality (FSQ); embed food safety, quality, and regulatory standards into product development from ideation through launch.
• Partner with R&D to evaluate potential issues during new product launches; lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for quality or regulatory issues related to product design.
• Act as the primary FSQ representative on business teams to troubleshoot line issues, scale products, and ensure consistent brand quality.
• Own the technical project plan for products, ensuring milestones, risks, and dependencies are clearly managed; leverage deep technical understanding to guide teams on feasibility, complexity, and resource allocation.
• Coordinate cross-functional inputs (PMO, R&D, Operations, and FSQ) to ensure readiness for scale-up and commercialization, including alignment on timelines, deliverables, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Drive continuous improvement in product development processes, documentation, and cross-functional communication.
• Act as the ‘voice of FSQ’ within product teams, ensuring compliance is integrated — not retrofitted; build strong relationships across departments to accelerate decision-making and resolve technical challenges.
• Facilitate technical discussions, risk assessments, and alignment meetings with senior stakeholders.
• Identify and proactively manage compliance or quality risks early in the product lifecycle, driving solutions before they impact launch readiness.
• Perform additional duties 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 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.

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 accommodation 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.), walk, stand for extended periods of time, and repetitive use of 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. The position involves exposure to the odor and possible contact with food products, spices, and sauces. Team Members are requested to visually inspect equipment and/or product.

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field such as Food Science, Animal Science, Meat Science, Chemical Engineering, or Microbiology required.
• Proven experience in food safety, quality, and/or R&D within a manufacturing or plant environment.
• Strong knowledge of FSQ systems and programs (e.g., HACCP, SOPs, regulatory compliance).
• Experience with USDA-regulated products; RTE meats experience preferred.
• Experience leading projects or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to train, coach, and influence teams across functions.
• Technically fluent — able to understand formulation, processing, and food safety/regulatory constraints.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to drive decisions.
• Clear communicator — able to influence without authority and guide teams through complexity.

The salary range for this role is $100,000- $120,000 (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.

Disclaimer:

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: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employeesAll your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.