Sustainable Operations Innovation Director

Hello potential future Oatly employee. It’s us, the original oatmilk company that started in Sweden back 25 or so years ago and has since expanded to the U.S. where we’ve continued growing at a rate such that we need more brilliant minds to come work with us to keep the momentum going and the oatmilk flowing.

Sustainability, health, and transparency are the core values that guide everything we do. Basically, we exist to help people live a healthier life without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources in the process, and to change the food system for the better. We drive that change through the power of oats and through a significant reduction in cow’s milk consumption. If any of this resonates with you, then maybe you’d like to work for Oatly, too. Now onto the formal stuff.

The Sustainable Operations Innovation Director will be the gatekeeper representing the entire SO organization in Innovation squads and projects. They will own SO requirements and deliverables towards Innovation and TPM (working with PD Flow) and be responsible for ensuring that Oatly can source, plan, make, and deliver Innovation and TPM projects meeting sustainability, quality, cost, and customer service requirements.

Here are the things we want to hire you to do:

• Responsible for all SO inputs to Innovation, product change, and related business cases
• Lead SO representation in the Innovation Squads
• Coordinate innovation work and alignment within the SO and its functions; e.g. , Sites, Sourcing, Engineering Automation, Sustainability, Quality, Supply Chain
• Drive, Design, and Enable the Go to Market model for NPD/product changes
• Actively participate and drive SO requirements and own deliverables into innovation squads
• Set the Global SO Innovation roadmap
• Partner and coordinate with Global Network Strategy and Supply Chain as key SO stakeholders to set the direction for new product innovations
• Coordinate innovation work inside the SO team with the project members from each function (Site, Engineering Automation, Sourcing, Logistics, Planning, Quality, Sustainability, etc.)
• Represent SO in strategic Innovation, TPM, and Science & Technology-led projects
• Support and improve WoW within SO functions related to Innovation squads and TPM projects
• Partner with the SO controlling team on business case development for squads, projects, and initiatives of relevance
• Critical role: Spider in the web between Innovation, Science & Technology, and SO
• Represent SO Tower and other SO functions in strategic forums (e.g, Operational SteerCo, Product Change request meeting, etc.)
• Overall support and facilitator in the interface Innovation/TPM S&T and SO

Here are the things we think you need:

• Master's degree/Master of Science, MBA or equivalent
• 10+ years of experience in a similar role or equivalent practical experience
• Food Production (FMCG) or Food Product Development background required
• Broad supply chain knowledge and experience (generalist)
• Project and stakeholder management experience
• Experience working in a global organization as well as cross-functionally
• Experience from managing multiple projects at the same time
• Highly analytical with the strategic ability to oversee projects and how they flow into the bigger picture
• Strong collaboration and excellent communication skills
• Customer-focused while being results-oriented

And here’s another list of qualities we think make a good Oatly team member:

• You feel connected to our mission of encouraging health, sustainability, and transparency
• You are a self-starter who doesn’t need direct supervision to motivate you for success – we believe strongly in building a culture of individual accountability and ownership, and need partners that can embrace that mentality
• You are ready to make your mark in a smaller, growing brand, leveraging your experience to deliver amazing results and build an outstanding company
• You have an entrepreneurial spirit in that you’re comfortable with ambiguity and are energized by the process of building something lasting from the ground up
• You enjoy sharing your quirkiness and talents with your coworkers

Another bulleted list felt a bit too…bullet-y. So we wrote this long, awkward sentence to let you know all the ways we sweeten the deal when you work with us, like flexible vacation (take it when you need it), really great benefits (yes, pet insurance is in there), paid volunteer days off throughout the year (doing good is fun), free six packs of...(drumroll)…oatmilk, and you’ll also get genuinely great coworkers who are rooting for each other and the company to thrive. Oh, one more short but very important sentence: We are nimble and agile (not chaotic) in how we work, and we’re grounded in a long company history dating way back to the last century.

The salary for this role will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to geographic location, internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors, including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. Compensation may also include a bonus, commission, or equity as applicable.

Our team is available to support you through the hiring process with reasonable accommodations to enable a barrier-free interview experience. We will maintain candidate privacy and confidentiality to enable an unbiased and equitable experience. If you need assistance applying for a role due to a disability or special need, please get in touch with peopleconnect.NA@oatly.com.

Oatly is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.