Strategy & Project Manager Europe
Our story goes back more than 150 years. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people across the globe. We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.
Everything we do is about
Making Better Happen™.
AAK Location
This position is based at Malmo, Karlshamn or Zaandijk
About the role
The Strategy & Project Manager will lead the strategic planning, execution, and governance of critical initiatives across the AAK Europe region. Reporting directly to the Strategy & Projects Director for Europe, this role is instrumental in driving our growth initiatives, enabling business transformation, and ensuring the successful delivery of strategic priorities.
Working closely with the European Leadership Team and executive management, you will oversee a portfolio of high-impact strategic projects from concept through execution. The role requires a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on project leadership, ensuring initiatives are effectively planned, governed, and delivered while aligning with business objectives.
As a trusted partner to senior leaders, you will engage with key stakeholders across the organization to gather input, build alignment, secure commitment, and maintain momentum throughout project lifecycles. By providing robust project governance, monitoring progress, managing risks, and ensuring delivery against agreed objectives, the role will play a key part in translating strategy into measurable business outcomes.
As sparring partner for the European Leadership Team, you will contribute to strategic discussions, foster cross-functional collaboration, and help shape and execute initiatives that support AAK Europe's long-term growth and success.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage strategic projects across AAK Europe, taking ownership of project planning, governance, execution, and delivery to achieve business objectives.
- Define project scope, objectives, timelines, governance structures, milestones, and success measures while proactively managing risks, dependencies, and resources.
- Develop executive-ready business cases, financial analyses, investment proposals, and decision materials to support strategic and capital investment decisions.
- Translate complex business challenges into structured problem statements and actionable recommendations that enable timely executive decision-making.
- Monitor project performance through data analysis, KPIs, and business insights, challenging assumptions and driving continuous improvement in project outcomes.
- Support the ongoing development and execution of the European strategic roadmap by identifying opportunities for new initiatives, capabilities, systems, and process improvements.
- Build strong collaborative relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional teams, including Finance, IT, Commercial, Operations, M&A, and Global functions, to ensure alignment and successful project delivery.
- Act as a trusted advisor to project teams by providing guidance, challenge, and support throughout the project lifecycle.
- Prepare and present high-quality materials for executive meetings, leadership reviews, steering committees, and governance forums.
- Drive stakeholder engagement and organizational alignment through effective communication and change management activities, including leadership updates, newsletters, intranet communications, and other engagement initiatives.
- Track project progress, measure benefits realization, and provide regular status reporting to the President of AAK Europe and executive leadership, ensuring projects remain on track to deliver strategic outcomes.
About you
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, or a related discipline.
- Minimum of 5–7 years' experience in strategy consulting, project management, business transformation, or operations leadership, with a proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives.
- Strong understanding of industry trends, market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and the external factors influencing business strategy and operational performance.
- Demonstrated ability to develop robust business cases, investment proposals, and value propositions, with strong financial acumen to evaluate costs, benefits, ROI, opportunities, and risks.
- Solid knowledge of business strategy, organizational processes, and project management methodologies, with the ability to apply these effectively across diverse business situations.
- Proven ability to lead complex projects, manage competing priorities, resolve critical issues, and deliver results within challenging timelines.
- Strong stakeholder management, influencing, and change leadership skills, with the ability to build consensus, navigate complexity, and drive organizational alignment.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with experience identifying root causes, evaluating alternatives, and implementing practical, high-impact solutions.
- Experience defining and monitoring KPIs, measuring project performance, and driving continuous improvement through data-driven insights.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to conduct research, synthesize complex information, and prepare clear, compelling executive-level reports, proposals, and recommendations.
In return AAK offers
- Join a pioneering company in specialty oils and fats, driving innovation and sustainability.
- In AAK you can work across 25+ countries, gaining international exposure and collaborating with a diverse team.
- AAK invests in your development with training, mentorship, and clear career paths.
- You will contribute to a greener world with AAK's sustainability-focused approach.
- Join a diverse and inclusive workplace that values every individual's perspective and talents.
About AAK
Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate and confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.
AAK prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or employment and application for employment.
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