Strategy & Project Manager Europe

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 Pre