About the role

BUILT ON FLAVOR. FUELED BY PEOPLE.

What’s it like to work at Kinder’s? Well, there’s a lot of snacking and geeking out over what we all cooked over the weekend. Beyond that, there’s also plenty of hard work. Because we don’t just like flavor, we’re obsessed with it.

With over 100 products sold nationwide, we’re now a top-five brand in multiple flavor categories at Costco, Walmart, Whole Foods, and more. We’re not your typical CPG company. Privately held and founder-led, we like to think of ourselves as a pirate ship in a sea of cruise ships. Our crew is adventurous and fearless. We chart our own course and chase big ideas to make food unforgettable.

As we expand globally and approach $1 billion in revenue, we need more smart-and-scrappy, flavor-obsessed people to come aboard. If you’re looking for a place where you can see the real impact of your work... this is it! Every day, you’ll be part of a journey to add flavor to millions of meals and lives.

About the Role:

As a Director of Supply Chain in our Strategic Planning organization, you will serve a critical role in driving Kinder’s "Core + Explore" and "Re-Imagine" strategy to support both linear and non-linear hypergrowth. You will be the innovation engine for the supply chain. You will lead the design and adoption of new supply chain capabilities, expand the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) and S&OP processes, and develop collaborative commercial planning frameworks. You will work closely with cross-functional leaders in R&D, Commercial, Finance, and SC Technology to optimize product availability, elevate sales forecasting, and ensure that new technological capabilities, like the Supply Chain Digital Twin and Agentic AI, are successfully adopted and transitioned to SC Ops for Continuous Improvement (CI).

Key Responsibilities Include:

Culture, Leadership & Strategy

Champion a "Fail Forward" mindset that encourages learning from setbacks and fosters a culture of continuous improvement, in line with Kinder's values of Humility and Curiosity.
Act as a "Re-Imaginer" to develop and execute strategic supply chain initiatives aligned with the company's fast-growth and non-linear growth trajectory
Promote a Builder Mindset that balances long-term vision with immediate needs, fostering an environment of Collaboration, accountability, and continuous growth.
Promote a servant leadership approach, collaborating closely with C-suite executives and cross-functional leaders to integrate supply chain initiatives into the broader business strategy.

IBP & Special Initiatives (S&OP/ Commercial Collaboration)

Lead the expansion and formalization of the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) and S&OP processes, including comprehensive metrics packages, Product Reviews for New Product Development (NPD), Demand Pre-meetings (Sales Consensus), and Integrated Reconciliation forums.
Develop an NPD and new line planning architecture that supports a hypergrowth IBP process tailored to execute against a flexible Opportunity Pipeline.
Drive Demand Planning and Commercial Collaborative Planning by formalizing the integration of Trade Fund Management (TFM) and promotional lift causal factor models into tactical supply planning.
Invest in advanced analytics to improve demand sensing, demand shaping, and new product launch acceleration to optimize availability and reduce lost sales at the customer and consumer level

New Platforms & Technology Adoption

Drive the design, implementation, and adoption of new supply chain capabilities.
Lead the adoption of Agentic AI, Autonomous SC models, and "Human + Machine / Human in the loop" workflows across the supply chain network.
Direct the strategic use of the Supply Chain Digital Twin (SCDT) for critical raw materials, running probabilistic scenario modeling to evaluate Total Landed Cost (TLC) and lead-time volatility for new category launches.
Ensure a seamless handover process by transitioning validated models, platforms, and new capabilities to the SC Ops team for daily execution and Continuous Improvement (CI).

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Foster an inclusive atmosphere where cross-functional teams are empowered to contribute, building solutions collaboratively rather than operating in silos.
Collaborate deeply with procurement, production, inventory management, and distribution teams, fostering an environment of shared ownership and mutual respect that reflects our commitment to Humility and Collaboration
Monitor supply chain KPIs and inventory metrics to track performance, identify risks, and implement corrective actions where needed, driving a culture of continuous improvement.
Lead initiatives to optimize processes, reduce costs, and improve service levels while encouraging a mindset that sees obstacles as creative opportunities for Innovation
Partner heavily with SC Technology and Data Architecture to utilize Databricks and connected demand and supply data across the network.
Actively seek out and implement innovative solutions, continually resetting the standard for supply chain efficiency while embodying Kinder's relentless drive for Results and passion for Innovation.
Proactively identify and mitigate risks through predictive "What-If" stress testing, ensuring business continuity through planning and contingency strategies that prioritize long-term success.
Optimize the management of supply chain master data, including SKU and contract manufacturing attributes, in partnership with Finance, Contract Manufacturing, and Supply Chain leadership.
Optimize strategies for optimizing retail fulfillment of secondary placements, such as PDQs (Pre-Distributed Quantities), DRUs (Display Ready Units), and pallet programs.
Optimize rapid response on these programs by implementing Make-To-Order (MTO) and Make-To-Stock (MTS) approaches for work-in-progress (WIP) items to ensure efficient supply chain responsiveness.
Optimize Policy and Process Adoption with contract manufacturers and suppliers, ensuring reliable sourcing of materials and services at the best quality and cost.
Optimize supplier performance, implement contingency plans to manage risk, and uphold Integrity by prioritizing long-term success over short-term gains.
Collaborate and integrate with warehouse and logistics partners to ensure improved customer satisfaction through efficient inventory deployment.

What You Bring To The Table:

Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business, operations, or a related field (MBA preferred).
10+ years of progressive experience in supply chain management, with a strong focus on collaborative planning, Supply Chain Optimization, Demand Planning, and IBP/S&OP.
Strong leadership and cross-functional orchestration skills, with the ability to inspire a team of Operations, Planning, SC Data Scientists, Process Architects, and Supply Chain partners in Commercial, Finance and R&D and manage cross functional business process reengineering projects.
Expertise in supply chain planning software (e.g., Blue Yonder, SAP IBP, Kinaxis, Anaplan), advanced analytics, Databricks, AI integrations, and Control Tower technologies.
Proven experience in managing supply chains within fast-growing companies or dynamic environments
Demonstrated ability to lead and manage change in a rapidly evolving environment.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization.

Location and Travel:

The position will be based onsite in Walnut Creek, CA. We strongly believe in the power of culture and community and have a hybrid work structure with 4 days in the office on a weekly basis to encourage collaboration and personal connections that will allow us to better serve our customers and consumer and to have more fun. Fridays are flex days with employees having the opportunity to choose to be either in the office or to work from home based on what makes most sense for them.

Pay Transparency:

The expected starting salary range for this role is $215,000-$240,000 per year. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range based on the location of the role. The amount a particular employee will earn within the salary range will be based on factors such as relevant education, qualifications, performance and business needs.

SEASONED FOR SUCCESS:

No two days here are the same.
We try to be good team members and good communicators, but we don’t live by hierarchy and structure – everyone is a difference maker here.
We make a lot of decisions in the face of incomplete information – our team embraces ambiguity and tries to make good decisions fast rather than great decisions slow.
We believe our job is to take smart risk, not to eliminate risk.
We believe in growing our skills and becoming a better company with more managerial expertise, but we are an entrepreneurial company at heart.
We aren’t trying to be average – we want to do exceptional things, and we are willing to work hard to achieve them.

BENEFITS THAT BRING MORE TO THE TABLE:

We offer a range of total rewards that may include paid time off, 401k, bonus / incentive eligibility, equity grants, competitive health benefits, and other family-friendly benefits, including parental leave. Kinder’s benefits vary based on eligibility and can be reviewed in more detail during the interview process.

OUR RECIPE FOR BALANCE:

We believe great culture starts with people. We’re a people-first company built on connection, collaboration, and balance. Most of our work happens in the office to spark creativity and community, but we also offer flexibility so team members have the autonomy to work outside the office when needed to support their work-life balance and personal commitments.

WHERE EVERY INGREDIENT MATTERS:

Kinder's is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, citizenship, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, veteran status, as well as any other legally-protected characteristic. If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, and you need any accommodation during the application process or to perform these job requirements, please reach out to us at careers@kinders.com

Skills & Tags

go ai ios data analytics product design sales

Aplyr's read

Kinder's blends tradition with innovation, offering high-quality barbecue products while expanding through strategic roles in R&D, sourcing, and sales finance.
Synthesized from recent postings & public sources

What's promising

•Family-owned legacy ensures a strong commitment to quality and tradition.
•Recent hires indicate a focus on expanding research and development capabilities.
•Strategic roles in sales finance suggest growth and market expansion plans.

What to watch

•Family-owned structure may limit rapid decision-making processes.
•Niche focus on barbecue products could restrict market diversification.
•Limited public information about company culture and employee satisfaction.

Why Kinder's

•Specializes in gourmet barbecue products, setting it apart in the food industry.
•Strong emphasis on high-quality meats and proprietary seasoning blends.
•Recent strategic hires in protein sourcing highlight a commitment to product excellence.

Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?