Director of Brand Management

ABOUT US AT KINDER'S:

We are a fast-growing company working hard to bring amazing flavor solutions to consumers that are as exciting and delicious as they are simple to use. Whether we are serving the emerging cook or seasoned pro, we are 100% committed to our mission of bringing awesome flavor to consumers wherever and whenever they are looking for it and in whatever form they want it in be it seasonings, sauces, gravies, marinades, or anything else we can dream up. We drive hard to be the most quality-obsessed, innovative company in any market we serve and while we have experienced tremendous growth over the last 5 years, we think we are just getting started. We love our consumers and are fired up to be part of their flavor journey, and we need more great people to help us continue to raise the bar for what consumers think is even possible in their own kitchens.

Today, we have over 100 products sold nationwide at retailers including Costco, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Safeway and many more. While we have been around for over 75 years, we have experienced explosive growth in the last 5 years and are now a top 5 brand in the U.S. in multiple flavor categories including seasoning blends, BBQ sauce, and wing sauce. To keep our momentum rolling, we need more passionate flavor advocates and builders to come and join our team and help us reach every kitchen across the U.S. and maybe even the world.

How You'll Have Impact at Kinder's: Reporting to the EVP of Growth, the Director of Brand Management will be responsible for portfolio development and business leadership to drive the highest rate of sustainable growth for their respective part of the Kinder’s portfolio. You will partner with the EVP of Growth and cross-functional teams to build an amazing, sustainable product engine to fuel continued high growth for the company by creating exciting, delicious, and effortless solutions for consumers across all touchpoints with the brand. 

What You'll Be Doing:

Business Planning and Strategy 

• Identify untapped consumer opportunities by leveraging consumer and market research and performance data to uncover new volume and profit growth areas. 

• Develop short and long-term business plans, specifying objectives, strategies, key initiatives and performance metrics based on deep understanding of consumer and retailer needs, food trends, category and competitive dynamics. 

• Become the internal expert and “go-to” for your portfolio through ongoing analysis of business performance, trends, insights, and consumer behavior. 

• Optimize go-to-market strategy across assortment, pricing and promotion considering evolving consumer preferences and market dynamics.  

 Product and Portfolio Management 

• Drive holistic and detailed understanding of your product portfolio in context of the consumer, category, our customers and company to make strategic recommendations for innovation, renovation, activation, and/or rationalization. 

• Build and direct the product roadmap for your portfolio (e.g., line extensions, new flavors, new packs, recipe or packaging changes, etc.). 

• Develop deep knowledge of your portfolio P&L, recommend and actively manage approved initiatives to drive sustained top-line and bottom-line growth. 

• Provide ongoing business analysis and visibility, including development and delivery of monthly business operations meetings and quarterly business reviews. 

Marketing Planning 

• Assess and recommend optimal demand investment mix across your portfolio considering brand marketing and retailer marketing levers. 

• Guide brand marketing efforts (e.g., creative & content, digital & field experiences) based on business needs and strategic brand development goals, starting with agency briefs through execution and KPI measurement. 

• Partner with Sales to develop and deliver highly effective, demand generating strategies and tactics to spur growth across retail channels. 

 Cross-Functional Partnership 

• Partner with Project Management and cross-functional teams to overcome executional and logistical hurdles to meet aggressive in-market timing and coordinate product and packaging solutions that lead the market. 

• Drive alignment on portfolio priorities with senior management and functional leads, including Insights, Product Development, Finance, Operations, and Sales. 

• Communicate portfolio performance and key initiatives with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., employees, board members, retail customers, etc.). 

What You Bring to the Table

Education / Experience 

• Bachelor's Degree required, MBA preferred. 

• 10+ years relevant work experience in consumer brand management or product management. Food and/or product innovation experience is a plus. 

• Proven strategic thinker with experience managing complex portfolios. 

• Experience collaborating with and leading cross-functional teams. 

• Strong analytical & quantitative skills with capability to use data and/or research to make insight-based recommendations and drive organizational alignment. 

• Knowledge of key syndicated data sources (e.g., Circana, Numerator). 

• Strong prioritization and organization skills with understanding of product development process from ideation to commercialization to in-market activation. 

Personal Characteristics 

• Business builder who owns and drives results. 

• Growth mindset with an excitement to learn (and teach). 

• Thrive in a dynamic, lean, and agile environment with proven record of completing projects on time in full through excellent cross functional team management, leadership, communication and influence. 

• Self-starter who takes initiative and speaks their mind. 

• Excited to be part of a fast-moving team with the ability to be a leader and the humility to be a follower. 

• Enjoy making decisions and finding ways to say ‘yes’ as often as possible to impactful and important priorities. 

Things About the Way We Work 

• 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. 

Location & Travel 

The position will be based out of our 40,000 sq. foot office 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. We have 1 flex day per week 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.

The expected starting salary range for this role is $190,000- $215,000 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.