Sr. Director, Portfolio Planning Innovation

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:

The Senior Director, Portfolio Planning Innovation is accountable for the integrated demand and supply planning of Kinder’s Innovation Portfolio, from early commercialization through launch and scale. This role owns the Innovation S&OP operating model, serving as the single point of accountability that connects Marketing, Sales, R&D, Finance, Operations, and Contract Manufacturing into one aligned plan.

This leader will balance portfolio demand signals, supply capacity, inventory strategy, and risk, enabling faster innovation launches while protecting service, cost, and agility in a high-growth environment.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Innovation S&OP & Portfolio Leadership

• Own and lead the Innovation S&OP process, integrating demand and supply into a single, executable innovation plan.
• Establish portfolio-level trade-offs across speed, cost, capacity, and risk, enabling fact-based decision-making at the executive level.
• Translate innovation strategy into time-phased demand and supply plans, from concept through commercialization and scale-up.
• Serve as the primary orchestrator between Innovation, Commercial, Finance, and Operations for all innovation planning decisions.

Demand Planning Accountability (Innovation)

• Own the demand signal for innovation initiatives, partnering with Marketing, Sales, and Finance to align forecasts, assumptions, and launch timing.
• Drive clarity on volume phasing, customer timing, and demand uncertainty, including scenario planning for upside/downside cases.
• Ensure innovation demand plans are fully embedded into enterprise S&OP / IBP cycles.

Supply Planning Accountability (Innovation)

• Own supply readiness and feasibility for innovation projects, including capacity, materials, inventory strategy, and network deployment.
• Partner with Operations, Procurement, and Contract Manufacturers to ensure innovation launches are realistic, scalable, and resilient.
• Define make-to-stock vs. make-to-order strategies for innovation SKUs, including secondary placements (PDQs, DRUs, pallets).
• Lead risk identification and mitigation plans for innovation supply constraints.

S&OP / IBP Integration

• Bridge Innovation S&OP with enterprise S&OP, S&OE, and IBP, ensuring innovation does not operate as a disconnected process.
• Ensure alignment between short-term execution decisions and long-term innovation portfolio strategy.
• Lead monthly Innovation S&OP reviews and contribute to executive IBP discussions with clear recommendations and trade-offs.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Governance

• Act as a neutral, enterprise leader who drives alignment and accountability across functions.
• Establish governance, decision rights, and escalation paths for innovation planning decisions.
• Foster a “Fail Forward” mindset, using root-cause learning to continuously improve innovation planning effectiveness.

Data, Tools & Advanced Planning

• Champion the use of advanced planning tools, analytics, and AI to improve innovation forecast accuracy, scenario modeling, and supply readiness.
• Own innovation-specific planning master data in partnership with Supply Chain and Finance.
• Define and track KPIs for innovation service, speed-to-market, inventory, and forecast accuracy.

External Partner & Risk Management

• Collaborate closely with Contract Manufacturers and key suppliers to support innovation agility and reliability.
• Develop contingency strategies for demand volatility, material constraints, and launch risk.

Skills + Experience:

• 12+ years of progressive experience in S&OP, IBP, demand and supply planning, or innovation portfolio management.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field; MBA preferred.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional, end-to-end planning processes in a fast-growth or highly dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated success owning both demand and supply accountability, not just coordination.
• Strong working knowledge of advanced planning platforms (e.g., SAP IBP, Kinaxis, Blue Yonder).
• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to frame trade-offs and influence decisions.
• Track record of leading change, building new operating models, and scaling planning maturity.

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