Deduction Manager

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 Deduction Manager, you will lead a team responsible for handling trade deduction portfolios, ensuring strong performance against KPIs such as aging, recovery, and cycle time. This role owns key customer accounts, oversees the validation and resolution of deductions, and drives recovery efforts, including managing third-party agencies and approving write-offs within authority. The manager analyzes deduction trends and financial exposure, providing actionable insights and recommendations to senior leadership while maintaining accurate reporting and controls. They also drive process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce preventable deductions, partnering closely with Trade Finance, Sales, and Operations to align financial outcomes. This position requires strong leadership, analytical expertise, and experience in trade deductions within a finance or CPG environment.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop Deduction Specialists responsible for trade deduction portfolios.
• Manage team performance against key KPIs (aging, recovery, write-offs, cycle time).
• Oversee workload distribution and serve as escalation point for complex or high-risk claims.

Trade Deduction Management

• Own key customer accounts, including direct responsibility for clearing deductions for high-volume and strategic retailers.
• Oversee validation, dispute resolution, and recovery of promotional deductions.
• Manage customer follow-up on open items, including repay requests for unauthorized deductions.
• Oversee third-party collection agencies (e.g., Stat Recovery, SPS) to drive recovery.
• Approve write-offs within authority and escalate material risks.
• Identify root causes and implement actions to reduce preventable deductions

Reporting, Insights & Communication

• Develop and maintain dashboards and reporting on deduction trends, aging, and exposure.
• Analyze data to identify risks and drivers impacting financial performance.
• Communicate insights clearly and present recommendations to cross-functional partners and senior leadership.

Process Improvement and Financial Impact

• Drive process improvements to streamline deduction clearing and improve efficiency.
• Partner with Trade Finance to align deductions with accrual balances and monthly reporting.
• Identify and address deduction drivers impacting trade spend and overspend.
• Ensure strong controls around claim validation and financial accuracy.

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Partner with Trade Operations and Sales to ensure promotional execution supports accurate deduction processing.
• Collaborate with Trade Finance on accrual management and financial alignment.
• Coordinate with Operations to maintain visibility into total deduction exposure.

 

What You Bring To The Table:

• 5–8 years of experience in Accounts Receivable, Trade Deduction Management, or related finance function (CPG preferred).
• Leadership experience with ability to manage and develop a team.
• Strong knowledge of trade deductions and accrual validation.
• Advanced analytical skills and proficiency in Excel; experience building dashboards.
• Strong communication skills with ability to present to senior leadership.
• Proven ability to drive process improvements and cross-functional solutions.

 

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 $130,000- $145,000 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