Vice President, Packaging

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. 

How You'll Make an Impact at Kinder's: 

The Vice President, Packaging will lead Kinder’s enterprise packaging strategy and capability, with responsibility for developing and executing packaging solutions that enable innovation, protect product quality, strengthen our brands, improve operational performance, and support continued profitable growth. 

As Kinder’s continues to expand its portfolio, channels, manufacturing network, and innovation pipeline, this leader will build a scalable packaging organization capable of supporting both the speed of an entrepreneurial business and the complexity of a rapidly growing CPG company. The Vice President will have broad responsibility across packaging engineering and development, commercialization, materials and supplier strategy, cost optimization, manufacturing performance, sustainability, and packaging innovation. 

Working across R&D, Innovation, Marketing, Operations, Strategic Sourcing, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and external manufacturing partners, this leader will ensure packaging considerations are integrated early into product and commercial decisions and successfully translated from concept through commercialization and scale. 

The ideal candidate combines deep technical packaging expertise with strong commercial judgment and enterprise leadership. They are equally comfortable evaluating a new packaging technology, challenging material specifications, partnering with suppliers on cost and capacity, troubleshooting manufacturing constraints, and advising senior leaders on packaging investments and strategic tradeoffs. 

Key Responsibilities:

Enterprise Packaging Strategy & Leadership 

• Develop and lead Kinder’s enterprise packaging strategy, establishing the long-term vision, capabilities, technologies, supplier ecosystem, and organizational structure required to support continued growth. 
• Establish packaging roadmaps across the portfolio that balance consumer experience, brand objectives, product protection, manufacturability, speed to market, cost, sustainability, and supply continuity. 
• Serve as the senior packaging subject matter expert for the organization, advising executive and functional leaders on packaging technologies, investments, capabilities, risks, and opportunities. 
• Build scalable packaging processes, standards, governance, specifications, and decision frameworks that create greater consistency and discipline as the organization grows. 
• Translate business and portfolio strategies into packaging capability requirements, identifying where Kinder’s must build, buy, automate, partner, or invest to support future growth. 
• Maintain a strong external perspective on emerging packaging technologies, materials, suppliers, manufacturing capabilities, consumer trends, and industry developments. 

Packaging Innovation, Engineering & Commercialization 

• Lead packaging development from early-stage concept through design, testing, qualification, commercialization, and post-launch optimization across new products, renovations, and existing portfolio improvements. 
• Partner closely with R&D, Innovation, Marketing, and Creative to translate consumer and brand objectives into packaging solutions that are distinctive, functional, scalable, and operationally viable. 
• Ensure packaging engineering is engaged early in the innovation process to identify technical requirements, manufacturing constraints, cost implications, lead times, and commercialization risks. 
• Establish rigorous technical standards for packaging design, materials selection, specifications, testing, qualification, and performance. 
• Lead development and optimization across primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging, including rigid and flexible structures, bottles, jars, films, pouches, closures, labels, cartons, corrugate, cases, and retail-ready displays. 
• Drive packaging simplification and platform strategies where appropriate, reducing unnecessary complexity while maintaining consumer and brand differentiation. 
• Build disciplined commercialization processes that enable Kinder’s to move quickly without sacrificing quality, manufacturability, cost, or execution. 

Manufacturing, Automation & Operational Performance 

• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and manufacturing leadership to ensure packaging designs are optimized for Kinder’s internal manufacturing network and external co-manufacturing partners. 
• Evaluate packaging performance across filling, sealing, labeling, cartoning, case packing, palletizing, and other packaging operations to identify opportunities to improve throughput, reliability, labor efficiency, and overall equipment effectiveness. 
• Lead packaging-related root cause analysis for recurring manufacturing, quality, material, or performance issues and drive sustainable corrective actions. 
• Identify opportunities for automation, equipment upgrades, material changes, and process improvements that increase capacity and enable future growth. 
• Establish packaging requirements and technical standards for new manufacturing equipment, production lines, and facility investments. 
• Partner with Engineering and Operations on packaging-related capital planning, including development of business cases, technical requirements, supplier selection, installation, qualification, and performance expectations. 
• Ensure packaging innovation can transition successfully from pilot or initial production into repeatable, high-volume manufacturing. 

Materials, Supplier Strategy & Strategic Sourcing 

• Partner with Strategic Sourcing to develop and execute comprehensive category strategies for Kinder’s packaging materials and suppliers. 
• Establish a resilient, scalable supplier ecosystem capable of supporting Kinder’s growth, innovation pipeline, quality expectations, geographic footprint, and service requirements. 
• Provide technical leadership in supplier selection, qualification, negotiations, performance management, and development. 
• Develop strategies across major packaging categories including corrugate, flexible films, rigid plastics, bottles, jars, closures, labels, cartons, and other packaging components. 
• Evaluate supplier capabilities, capacity, technology, geographic footprint, cost structures, tooling requirements, lead times, and business continuity risks. 
• Establish dual-source and contingency strategies for critical materials and components where appropriate to strengthen supply continuity. 
• Build strategic relationships with key packaging manufacturers, converters, equipment providers, and technology partners to provide Kinder’s access to emerging capabilities and innovation. 
• Partner with Procurement and Finance to understand packaging commodity exposure and develop strategies to manage material volatility and total cost. 

Cost, Margin & Value Engineering 

• Own the packaging productivity and value-engineering agenda, identifying opportunities to reduce total packaging cost while protecting product performance, consumer experience, quality, and brand equity. 
• Build a multi-year packaging productivity pipeline tied to measurable savings, margin improvement, material optimization, and operational efficiency. 
• Challenge existing specifications, materials, formats, pack configurations, and manufacturing processes to identify opportunities for simplification and cost improvement. 
• Partner with Finance and Strategic Sourcing to develop transparent packaging cost models and improve visibility into material, conversion, freight, tooling, and operational costs. 
• Lead make-versus-buy, supplier, material, and technology evaluations using total cost of ownership and long-term strategic value rather than unit price alone. 
• Ensure value-engineering opportunities are supported by appropriate testing, risk assessment, and change-management processes before implementation. 

Quality, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance 

• Partner with Food Safety & Quality Assurance and Regulatory teams to ensure packaging protects product integrity and meets applicable food safety, quality, labeling, and regulatory requirements. 
• Establish robust packaging qualification and validation standards, including shelf-life, barrier performance, seal integrity, compatibility, distribution, transit, compression, and environmental testing as appropriate. 
• Ensure packaging materials, suppliers, specifications, and manufacturing processes meet Kinder’s quality expectations and applicable regulatory standards. 
• Lead resolution of significant packaging-related quality issues in partnership with Quality, Operations, suppliers, and co-manufacturers. 
• Establish appropriate packaging specification management and change-control processes to protect consistency across the manufacturing and supplier network. 

Sustainability & Responsible Packaging 

• Develop a practical, business-aligned packaging sustainability roadmap that considers material reduction, recyclability, recycled content, packaging efficiency, and waste reduction. 
• Evaluate new materials and technologies based on environmental impact as well as food safety, product protection, consumer experience, manufacturability, availability, and economics. 
• Partner across the organization to identify opportunities to reduce packaging material usage and manufacturing waste without compromising performance. 
• Monitor evolving packaging regulations, retailer expectations, infrastructure, and industry standards and translate relevant developments into actionable business strategies. 

Organizational Leadership & Capability Building 

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing packaging organization capable of supporting Kinder’s current business and future scale. 
• Define the organizational structure, capabilities, roles, and technical expertise required as the portfolio and manufacturing network continue to expand. 
• Attract, develop, coach, and retain exceptional packaging talent while creating clear accountability and opportunities for growth. 
• Establish a culture of technical rigor, curiosity, speed, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement. 
• Develop organizational capability beyond the Packaging team by strengthening cross-functional understanding of packaging requirements, economics, risks, and opportunities. 
• Create strong operating rhythms, metrics, and performance expectations that provide visibility into packaging innovation, commercialization, productivity, supplier performance, quality, and organizational priorities. 

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Packaging Science, Packaging Engineering, Materials Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline required; advanced degree or MBA preferred. 
• 12+ years of progressive packaging experience within food, beverage, CPG, or high-volume consumer manufacturing, including significant leadership responsibility. 
• Proven experience leading an enterprise packaging function or complex packaging organization, including strategy, innovation, engineering, commercialization, and team leadership. 
• Deep technical expertise across multiple packaging formats and materials, including flexible films, rigid plastics, bottles, jars, closures, labels, cartons, and corrugate. 
• Demonstrated success commercializing packaging solutions from concept through qualification, scale-up, and high-volume manufacturing. 
• Strong experience partnering with Operations and Engineering on packaging equipment, automation, line optimization, throughput, and capital investment. 
• Proven ability to develop packaging material and supplier strategies that improve cost, capacity, quality, innovation, and supply resilience, with a strong network across packaging manufacturers, converters, and technology providers. 
• Demonstrated track record of delivering meaningful value engineering, productivity, and cost-reduction initiatives while protecting product quality, consumer experience, and brand integrity. 
• Strong understanding of food-grade packaging requirements, including material performance, barrier properties, shelf life, testing, quality, and regulatory considerations. 
• Strong business and financial acumen with experience evaluating capital investments, total cost of ownership, material economics, and packaging decisions that impact gross margin. 
• Demonstrated ability to build and develop high-performing technical teams and establish scalable processes, standards, and capabilities within a growing organization. 
• Executive-level communication and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and effectively partner across R&D, Innovation, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, Quality, and Finance. 
• Thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, high-growth environment, balancing strategic leadership with a willingness to stay close to the work and drive execution. 

Leadership Attributes & Competencies 

At Kinder’s, our leaders are expected to think and act beyond the boundaries of their individual function. The Vice President, Packaging will model a Maker’s Mentality—combining curiosity, ownership, urgency, and a willingness to solve difficult problems. 

This leader will bring Craft + Pride to the technical quality and consumer experience of our packaging; build Capability + Scale by creating the systems, talent, supplier network, and technologies required for continued growth; and demonstrate Collaboration + Inclusion by bringing together diverse perspectives across functions to make better decisions for the business. 

Success in this role requires a leader who can set the strategy, build the capability, and still roll up their sleeves when the business needs it. 

What Success Will Look Like 

Within the first 12–24 months, the Vice President, Packaging will have: 

• Established a clear enterprise packaging strategy and multi-year roadmap aligned with Kinder’s growth plans, innovation pipeline, manufacturing network, and financial objectives. 
• Built greater organizational discipline around packaging development, specifications, qualification, commercialization, and change management. 
• Created a prioritized packaging productivity and value-engineering pipeline delivering measurable cost savings and gross-margin improvement. 
• Strengthened Kinder’s strategic supplier network, improving visibility into capacity, cost, innovation, performance, and supply continuity across critical packaging categories. 
• Improved the integration of Packaging into the innovation process, allowing technical, cost, manufacturing, and supply considerations to influence decisions earlier in development. 
• Identified and advanced packaging technologies, equipment, and automation opportunities that increase manufacturing capacity, throughput, reliability, and scalability. 
• Reduced packaging complexity and improved standardization where doing so creates meaningful operational or financial value without diminishing the consumer experience. 
• Established meaningful packaging performance metrics and operating rhythms that provide leadership with visibility into innovation, commercialization, cost, quality, supplier performance, and risk. 
• Built a strong packaging organization with the technical expertise, leadership depth, and cross-functional credibility necessary to support Kinder’s next stage of growth. 

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 $275,000 - $300,000 per year. The salary range posted for this role reflects the good-faith base pay range Kinder’s reasonably expects to offer at the time of posting and may vary based on the location of the role. Individual compensation within the posted range will be determined based on factors such as relevant education, experience, qualifications, skills, 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