Research & Development Program Manager

BUILT ON FLAVOR. FUELED BY PEOPLE.

Whats it like to work at Kinders Well theres a lot of snacking and geeking out over what we all cooked over the weekend. Beyond that theres also plenty of hard work. Because we dont just like flavor were obsessed with it.

With over 100 products sold nationwide were now a top-five brand in multiple flavor categories at Costco Walmart Whole Foods and more. Were 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 youre looking for a place where you can see the real impact of your work... this is it!Every day youll be part of a journey to add flavor to millions of meals and lives.

How Youll Have Impact at Kinders: The R&D Program Manager will report to the VP of R&D and will be a key leader in ensuring our innovation engine runs efficiently and effectively. This is a high-impact role responsible for managing the seamless execution of multiple complex R&D projects from concept to commercialization. You will be the central hub of our product development process ensuring projects are delivered on time and to our quality standards by managing both internal teams and external development partners.

What Youll Be Doing

Project Organization & Execution Management:

• Manage a portfolio of diverse R&D projects with a focus on strategic projects focused on development of our most important new product lines ensuring clear timelines milestones and deliverables.
• o Implement and oversee our project management process to track project progress identify risks and ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
• o Work with R&D team to translate complex technical challenges into actionable project tasks and milestones ensuring clear communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• o Identify and proactively address project risks or delays with proposed mitigation strategies.
• o Escalate roadblocks and collaborate with stakeholders to re-align on priorities and trade-offs.

External Partner Management:

• Work with R&D team to identify onboard and manage third-party development agencies co-packers and ingredient suppliers including where applicable coordinating assessment of technical and other capabilities required to meet key project requirements.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external partners facilitating clear communication managing contracts including driving key deliverables and ensuring attainment of project requirements and quality standards.
• Collaborate with external resources to ensure seamless integration with internal R&D Quality and Operations teams.

Documentation & Systems:

• Maintain high-quality records of project data test results learnings development notes and other key project information.
• Improve processes and systems to drive visibility and consistency of R&D execution and provide efficient effective reporting to R&D stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Coordinate and ensure consistent use of company project management systems (e.g. Wrike) and support the evaluation selection and implementation of other tools for improving R&D efficiency and effectiveness.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Coordination:

• Partner closely with cross-functional leaders (e.g. Marketing Sales Operations Quality and Finance) to drive project alignment and ensure successful delivery of key programs.
• Facilitate project team meetings create and present status reports and provide clear communication on project risks and opportunities to senior leadership.
• Act as a champion for the R&D process fostering a culture of accountability collaboration and continuous improvement.

What You Bring to the Table:

Skills and Experience:

• 8-10 years of experience in R&D and / or product development program or project management preferably in the CPG food beverage or a similar consumer-oriented industry.
• Proven experience managing a portfolio of complex technical projects using a robust project / product lifecycle process.
• Demonstrated experience managing external partners including codevelopers and ingredient suppliers.
• Strong technical acumen with an understanding of food science formulation and commercialization processes.
• Financially literate with the ability to provide input into project budgets and understand the financial implications of development decisions.
• Bachelors degree; a degree in a technical field (e.g. Food Science Engineering) is a strong plus.
• PMP certification or other project management training a strong plus.

Personal Characteristics:

• Growth mindset with an excitement to learn (and teach).
• Passionate people-lover excited by the opportunity to build strong relationships with teammates and consumers.
• Low ego with a strong sense of humility.
• Thrive in a dynamic lean and agile environment.
• Collaborative mindset with an ability to find creative solutions.
• Self-starter who takes initiative and is willing to speak their mind.
• Excited to be part of a fast-moving team with the ability to be a leader and a follower where required.
• 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 dont 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 embrace 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 arent trying to be average we want to do exceptional things and we are willing to work hard to achieve them.

The expected starting salary range for this role is $120000- $133000 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 dont 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 arent 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. Kinders benefits vary based on eligibility and can be reviewed in more detail during the interview process.

WHERE EVERY INGREDIENT MATTERS:

Kinders 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