Senior Director, Portfolio Management

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 Senior Director Portfolio Management is a critical enterprise leadership role responsible for bridging innovation and execution and turning product concepts into successful in-market launches.

This leader oversees project management across the innovation lifecycle from early-stage category incubation through development production and retail execution across core and emerging businesses. You will lead a high-performing team of directors project managers and cross-functional partners across three verticals within Portfolio Management including Pre-Commercialization Commercialization and Strategic Projects.

You will serve as the thread between Innovation R&D/Product Development Brand Supply Chain Operations Creative Finance and Executive Leadership balancing long-term thinking with disciplined operational execution. You will drive alignment mitigate risks and uphold Kinders standards for quality cost and speed ensuring each launch reflects our relentless pursuit of flavor and excellence. This role requires a highly collaborative hands-on and entrepreneurial leader who thrives in ambiguity builds scalable process improvements and can guide teams through the day-to-day delivery of both bold innovation and incremental category expansion.

WHAT YOULL BE DOING:

Pre-Commercialization & Future Pipeline Development

• Oversee the Pre-Commercialization portfolio management function responsible for overall portfolio analytics as well as early-stage exploration capability assessment and development of categories Kinders has not yet entered
• Work with the Pre-Commercialization leader to build pre-commercialization processes and governance facilitate evaluation and early development of white-space opportunities and ensure readiness once a category is prioritized for commercialization
• Partner with executive leadership to understand potential growth opportunities and relevant operational and go-to-market implications

Commercialization Leadership

• Evolve and lead Kinders enterprise commercialization strategy across all product categories and innovation initiatives
• Lead the Portfolio Management team in facilitating the end-to-end commercialization process ensuring successful product delivery from pilot to first production and distribution for core innovation / renovation (within the dry and liquid portfolio) as well as for high priority strategic projects (e.g. frozen)
• Oversee portfolio resource allocation across commercialization initiatives to maximize organizational effectiveness
• Anticipate and mitigate riskstechnical operational financial or regulatoryand communicate proactive solutions to leadership
• Drive visibility and accountability through weekly executive touchpoints and ongoing stakeholder communications

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead develop and inspire a high-performing Portfolio Management organization fostering a culture of accountability transparency and collaboration
• Build organizational capabilities that enable Kinders to scale innovation complexity while maintaining speed and entrepreneurialism

Cross-Functional Alignment & Partnership

• Serve as the central thread between Innovation R&D/Product Development Brand Sourcing Operations Planning Quality Finance and Sales
• Partner cross-functionally across the organization to strengthen ways of working decision-making processes and execution discipline across the innovation lifecycle
• Deliver clear proactive and actionable communication to executive leadership regarding portfolio health launch status investment needs and strategic risks

Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Evaluate and continuously evolve Kinders commercialization and pre-commercialization processes to support increasing scale complexity and cross-category growth
• Partner with functional leaders to evolve workflows playbooks and digital tools that support scalable success
• Support digital transformation by maximizing Wrike and other tools for real-time collaboration and tracking
• Work with Finance and Operations to develop and monitor relevant KPIs for commercialization successfor example cost and delivery performance

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE:

Skills and Experience

• 12-15 years of experience in commercialization innovation operations strategic initiatives or project management within CPG or food manufacturing
• Proven experience leading complex product launches and cross-functional innovation initiatives from concept through retail execution
• Demonstrated success managing leaders and building high-performing teams in high-growth environments
• Experience commercializing opportunities in new categories strongly preferred
• Deep understanding of manufacturing packaging sourcing supply chain and operational scale-up processes
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen paired with exceptional operational execution capabilities
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead through organizational ambiguity
• Proficiency in project and portfolio management systems; Wrike experience preferred
• Bachelors degree in Business Food Science Engineering Operations or related field required; MBA preferred

Personal Characteristics

• Passionate about food flavor innovation and operational excellence
• Strategic yet hands-onable to balance big-picture thinking with flawless execution
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and building structure where needed
• Exceptional collaborator and influential leader who builds trust across teams and functions
• Highly organized detail-oriented and solutions-oriented
• Energized by fast-paced environments bold ideas and transformational growth

LOCATION AND TRAVEL:

The position will be based out of our 40000 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.

PAY TRANSPARENCY:

The expected starting salary range for this role is $235000- $255000 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.

• 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.

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.

We believe great culture starts with people. Were 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.

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