Senior Manager, Transportation (Ambient Logistics)

kinders; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kinder's is seeking a Senior Manager, Ambient Logistics to own the transportation strategy and 4PL partnership behind our shelf-stable products. You will shape the ambient network from inbound to outbound and drive mode strategies to balance service, cost and resilience.

You will govern the 4PL relationship, set routing guides, and collaborate with Sales, Supply Planning, Finance and Operations to scale freight across the U.S. and beyond.

Job description

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

Kinder's is seeking an experienced Senior Manager, Ambient Logistics to own the transportation strategy, 4PL partnership and carrier base behind our shelf-stable business: the seasonings, rubs, sauces and marinades that built our brand.

We are a fast-growing company working hard to bring amazing flavor solutions that are as exciting and delicious as they are simple to use to our consumers, whether they are experienced cooks or first-timers in the kitchen. We are obsessed with quality and 100% committed to being the most innovative company in any market we serve. Our mission is to bring awesome flavor to consumers whenever and wherever they are looking for it, and in whatever they are looking for it in (seasonings, sauces, rubs, marinades, frozen favorites, or anything else we can come up with). We have experienced tremendous growth over the last 5 years, but we think we are just getting started.

Today, we have over 100 products sold nationwide at retailers including Costco, Walmart, Sam's Club, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Safeway and many more. While we have been around for 80 years, we are now a top 5 brand in the U.S. in multiple flavor categories including seasoning blends, BBQ sauce, and wing sauce. To keep our momentum rolling, we need more passionate builders to join our team and help us reach every kitchen across the U.S. and maybe even the world.

How you'll have an impact at Kinder's:

As the Senior Manager, Ambient Logistics, you will be the single accountable owner of how our Dry and Liquid freight moves - from more than a dozen co-manufacturers and internal plants, through our warehouses, to retail and club customers nationwide. This is a strategic role. You won't run loads day to day; our 4PL partner does that. You will decide how they run, hold them to it, and keep redesigning the network as we scale.

You will own the relationship with our ambient 4PL partner, set and govern the routing guide, lead our ambient carrier strategy, and work with our consolidation partners to keep inbound freight moving efficiently. You will partner closely with Sales, Supply Planning, Finance, Operations and our internal Logistics Operations and Analytics teams, and you will report to the Senior Director, Transportation & Logistics Strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Ambient Transportation Strategy:

Develop and own the multi-year transportation strategy for the Dry and Liquid businesses, aligned with company growth plans and built to scale with volume, new items and new channels.

Design the ambient network end to end - inbound from co-manufacturers and plants, consolidation, warehouse replenishment and outbound to customers - balancing service, cost and resilience.

Drive mode strategy (truckload, LTL, consolidation, intermodal where it fits) and decide which lanes Kinder's contracts directly versus through partners.

Translate commercial plans, promotions and seasonal peaks (grilling season, holidays) into transportation capacity plans well ahead of demand.

Bring a point of view to cross-functional leaders on how ambient transportation can create advantage for our customers and consumers.

4PL Partner Ownership:

Serve as the accountable owner of our ambient 4PL relationship: scope of work, service level agreements, governance cadence and quarterly business reviews.

Set clear expectations for what the partner executes day to day - tendering, appointment scheduling, tracking, exception handling, carrier payment, freight audit and claims - and hold them accountable for delivering it.

Negotiate and manage partner agreements, including service levels, service credits, rate and cost transparency, data access and audit rights.

Direct the partner to operate within the Kinder's routing guide and over Kinder's-contracted carriers, and push them for continuous improvement ideas, not just reports.

Manage consolidation and 3PL partners supporting inbound ambient freight, ensuring they work as one system with the 4PL.