Associate Brand 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. How you'll have an impact at Kinder’s:  Reporting to the Sr. Brand Manager, the Associate Brand Manager will play a critical role in driving brand performance through business analytics, go-to-market excellence, portfolio management, and innovation planning. This role is ideal for a strategic, analytically rigorous, and execution-oriented brand builder who has a strong ownership mentality, a desire to learn, and thrives in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.    Key Responsibilities of the Role:  Business Performance & Analysis  Provide regular consumption reporting using syndicated point-of-sale (Circana) and panel (Numerator) data  Analyze sales, velocity, distribution, pricing, and promotional performance  Track KPIs including sales growth, market share, household penetration, repeat rate, incrementality, and margin  Identify performance gaps vs. goals and recommend corrective actions  Monitor competitive landscape and emerging category trends  Support demand forecasting and financial planning processes    Go-to-Market Execution  Monitor distribution, shelving, pricing, and promotional performance across key accounts / channels (Grocery, Mass, Club, eCom) and identify optimizations  Partner with Sales Strategy to develop distribution priorities and trade strategies  Support development of sell-in materials and customer-facing presentations  Collaborate with Customer Marketing and Studio teams to build impactful brand support plans  Ensure cross-functional alignment to deliver initiatives on time and in full    Product & Portfolio Management  Monitor item-level velocity and incrementality to optimize assortment  Make recommendations on SKU prioritization, renovation, and discontinuation  Support full product lifecycle management from concept to post-launch analysis  Build and maintain product roadmaps aligned with strategic growth priorities  Conduct size-of-prize analysis and cannibalization modeling    Innovation & Business Planning  Support the creation of short and long-term growth plans, identifying opportunities to optimize category / segment goals, strategies, tactics and performance metrics  Develop and drive cross-functional execution of close-in innovation plans (e.g., new flavors, sizes, packaging) including insights, business case, pricing, and volume forecasting  Partner with Customer Marketing and Studio teams to develop new item launch plans that drive awareness and trial across key accounts / channels  Conduct post-launch reviews to assess performance vs. objectives    Cross-Functional Partnership  Lead alignment across Sales, Finance, Insights, Product Development, Operations, and Project Management  Anticipate executional risks and proactively solve issues  Communicate performance updates, strategies, and recommendations to senior leadership  Operate effectively in a lean, high-growth, high-accountability environment    What You Bring to the Table  Education / Experience  Bachelor's Degree required, MBA preferred  2+ years relevant work experience in business analytics, product/brand management, or innovation. Experience in consumer products is a plus  Strong analytical & quantitative acumen. Experience with syndicated point-of-sale data (e.g., Circana) and consumer panel data (e.g., Numerator) preferred   Proven strategic thinker with a strong sense of curiosity  Strong organization skills with understanding of go-to-market process   Understanding of P&L drivers including trade promotion and margin   Track record of successful collaboration with cross-functional partners to drive work forward and ability to be agile in fast-paced, high-change environment     Personal Characteristics  Business builder who owns and drives results  Growth mindset with an excitement to learn  Thrive in a dynamic, lean, and agile environment with proven record of completing projects on time in full through excellent cross functional team management, leadership, communication and influence  Self-starter who takes initiative and speaks their mind  Excited to be part of a fast-moving team with the ability to be a leader and a follower  Enjoy finding ways to say ‘yes’ as often as possible to deliver 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 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    Location & Travel The position will be based out of our 20,000 sq. foot office in Walnut Creek, CA. We strongly believe in the power of culture and community and have a work structure with 5 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. Some travel will be required for this role on a periodic basis. Typical travel includes industry conferences and key customer visits.   The expected starting salary range for this role is $120,000 - $130,000 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