ABOUT US AT KINDER'S:

We are a fast-growing company working hard to bring amazing flavor solutions to consumers that are as exciting and delicious as they are simple to use. Whether we are serving the emerging cook or seasoned pro, we are 100% committed to our mission of bringing awesome flavor to consumers wherever and whenever they are looking for it and in whatever form they want it in be it seasonings, sauces, gravies, marinades, or anything else we can dream up.

We drive hard to be the most quality-obsessed, innovative company in any market we serve and while we have experienced tremendous growth over the last 5 years, we think we are just getting started. We love our consumers and are fired up to be part of their flavor journey, and we need more great people to help us continue to raise the bar for what consumers think is even possible in their own kitchens.

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 over 75 years, we have experienced explosive growth in the last 5 years and 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 flavor advocates and builders to come and join our team and help us reach every kitchen across the U.S. and maybe even the world.

How You'll Have Impact at Kinder's: Reporting to the Director of Sales Strategy & Planning, the Sales Planning & Inventory Analyst will serve as a critical commercial and analytical partner, responsible for developing robust annual sales plans, supporting demand planning accuracy, and optimizing customer inventory for our Grocery Channel. This role ensures our sales and inventory processes are data-driven, aligned with strategic objectives, and poised for continued growth.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING:

Annual Sales Planning

• Lead collaboration with sales leaders to build detailed annual sales plans for key accounts and account groups, aligning volume, revenue, and trade investment targets with company strategic goals.
• Drive the end-to-end annual planning process, ensuring timely integration and coordination across Sales, Brand, Finance, and Operations.
• Manage the planning calendar and clearly communicate milestones and expectations to cross-functional stakeholders.

Demand Planning Support

• Own monthly sales forecasts and their integration into the Demand Planning process, proactively reviewing and incorporating data on current market performance and dynamics.
• Serve as the primary sales forecasting interface within the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process, ensuring accurate demand signals inform inventory and supply planning decisions.
• Continuously monitor forecast accuracy, swiftly addressing market shifts and customer trends to refine plans in real-time and optimize supply balancing.

Customer Inventory Review

• Regularly analyze and review customer inventory data, providing actionable insights to minimize out-of-stocks and avoid excess inventory or markdown liabilities.
• Establish and maintain real-time visibility into customer-level inventory positions, collaborating with sales and supply chain teams to ensure optimal inventory health.
• Implement proactive inventory management strategies based on historical performance, promotional calendars, and demand variability.

Sales Planning Process & Infrastructure

• Develop and implement scalable sales planning processes, tools, and templates designed to streamline collaboration, standardize execution, and enable data-driven decision-making.
• Create and maintain dashboards and standardized reports that track sales performance, forecast accuracy, inventory positions, and key commercial metrics.
• Actively engage cross-functionally to enhance systems and processes, ensuring Kinder’s commercial planning and execution infrastructure meets the evolving needs of the business.

Commercial Execution & Alignment

• Serve as the central planning liaison for Sales, ensuring the voice of Sales is represented in broader strategic and operational planning decisions.
• Support Joint Business Planning (JBP) by linking overarching business objectives to granular, account-level execution KPIs and resource allocations.
• Act as a key commercial execution partner, providing senior leadership with clear, data-informed insights into sales planning effectiveness, potential execution risks, and growth opportunities.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

Education / Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree required. MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in Sales Planning, Demand Planning, Inventory Management, Sales Operations, or related fields, ideally within CPG.
• Experience with major grocery retailers is preferred (Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, etc).
• Have Exceedra or other TPM experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing annual sales planning processes, monthly forecasting, and customer inventory analytics.

Personal Characteristics

• Collaborative business builder who thrives on driving results.
• Growth-focused mindset, enthusiastic about continuous learning and development.
• Flexible and adaptable, comfortable navigating ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• A self-starter who takes initiative, speaks candidly, and proactively identifies solutions.

Things About the Way We Work

• No two days here are the same.
• We value effective communication and collaboration over rigid hierarchy and structure—everyone here makes a meaningful impact.
• Decisions are often made with incomplete information—we embrace ambiguity and prioritize good, fast decisions over slow, perfect ones.
• Smart, strategic risk-taking is encouraged, rather than risk elimination.
• While continuously building our managerial expertise, we maintain a deeply entrepreneurial spirit.
• Exceptional performance is our aim, and we’re dedicated to working hard to achieve remarkable outcomes.

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 hybrid work structure with 4 days in the office and 1 day flex 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.