Kinder's Premium Quality Seasonings & Sauces
Manager, Business Development-ADUSA
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.
The ADUSA Business Development Manager is responsible for driving profitable growth for Kinder’s across all ADUSA accounts by building strong customer partnerships, executing joint business plans, and expanding brand presence through best-in-class sales execution. This role combines strategic thinking, data-driven insights, and entrepreneurial ownership to accelerate Kinder’s momentum within the category.
Key Responsibilities Include:- Own and deepen relationships with ADUSA buyers, category managers, and senior leadership to drive long-term growth for Kinder’s.
- Develop and execute Joint Business Plans that deliver against revenue, profitability, and market share goals.
- Act as a trusted partner to customers by aligning Kinder’s strategies with category and shopper needs.
- Identify assortment gaps and lead expansion of Kinder’s product portfolio through innovation and new item distribution
- Leverage category insights, syndicated data (IRI/Nielsen/Circana), and shopper trends to unlock growth opportunities.
- Build compelling, insight-driven selling stories that position Kinder’s as a category growth driver.
- Lead promotional planning and execution, including forecasting, TPM management, and post-event analysis to maximize ROI.
- Own trade spend and budget management, including promotional funds, broker commissions, and advertising investments.
- Deliver best-in-class in-store and online execution, including displays, merchandising, and seasonal activations.
- Manage off-shelf programs and promotions to ensure alignment, strong execution, and achievement of sales objectives.
- Partner cross-functionally with marketing, supply chain, finance, and category management to deliver seamless execution and customer-specific solutions.
- Track, analyze, and report on sales performance, identifying risks and opportunities and recommending actionable solutions.
- Lead business reviews, line reviews, and customer presentations with clear, data-driven insights.
- Drive process improvements to enhance team efficiency and support retailer-led initiatives.
- Bachelor’s degree required
- 7–10+ years of CPG sales/customer leadership experience, including retail, wholesale, and broker management
- Direct experience managing Food Lion, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, The Giant Company, Giant Food, with established relationships strongly preferred
- Proven track record of delivering profitable growth and achieving aggressive sales targets
- Strong expertise in grocery retail, category management, and trade promotion management
- Demonstrated ability to build and scale brands within national retail accounts
- Strong analytical and financial acumen; ability to translate data into actionable insights
- Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth, and matrixed organizations (startup and/or large CPG mix preferred)
- Effective communicator with strong presentation and relationship-building skills
- Proven leadership capability, with people management experience or readiness to lead
- High ownership mindset with a bias for action, adaptability, and results
- Willingness to travel (20-30%)
This position is remote but must be located within ADUSA footprint (East/Mid-Atlantic), with occasional travel to our home office in Walnut Creek, CA. Additional travel will be required for this role on a periodic basis.
Pay Transparency:The expected starting salary range for this role is $135,000-$155,000 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.
- 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.
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 [email protected]
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
