Senior Manager, Transportation (Ambient Logistics)
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.
Carrier Strategy & Procurement:
Own the ambient carrier portfolio – asset carriers and brokers – including carrier selection, contracting, onboarding and performance management.
Lead ambient freight bids with our procurement partner: define lanes and requirements, evaluate responses, award, and build the routing guide from the results.
Build strategic relationships with core carriers so Kinder’s is a shipper of choice, with capacity we can count on through market swings.
Manage accessorial, detention and fuel programs to keep costs transparent, fair and controlled.
Performance, Cost & Data:
Partner with Logistics Analytics to define and review carrier and partner scorecards, cost-to-serve and network performance, and act on what the data shows.
Own the ambient freight budget and forecast in partnership with Finance; identify and deliver cost improvements without compromising service.
Protect customer service and retailer compliance (on-time, in-full, appointment and routing requirements) for our largest retail and club customers.
Champion the transportation technology stack – TMS, visibility and analytics tools – and make sure partner systems give Kinder’s the data it needs.
Apply AI and automation to transportation work – rate and capacity analysis, bid evaluation, exception management, partner reporting and forecasting – and push our partners to do the same.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Culture:
Work with Supply Planning, Sales, Customer Operations and Finance so transportation decisions support the overall business, not just freight cost.
Provide direction and escalation support to the Logistics Operations team on ambient pre-shipment work and partner handoffs.
Lead with Kinder’s values – Humility, Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation, Curiosity and Results – asking great questions and owning outcomes without excuses.
Support the evaluation and launch of new channels and partners as the business grows.
Risk & Continuity:
Anticipate capacity, rate and service risk in the ambient network and build contingency plans with partners and carriers.
Lead response to disruptions – weather, capacity crunches, partner or carrier failures – always doing what is right for customers and the business over the long term.
Reporting & Scope
Reports to the Senior Director, Transportation & Logistics Strategy
Owns the ambient 4PL partner, consolidation partners and ambient carrier base
Works closely with the Logistics Operations team (coordinators) and Logistics Analytics
What You Bring to the Table
8+ years of transportation or logistics experience, with at least 3 years in a strategic or leadership role in food, beverage or consumer goods
Proven experience owning a 3PL, 4PL or managed transportation relationship – including contracts, service levels and performance governance
Deep knowledge of dry van truckload and LTL markets, carrier procurement and freight bid management
Track record of designing or improving transportation networks that scaled with fast growth
Experience meeting the routing and compliance requirements of large retail and club customers such as Walmart, Costco and Kroger
Strong commercial and financial acumen – comfortable negotiating, building cost models and making trade-offs in the face of incomplete information
Data-driven mindset with hands-on experience using TMS and BI tools (e.g., Tableau or Power BI); familiarity with SAP a plus
Working knowledge of AI tools (e.g., generative AI assistants, machine-learning forecasting, AI-enabled TMS and visibility platforms) and how to apply them to transportation decisions, analysis and partner management
Excellent communication and influence skills with executives, partners and cross-functional teams
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered
Location and Travel
The position can be based out of either one of our offices in Walnut Creek, CA or Bentonville, AK 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 consumers 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. This role requires travel of approximately 20% to partner, carrier, co-manufacturer and warehouse locations.
Pay Transparency
The expected starting salary range for this role is $160,000- $180,000 per year. The salary range posted for this role reflects the good-faith base pay range Kinder’s reasonably expects to offer at the time of posting and may vary based on the location of the role. Individual compensation within the posted range will be determined based on factors such as relevant education, experience, qualifications, skills, and business needs.