Kinder’s is seeking a talented and experienced Senior Consumer Insights Manager who is passionate about being part of a team of hard-working people focused on bringing the future of flavor to consumers everywhere.

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 are 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 whatever for they are looking for it in (seasonings, sauces, gravy, marinades, 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. We love our consumers and are fired up to be part of their flavor journey. And we need more great folks to help us continue to raise the bar for what they 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 will have an impact at Kinder’s:

The Senior Consumer Insights Manager will be responsible for gathering, analyzing, and interpreting consumer data to provide actionable insights that drive strategic decision-making across the portfolio. They will serve as the voice of the consumer and strategic business partner for our Product and Marketing teams. The ideal candidate will have a passion for understanding consumer behavior, excellent analytical skills, and a track record of leveraging consumer insights to inform product development, marketing strategies, and business initiatives. If you are passionate about understanding consumer behavior and driving business growth through actionable insights, we want to hear from you!

Key Responsibilities of this Role:

1. Lead planning and execution of research projects to uncover consumer preferences, attitudes, and behaviors related to our products and brands.
2. Utilize syndicated data, including point-of sale and household panel, and a variety of primary research methodologies, such as surveys, interviews, and ethnographic studies, to answer business-critical questions.
3. Analyze quantitative and qualitative data to identify consumer trends, patterns, and actionable insights.
4. Develop and maintain consumer segmentation models to better understand different consumer segments and their needs.
5. Collaborate cross-functionally with brand management, innovation, digital marketing, and other teams to integrate consumer insights into strategic planning and decision-making processes.
6. Translate consumer insights into actionable recommendations for base business, product innovation, packaging, and marketing initiatives.
7. Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure brand health, consumer satisfaction, purchase intent, and more.
8. Stay informed about industry trends, competitive landscape, and emerging consumer preferences to inform strategic direction.
9. Present research findings, insights, and recommendations to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
10. Manage relationships with external research agencies and vendors, ensuring high-quality research deliverables within budget and timelines.
11. Educate stakeholders about consumer insights and employ a continuous improvement mindset to test new methodologies, build new capabilities, and improve ways of working.

This is an individual contributor role today; however, there is opportunity to grow into a people manager role in the future if / when business needs warrant.

What You Bring to the Table:

• Education / Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree in marketing, market research, sociology, or related field. Advanced degree preferred.
  • Minimum of 6 years of experience in consumer insights, market research, or related field, preferably within the CPG industry.
  • Proven track record of designing and executing primary consumer research studies that drive business results.
  • Experience with a variety of research methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative.
  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to analyze complex data sets and derive actionable insights.
  • Experience with syndicated data (e.g., Circana, NIQ, SPINS) and household panel data (e.g., Circana, Numerator).
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to distill complex information into clear and concise insights and tell stories with data.
  • Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
  • Proficiency in PowerPoint and data analysis tools and software (e.g., Excel, SPSS, R) and experience with statistical analysis preferred.

• Personal Characteristics:
• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect consumer insights to business strategy and decision-making.

• Business builder who owns and drives results.
• Growth mindset with an excitement to learn (and teach).
• 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 making decisions and finding ways to say ‘yes’ as often as possible to 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 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 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.

Posted On: Friday, April 19, 2024