VP, Logistics and Customer Operations

Why Join Kinder’s? 

At Kinder’s, we offer a unique opportunity to be part of a high-growth company that values excellence, innovation, and teamwork. We are looking for a transformational leader who can elevate our logistics and customer operations functions while preserving our values-driven, entrepreneurial culture. If you’re passionate about delivering outstanding service, building high-performing teams, and scaling operations that fuel business growth, we want to meet you. 

How you'll have an impact at Kinder’s:  

The Vice President of Logistics and Customer Operations is a key executive leader responsible for optimizing Kinder’s end-to-end logistics and customer order fulfillment processes, ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and a best-in-class customer experience. This role leads Kinder’s domestic and international logistics operations, including temperature-controlled and global freight, as well as the Customer Operations function, which manages the complete order-to-cash process, customer order entry, inventory deployment, and inventory control. 

The ideal candidate will be a strategic and collaborative leader with a proven track record in building scalable, customer-focused supply chain and operations organizations within a high-growth CPG environment. They must bring strong expertise in logistics execution, international trade compliance, cold chain management, and customer service performance. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Logistics Strategy & Execution 

• Develop and execute a comprehensive logistics strategy aligned with Kinder’s growth plans, customer expectations, and product portfolio complexity. 

• Oversee transportation, distribution, 3PL partnerships, and warehouse operations, including cold chain logistics for temperature-sensitive products. 

• Manage international freight, customs clearance, and global trade compliance, including import/export documentation, tariff strategies, and regulatory alignment with FDA, USDA, FSMA, and CBP standards. 

• Lead initiatives to improve cost-efficiency, on-time delivery, and logistics visibility across the network. 

Customer Operations & Service Excellence 

• Lead the Customer Operations team, including responsibility for order-to-cash processes, customer order entry, order fulfillment, inventory deployment, and inventory accuracy. 

• Ensure seamless, accurate order processing with a focus on speed, service, and communication. 

• Optimize inventory deployment strategies to ensure the right product is in the right place at the right time to support customer demand. 

• Drive alignment across Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, and Operations to support accurate pricing, order confirmation, invoicing, credit resolution, and cash collection. 

• Define and track customer service KPIs, including order accuracy, fill rates, case cuts, lead times, and complaint resolution. 

• Champion a customer-first culture that strengthens partnerships with both internal stakeholders and external customers. 

• Lead the development and execution of a proactive customer deductions strategy related to logistics and fulfillment issues (e.g., shortages, late deliveries, damages), in close coordination with Customer Service, Sales, and Finance. 

• Analyze deduction trends and root causes to identify operational improvements, recovery opportunities, and customer-specific resolution strategies, while ensuring alignment with Kinder’s customer service standards and financial controls. 

Compliance, Risk & Cold Chain Oversight 

• Ensure full compliance with relevant domestic and international logistics, trade, food safety, and temperature-control regulations. 

• Manage risk mitigation strategies related to cold chain integrity, carrier reliability, customs delays, and geopolitical shifts. 

• Drive improvements in real-time temperature monitoring, traceability, and incident response for temperature-sensitive SKUs. 

Technology, Data, and Process Improvement 

• Leverage supply chain and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Anaplan, WMS/TMS) to enhance visibility, reporting, and customer service responsiveness. 

• Implement and improve automation, self-service tools, and data analytics to reduce errors and improve decision-making. 

• Promote continuous improvement initiatives across both logistics and customer operations teams. 

People & Culture Leadership 

• Build, lead, and develop high-performing teams in both logistics and customer operations, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation. 

• Coach and mentor leadership within each function, ensuring team alignment with Kinder’s values and universal competencies. 

• Lead through change by modeling agility, communication, and solution-orientation in a rapidly evolving environment. 

What You Bring to the Table: 

Required Qualifications 

• 15+ years of leadership experience in logistics, customer service, or supply chain operations, including experience in a CPG, food & beverage, or consumer goods company. 

• Demonstrated success in order-to-cash process ownership, customer service excellence, and inventory deployment strategy. 

• Experience with international logistics, import/export, customs compliance, and temperature-controlled distribution. 

• Strong background in managing 3PLs, global freight forwarders, and cold chain partners. 

• Expertise in supply chain systems, including ERP (SAP or equivalent), transportation management systems (TMS), and customer order platforms. 

• Deep understanding of trade regulations, food safety standards, and customer delivery requirements. 

• Proven ability to lead in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, high-growth environment, balancing execution with strategy. 

• Excellent people leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience implementing digital transformation initiatives across logistics or customer service functions. 

• Background in data-driven service level reporting and automation for customer operations. 

• Familiarity with retail and foodservice customer requirements, including EDI, ASN, and retailer scorecard management. 

Things About the Way We Work: 

• No two days here are the same. 

• Culture is crucial. We believe in our people for who they truly are and the value they can add to Kinder’s. We strive on leaving our egos at the door and bringing our true selves to work every day. 

• 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 Walnut Creek, CA office.  

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. Our open-plan office has height-adjustable desks, conference rooms, phone booths, well-stocked kitchens full of snacks and drinks and more. 

Travel to Kinder’s Logistics network location will be required but should be no more than 20% of work schedule.  

The expected starting salary range for this role is $230,000- $255,000 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.