Director Portfolio Management Jobs (NOW HIRING)

HOW YOU'LL HAVE IMPACT AT KINDER'S: 

The Senior Director, Portfolio Management is a critical enterprise leadership role responsible for bridging innovation and execution and turning product concepts into successful in-market launches.

This leader oversees project management across the innovation lifecycle, from early-stage category incubation through development, production, and retail execution across core and emerging businesses. You will lead a high-performing team of directors, project managers, and cross-functional partners across three verticals within Portfolio Management, including Pre-Commercialization, Commercialization, and Strategic Projects.

You will serve as the thread between Innovation, R&D/Product Development, Brand, Supply Chain, Operations, Creative, Finance, and Executive Leadership, balancing long-term thinking with disciplined operational execution. You will drive alignment, mitigate risks, and uphold Kinder's standards for quality, cost, and speed, ensuring each launch reflects our relentless pursuit of flavor and excellence. This role requires a highly collaborative, hands-on, and entrepreneurial leader who thrives in ambiguity, builds scalable process improvements, and can guide teams through the day-to-day delivery of both bold innovation and incremental category expansion.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING:

Pre-Commercialization & Future Pipeline Development

• Oversee the Pre-Commercialization portfolio management function responsible for overall portfolio analytics as well as early-stage exploration, capability assessment, and development of categories Kinder's has not yet entered
• Work with the Pre-Commercialization leader to build pre-commercialization processes and governance, facilitate evaluation and early development of white-space opportunities, and ensure readiness once a category is prioritized for commercialization
• Partner with executive leadership to understand potential growth opportunities and relevant operational and go-to-market implications

Commercialization Leadership

• Evolve and lead Kinder's enterprise commercialization strategy across all product categories and innovation initiatives
• Lead the Portfolio Management team in facilitating the end-to-end commercialization process, ensuring successful product delivery from pilot to first production and distribution for core innovation / renovation (within the dry and liquid portfolio) as well as for high priority strategic projects (e.g., frozen)
• Oversee portfolio resource allocation across commercialization initiatives to maximize organizational effectiveness
• Anticipate and mitigate risks—technical, operational, financial, or regulatory—and communicate proactive solutions to leadership
• Drive visibility and accountability through weekly executive touchpoints and ongoing stakeholder communications

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing Portfolio Management organization, fostering a culture of accountability, transparency, and collaboration
• Build organizational capabilities that enable Kinder's to scale innovation complexity while maintaining speed and entrepreneurialism

Cross-Functional Alignment & Partnership

• Serve as the central thread between Innovation, R&D/Product Development, Brand, Sourcing, Operations, Planning, Quality, Finance, and Sales
• Partner cross-functionally across the organization to strengthen ways of working, decision-making processes, and execution discipline across the innovation lifecycle
• Deliver clear, proactive, and actionable communication to executive leadership regarding portfolio health, launch status, investment needs, and strategic risks

Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Evaluate and continuously evolve Kinder's commercialization and pre-commercialization processes to support increasing scale, complexity, and cross-category growth
• Partner with functional leaders to evolve workflows, playbooks, and digital tools that support scalable success
• Support digital transformation by maximizing Wrike and other tools for real-time collaboration and tracking
• Work with Finance and Operations to develop and monitor relevant KPIs for commercialization success—for example, cost and delivery performance

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE:

Skills and Experience

• 12-15 years of experience in commercialization, innovation, operations, strategic initiatives, or project management within CPG or food manufacturing
• Proven experience leading complex product launches and cross-functional innovation initiatives from concept through retail execution
• Demonstrated success managing leaders and building high-performing teams in high-growth environments
• Experience commercializing opportunities in new categories strongly preferred
• Deep understanding of manufacturing, packaging, sourcing, supply chain, and operational scale-up processes
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen paired with exceptional operational execution capabilities
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead through organizational ambiguity
• Proficiency in project and portfolio management systems; Wrike experience preferred
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Food Science, Engineering, Operations, or related field required; MBA preferred

Personal Characteristics

• Passionate about food, flavor, innovation, and operational excellence
• Strategic yet hands-on—able to balance big-picture thinking with flawless execution
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and building structure where needed
• Exceptional collaborator and influential leader who builds trust across teams and functions
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and solutions-oriented
• Energized by fast-paced environments, bold ideas, and transformational growth

LOCATION AND TRAVEL:

The position will be based out of our 40,000 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. We have 1 flex day per week 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.

PAY TRANSPARENCY:

The expected starting salary range for this role is $235,000 - $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.