Kinsa Group Blog

The Kinsa Group–a leading recruiting firm for the food and beverage industry–currently has a variety of outstanding professional and C-level executive job opportunities, including the following positions:

VP of Finance and Administration

Rapidly growing, integrated Food Company (#1 in its category) is seeking to grow substantially over next several years.  They are seeking a confident, driven individual to fill this newly created position and help build a world-class organization.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and implement financial and operational strategies, plans, projects, policies, procedures and controls.
• Define, develop and lead finance, accounting, information systems and HR functions.
• Identify opportunities and areas for change and growth.

Ideal candidates will possess the following:

• BS/BA in Accounting, Finance, Economics or equivalent.  MBA or CPA preferred.
• 10+ years of relevant experience.  Substantial accounting, finance, IT and HR experience is required.
• Prior experience in high volume food or agricultural company preferred.
• Knowledge of federal and state taxation, as well as automated financial and accounting reporting systems is required.

Beautiful Northern California location!  Enjoy recreational activities afforded by surrounding mountains, hills and rivers.  Relocation assistance will be provided.  Discover more about the VP of Finance and Administration (#4992) position and apply online.

Multi-Unit Restaurant Operations Consultant

Our Wisconsin-based client is seeking a Quick-Service Restaurant Franchisee Consultant to provide leadership and coaching to franchisees and operations team, in order to achieve short and long-term company and operations objectives.  The Restaurant Operations Consultant will utilize knowledge of restaurant operations and staff resources to provide counsel, advice and assistance to franchisee owners/operators to positively impact and improve sales, profits, operating standards and operating systems while maintaining or exceeding customer expectations.

Essential Functions:

• Effectively implement and execute the company’s worldwide business plan (rolling 1, 2 and 3 year plan).
• Develop and implement a district wide business plan (i.e., integrated marketing, operations, training, development and supply chain plan).
• Establish and implement effective business plans with franchise owners in the district.
• Provide necessary counsel and assistance to ensure the plans include specific objectives and strategies in support of company’s Operations and Marketing Plan.
• Provide leadership in developing and managing marketing performance through effective partnerships with appropriate departments, vendors and franchisees.
• Implement strategies to assist franchisees in executing human resource, training and professional development plans and programs, where appropriate.
• Consistently strive to meet or favorably exceed operating budget for department.
• Perform timely annual performance reviews.

Qualifications and Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, restaurant management or a related field.
• 4 or more years of restaurant management (multi-unit/high volume) and/or franchise operations management.
• Clean driving record is required.
• Thorough knowledge and familiarity with the Restaurant Industry (QSR preferred).
• Proficient knowledge of marketing, finance, training, human resource and development.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service to both internal and external clients.
• Relationship building skills with the ability to create mutually beneficial relationships with both internal and external clients.
• Ability to work quickly in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions.

Find out more about the Multi-Unit Restaurant Operations Consultant (#4984) position and apply online.

To search our comprehensive list of Food and Beverage Industry Jobs please visit www.Kinsa.com.

The following food & beverage industry professionals are experienced, motivated and ready to perform for your organization:

VICE PRESIDENT OF R & D

CN: 68378

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Accomplished innovation leader with 20 years of solid marketing and R&D results at an industry-leading Fortune 400 food company and a $3 billion frozen food manufacturer.

Key accomplishments, skills and experience:

• Demonstrated track record of delivering growth through new product innovation. New product net sales reached nearly 6% per year and more than 18% on a rolling 36-month basis. Additionally the innovation pipeline value tripled in five years.
• Led marketing execution in the transformation of a commodity fresh meat business into a portfolio of consumer-desired products delivering a 150% increase in profit margins.
• Influential leader on executive teams tasked with creating a transformational corporate strategic plan and implementing best-in-class employee engagement program.
• Motivational team leader who built a culture of innovation in which R&D employee engagement improved at twice the rate of overall company growth.
• Proven ability to recruit, mentor and build strong leaders. Team members frequently selected for promotion out of R&D and for inclusion in corporate leadership academy.
• Strong analytical skills and vast experience with implementing best practices. Introduced best-in-class portfolio management system and spearheaded the new product process.
• Goal – lead food industry technical teams in delivering new product innovation through an R&D culture of collaboration, accountability and influence.

Expertise in:

• Team leadership (worked with teams ranging from 5 to > 100)
• Strategic plan development and execution
• Brand management (6 years in marketing at Hormel)
• Strong technical expertise with all forms of meat products
• General technical expertise with dairy / dough / entrees
• Extensive communication skills
• Employee engagement
• Stage-Gate / Accolade

EDUCATION: Ph.D. Meat Science in 1987 from Iowa State University

DESIRED SALARY: $150,000+/year

CONTACT: Please contact Laurie Hyllberg at 414.367.5505 or e-mail Laurie.

__________________________________________________________

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FOOD SCIENTIST

CN: 107429

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Passionate Food Scientist with great product development experience in food.  After recently losing her position of 10 years with a major food manufacturer as Food Scientist – Biscuit & Snacks division, this seasoned professional is looking to bring her outstanding creativity in developing new ideas and flavors to your organization.

She is certainly a top talent with her experience, knowledge and education.  She has worked product development from bench top to pilot plant through to commercialization.  Has cross functional HACCP, labeling and quality experience through working closely with these areas of the company.

She has worked with shelf stable bakery and snack food products such as cracker and cookies.  She has also worked with flavors: from savory flavors to flavors for confectionary, jellies and sweet goods, to liquid, dry and plated flavors.

Presently renting, can make a relocation easily.  Ideal locations are; MO, KY, GA, SC, NC, WV, VA, TN, MD, NY, & NJ.  Would be a great asset to your R&D team… Will NOT be available long!

DESIRED SALARY: $70,000/year

CONTACT: To learn more, please contact Nancy Furgason at 414.367.5512 or e-mail Nancy.

__________________________________________________________

SENIOR SALES & MARKETING MANAGER

CN: 108195

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Focused and driven strategic marketing and sales manager with demonstrated success in fast-paced, customer-driven and highly competitive sales environments.  Energetic multi-tasker competent in managing to budget, building and motivating high-performance sales teams, executing multi-faceted marketing programs and achieving aggressive sales results.

Possesses complementary operations management skills including:

• People Management
• Broker Management
• Financial Record Keeping
• Budgeting
• Strategic Planning
• New Business Development
• New Product Launch
• Key Account Relationship Management & Maximization
• Training & Education
• Cost Control
• Inventory Management
• Production Scheduling
• Tradeshow Planning & Execution

DESIRED SALARY: $110,000/year

CONTACT: Please contact Russ Lilly at 414.367.5513 or e-mail Russ.

Like most things in life, you’ll get out of your job search what you put into it.  Those who work harder, have a positive attitude, persevere and go the extra mile are more likely to get what they want – period.

If you have the commitment to work hard, but need direction for your efforts, here are seven things you can do to take charge of your job search today:

1.  Treat your job search like a job. If you are not currently employed, you have a great advantage – time.  Make finding a food & beverage job your full-time job.  Get up in the morning and get dressed, review your goals, create a to-do list when you settle into your office and try to maintain your diligent work habits.

2.  Clarify your self-knowledge and your goals. Do you know exactly what you have to offer an employer?  Do you know exactly what type of career opportunity you want?  Take the time to write down your specific skills, strengths, accomplishments and career goals.  If you know what you want, and what you bring to the table, it’s infinitely easier to focus your efforts, identify potential employers and find the job you want.

3.  Conduct informational interviews. Informational interviews can provide you with invaluable visibility, information and job interview practice.  Conducted properly they can help you:

• expand your professional network;
• set yourself apart from the crowd in a competitive job market;
• gain insider feedback on potential hiring opportunities.

4.  Develop your network. Often in a job search, it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.  Be proactive in developing relationships (both in-person and via social media) with people who are doing the kind of work that you want to do.  Identify individuals in food & beverage companies, industry organizations and professional associations who can provide insight into their employment needs.  Identify faculty, friends, business associates and relatives who can assist you with your job search.  Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for a job and ask them to refer you to potential employers.

5.  Get more organized. Place all of your job search materials, including: research on potential employers; listings of job postings to which you’ve responded; resume versions and cover letters; recruiters with whom you’re working; network lists, etc.  Use this binder to track your progress, plan follow-up, develop daily to-do lists or record other important information.

6.  Find a mentor. If you don’t have a trusted advisor who can help guide your job search efforts, you should get one.  To select a mentor, choose someone you know who:  has earned your respect; is successful in his or her career; will provide honest and effective feedback; will take an interest in your professional development; will support you in your career progression.  Meet with this person regularly to solicit advice, share your ups and downs, and get the feedback and support you need to keep going.

7.  Work with leading food & beverage executive recruiters. The Kinsa Group matches professionals and executives like you with top food & beverage employers nationwide.  We are pleased to offer a new FREE job seeker resource called Kinsa CareerEdge.  Whether you are involved in a current food & beverage job search, looking to advance in your career, or transitioning into a new career, Kinsa CareerEdge provides amazing tools and resources to guide and support you through the entire process:

• FREE Assessment Tools
• Access to over 1,000 Job Boards on ONE site
• A FREE Resume Builder and Career Advisor
• Information on Educational Opportunities
• FREE Weekly Teleconference Calls on “Hot Topics”
• A Resource Library filled with Audios, Videos and Articles
• Access to 100 FREE Resume Cards for Networking

Our goal is to make your job search more efficient and productive.  Register now and see the benefits of Kinsa CareerEdge yourself!

Droughts in Russia.  Floods in Brazil.  Growing consumption in emerging markets.

What do these three have in common?

They’ve all contributed to a massive rise in input costs for food & beverage companies.  Case in point:  agricultural commodity prices rose by nearly 50% between January 2010 and January 2011.

A February 22nd Business Wire release reported that “According to Fitch (Ratings), the recent sharp and sustained increase in a basket of commodity prices represents a growing source of concern for fixed income investors…input inflation across a broad range of agricultural, energy, and industrial commodities has spiked sharply and is expected to put increasing pressure on margins and end-user prices in a number of commodity-dependent sectors in 2011.”

Commodity-sensitive sectors, such as protein processors, ethanol producers and airlines are expected to be hardest-hit; beverage producers and automotive suppliers to a lesser extent.

The current commodity spike will differ from 2008, in that food & beverage organizations may be in a better position this time around to pass along higher input costs via pricing – primarily because of more consistent demand across a range of consumer products.

When asked about price increases that are beginning to appear in the marketplace, Gary Rodkin, the president and chief executive officer of ConAgra Foods, Inc., Omaha, stated, “We are confident that these moves are the right thing to do given the inflation of our input costs.  While not easy, pricing is not a choice; it is an imperative.  We cannot ignore the impact of dramatically increasing input costs on margins.”

Beverage manufacturers are feeling the same pressure.  PepsiCo has said that it expects a “highly competitive environment” in 2011, with commodity costs remaining a “major headwind” for the snacks and beverage giant.

The bottom line?  Significantly higher commodity costs are here for the medium-to-long-term and will place increasing margin pressure on food & beverage companies.  Industry leaders are trying a range of approaches, from cutting operating costs to raising prices, to deal with the added pressure, but it remains to be seen how successful their strategies will be.

Kinsa Group – Your Food & Beverage Industry Recruiter

For over 25 years, The Kinsa Group has delivered the high performing food & beverage industry professionals your company needs to compete in today’s competitive and rapidly changing marketplace.  Simply put, food and beverage recruiting and assessment is all we do.  Contact us today to learn more.

Creating a cohesive team of high-performing food & beverage professionals for your organization is no small task.  Factors like location, lack of time and a shortage of truly qualified applicants can complicate your hiring process.

Here are a few common recruiting challenges food & beverage employers face, along with the ways a specialized recruiter like Kinsa can make the process simpler and more effective:

Location, location, location. If your company has a “less than ideal” location (to put it delicately), you may have trouble consistently attracting the top talent you need.  With a national database of over 80,000 candidates, Kinsa can help you access qualified professionals and executives who are open to relocation.  We know where our candidates are willing to work.  We’ll only refer those who are not only qualified for the position, but also willing to move to your area.

Asking the right questions. When it comes to hiring, knowledge is power.  Asking the right questions when screening and interviewing is critical to creating the ideal match.  At Kinsa Group, food & beverage recruiting is all we do.  Our Recruiters are experts in:

• assessing the requirements of your available position;
• determining the major selling points of the opportunity (beyond those listed in the job description);
• identifying behaviors and attitudes critical to success in the role;
• crafting the right questions that will determine if candidates are the right fit for your opportunity.

Finding the “needle in the haystack.” Posting on a job board may yield a lot of résumés, but how many of those applicants are truly qualified for the position?  When you require a unique skill set or have an immediate hiring need, a professional recruiting service like Kinsa provides two distinct advantages to recruiting on your own:

• Shorter time-to-hire. Because we maintain a robust database of a wide variety of skilled executives and professionals, Kinsa can quickly pinpoint candidates with the exact skills and experience you require.
• Substantial time savings. Sorting through piles of résumés, not to mention screening and interviewing, takes up valuable HR and management time.  Our services keep you focused on your top priorities, while delivering the select few candidates who are genuinely qualified for your available position.

Kinsa Group – A Better Way to Hire Food & Beverage Professionals

As a national food & beverage recruiter, The Kinsa Group has the resources and expertise to quickly and cost-effectively deliver executive and c-level food & beverage professionals with skills, experience and behavioral traits to succeed in your organization.  We use professionally trained interviewers, a wide array of assessments, thorough background checks and satisfaction guarantees to ensure the success of your next hire.

The newbie.  The greenhorn.  The tenderfoot.

As if these monikers weren’t burdensome enough, the young manager faces yet another challenge because of his age – namely, resentment. 

You know your new manager has the skills and qualifications to handle heightened responsibilities.  But too often, older, more seasoned employees view a fresh manager as a threat, or someone undeserving of high rank.  Here’s what you can do to ease the transition for your promising, young management protégé:

• Give your manager a heads-up.  A less experienced manager may not be prepared for the potential wave of resentment that could come his way.  So make him aware of the possibility of hurt feelings or lost pride among his reports, and let him know that you’re available to offer advice.
• Provide positive reinforcement.  Confidence can be in short supply for a young manager.  Remind him that you wouldn’t have hired/promoted him unless you thought he could do the job well (better than the older, more experienced candidates you didn’t select).
• Help him win over new subordinates.  Advise your young manager to adopt a “learning stance” and ask his reports questions like, “You have a lot of experience in this area, what do you think?” or “How was this problem handled in the past?”  By recognizing the contributions of subordinates, the young manager can establish rapport and build trust.
• Teach him to strike a balance.  Your new manager needs to preserve subordinates’ egos, but he must also stand tall as a leader.  Encourage him to praise team members’ efforts, but not to shy away from coaching them, too.  Help him to set high standards, and then give employees enough room to complete jobs in their own ways – as long as they reach the desired outcomes.
• Address resentment issues as soon as they arise.  Your young manger should expect respectful treatment as a leader and accept nothing less than high quality work.  If resentment becomes an issue, have the manager address it directly and decisively, by:  trying to understand the subordinate’s feelings (and why he is feeling that way); providing an opportunity for the subordinate to regain his pride and move past the resentment; taking formal disciplinary action if resentment continues to be a problem.

Is your organization in need of management or executive-level talent?

As a leading food & beverage industry recruiting and assessment firm, Kinsa Group has a deep pool of talented professionals and senior-to-executive level management candidates, across a wide range of food & beverage industry disciplines, who are ready to lead in your organization:

• Executive Management 
• General Management 
• Sales
• Marketing 
• Operations & Plant Production Management
• Research & Development 
• Food Science
• Quality Assurance 
• Food Safety
• Human Resources 
• Engineering
• Maintenance
• Supply Chain and Purchasing
• Warehouse Management
• Finance & Accounting

To learn more about our services, Contact Kinsa today.

Right now you may be asking yourself, “Why would I need to go on an informational interview?”

As an experienced food & beverage industry professional, you may think that an informational interview would be a waste of your time.  Because typically, informational interviews are associated with job seekers who are new to the employment market, or have no clear direction for their careers.

But conducted properly, even a seasoned professional can benefit from an informational interview:

• Expand your professional network
• Set yourself apart from the crowd in a competitive job market
• Gain valuable insider feedback on potential future job openings
• Sharpen interview skills that may have become a bit “rusty” from disuse
• Practice selling yourself and your personal brand

In short, this type of interview can provide you with invaluable visibility, information and practice – all in a low-stress setting.

Tips for Successful Informational Interviews

• Do your homework. It goes without saying that you’ll get out of the informational interview process what you put into it.  So read industry journals and annual reports, and study operating principals, product and financial information for any company in which you’re interested – before making phone calls.
• Use your networks. Leveraging these contacts will distinguish you from entry-level job candidates, get you in front of key decision makers more quickly and make potential employers take you seriously.
• Find out how your skills will translate. If you already know how your experience will benefit a potential employer, now is the time to say so.  But if you’re unsure where you might fit into a different sector of the food and beverage industry, the informational interview provides a perfect opportunity to find out.
• Be honest. Since you’re not interviewing for an available opening, be candid about your professional strengths and weaknesses, as well as career goals.  If your skills, desires and priorities are not a match for a particular organization, it’s always better to find out up front.  In this case, the interviewee may be able to connect you with potential employers that are more in-sync with your needs.
• Ask about next steps. If you’re intrigued by the prospects with a potential employer, take the initiative and find out the next step in being considered for an available or upcoming position.  And if the connection is not there, ask if the interviewee knows anyone else with whom you should speak.  But be sure to do so tactfully, so that you leave behind a positive and professional impression.

A Final Thought
Informational interviews can happen anywhere and anytime – not just in the board room.  So keep an open mind and seize potential opportunities whenever they present themselves, because you never know who might be helpful in your career search.

Jump Start Your Career Search with The Kinsa Group

If you’re in the market for a new job, or are just curious about what kind of professional food and beverage jobs are available right now, please call us today.  As national recruiters specializing in the food & beverage industry, Kinsa Group offers a variety of excellent career opportunities.

What would you do to get the job you want?

These days, I’m seeing more and more news stories about the lengths people are going to in order to get hired.  Here are just a few:

• Walking the city streets while wearing a sandwich board that lists your professional credentials;
• Renting billboard space to promote yourself;
• “Selling” yourself on eBay.

While these extreme job search tactics have certainly helped individuals stand out in a crowded job market, they’re more like “stunts” than strategies.  As a result, they’ll quickly lose their novelty and ultimately their effectiveness.

Here are a few fresh ideas for getting noticed by employers, which may prove more practical for your professional job search needs:

• Create a business card that serves as a résumé.  They’re much easier to carry around and pass out than a full-sized résumé, especially at a networking or professional association event.  On the card, you can provide the URLs for your LinkedIn page, professional website and/or online portfolio, so recipients can find out more about you.
• Start a professional blog.  If you’re a strong writer, and if you’re disciplined enough to make frequent updates, a blog can greatly enhance your job search efforts.  You can use your blog to showcase your in-depth professional knowledge, and demonstrate that you stay on-top of trends and news impacting the food & beverage industry.  A blog is also a great way to share what you do with potential employers and develop a strong personal brand.
• Create a video résumé.  While not a substitute for a traditional résumé, a video résumé can be beneficial to food & beverage professionals seeking jobs that require sales, training or other presentations.  If you perform well in front of a camera, and if you have access to good production facilities (believe me, you don’t want to use your webcam for this one), your video résumé can showcase your communication, articulation and presentation skills.

Unconventional tactics not your style?

Then try a proven job search strategy that’s worked for savvy food & beverage professionals for over 25 years – contact the Kinsa Group today or search professional and executive food & beverage industry positions nationwide.

The Kinsa Group–a leading recruiting firm for the food and beverage industry–currently has a variety of outstanding job opportunities, including the following position:

National Accounts Manager – Food Service

Rapidly growing Midwest food manufacturer in a hot niche is looking for double-digit growth over the next three years.  They have the capacity to do this in both their bakery and sauces lines of business, and want to continue to grow their meat business as well.  To facilitate this growth, they have created a new position for a National Accounts Manager to call on major Foodservice National Accounts like Panera, Subway and other similar delis, etc.

Job responsibilities:

Grow National Account Business at least $2 to $10 million in one year.  The ideal candidate must have the wherewithal to design and execute the sales strategy to achieve this growth.  The National Accounts Manager will collaborate with resources at headquarters including Marketing, R&D and Supply Chain for materials, planning, forecasting, etc.

Ideal candidates will possess the following:

• Bachelor’s Degree with 5 to 10 years of food sales experience.
• National Sales Management experience.  Client is looking for a subject matter expert, who can overcome objections and close the sale successfully.
• Team leadership skills, with the capacity to manage a sales team or brokers / distributors.  Should have managed a team or brokers / distributors in the past.
• An established track record of growing national accounts to $10 million a year.
• Active leadership experience developing a Sales Strategy.
• Bakery business experience a plus.  Meat also preferred.

Discover more about this National Accounts Manager – Food Service including salary range.

And to search our comprehensive list of Food and Beverage Industry Jobs please visit www.Kinsa.com.

If yours is like most forward-thinking food & beverage companies, you are integrating contract employees with direct staff to maximize resources and meet project objectives.  But are you getting the best results from your contract staff? 

To get the most from your contract personnel, you must understand their motivations and develop a culture in which they can succeed.  Here are a few best practices to help you successfully manage these valuable contingent resources:

Use Them Only When Appropriate.

Before you begin searching for a contract employee, ask yourself:

• Is the assignment well-defined, with a tight deadline and a measurable end point?
• Does it require special expertise?
• Is it a “one time only” assignment?  (as opposed to repeatable work)
• Do time or money considerations preclude you from hiring a direct employee?

If you answered “yes” to the questions applicable to your circumstances, you probably have a project well-suited for a contract employee.

Prepare Direct Employees.

Your direct staff may not know what to expect from contractors, or they may have misperceptions about them.  To ensure that the two groups work well together:

• Define the roles of both contractors and direct staff.  Show the value that each brings to the table.
• Assure direct employees that contractors do not pose a threat.  Instead, let them know that contractors’ skills complement their own and improve the chances of project success.
• Cultivate working relationships between contract and direct staff, to encourage idea-sharing and develop rapport.

Communicate Regularly.

Lack of communication is often the greatest obstacle to successful working relationships with contract employees.  At each stage of their assignments, use the following suggestions to stay informed and ensure contractors won’t feel isolated:

• Beginning of assignment.  Orient new contract employees by explaining the parameters of the job, outlining “big picture” impact of the project, and introducing them to the rest of the project team.
• During the assignment. Throughout the project, involve contract employees in relevant meetings, include them in team memos and e-mails, ask for their opinions and ideas, and remember them when you celebrate project milestones.
• End of assignment. Hold a debriefing session to ensure objectives were met, gather necessary documentation, and discuss issues that may arise in the future.