KLN Family Brands

Director of Fulfillment & 3PL Operations

KLN Family Brands  •  $145k - $210k/yr  •  Minnesota (Onsite)  •  9 hours ago
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Job Description

Director of Fulfillment & 3PL Operations

*Onsite in Greenfield, MN*

Our Story

KLN Family Brands is a 3rd generation family-owned business that started in 1964 with its corporate headquarters located in Perham, MN, in the heart of MN lakes country. Together, our companies manufacture a diverse and expanding range of high-quality human and pet food products.

At KLN Family Brands, our vision is that “We are a proud people-first company. We are successful because of trust-based relationships, and first-rate products for our families and friends. We better the world by caring for others. We challenge. We grow. We inspire.”

Some companies have to “fudge the story” a little. Some need the extra “spin” to shine a positive light on themselves. That’s not who we are at KLN Family Brands, and that’s not what we do. We tell the story of our brand – our people, the quality of our products, our spirit & moxie, our tradition, and the way we treat our community & beyond. We do it in a genuine way because we genuinely believe we’re a pretty amazing company.

The Opportunity

The Director of Fulfillment & 3PL Operations will lead the growth and transformation of the Company’s fulfillment and contract logistics business into a premier value-added services (VAS) partner. More than a traditional operations leadership role, this is a unique opportunity to build and shape the future of the Company’s fulfillment business. As a newly created position, the Director will have the opportunity to establish capabilities, design solutions, develop teams, and create a fulfillment platform that drives long-term growth and differentiates the Company in the marketplace. This role is responsible for building scalable 3PL operations that support warehousing, fulfillment, transportation coordination, e-commerce, kitting, rework, display building, variety packs, customer-specific packaging, and other value-added logistics solutions.

This leader will partner across Sales, Marketing, R&D, Customer Service, Manufacturing, IT, and Finance to design fulfillment solutions that attract new customers, expand wallet share, improve profitability, and strengthen the customer experience. The successful candidate will bring a strong background in 3PL, contract logistics, warehouse operations, solution design, continuous improvement, and technology-enabled fulfillment environments.

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for someone who thrives on building rather than maintaining. The successful candidate will scale operations, integrate systems, develop talent, and create operational capabilities that position the Company as a preferred partner for customers seeking best-in-class fulfillment, transportation, and value-added logistics services. For the right leader, this role offers a rare chance to build a best-in-class fulfillment organization, creating a strategic growth engine for the Company while leaving a lasting legacy on the business. The person who steps into this role won't simply inherit an operation, they will define it, shape it, and build the foundation for what the Company's fulfillment business can become for years to come.

Essential Duties

Strategic Growth & Solution Design

  • Develop and execute the long-term strategy for the Company’s fulfillment, 3PL, contract logistics, and value-added services business.
  • Partner with Sales and Customer Service to create customer-specific solution design proposals that support new business, customer retention, and revenue growth.
  • Identify opportunities to expand VAS capabilities, including kitting, assembly, rework, display building, variety packs, multipacks, retail compliance, and customer-specific packaging.
  • Build scalable processes, KPIs, and operating rhythms that support growth, profitability, and exceptional customer experience.

Fulfillment, Warehouse & Value-Added Operations

  • Lead all warehouse, fulfillment, and value-added services operations with an emphasis on safety, accuracy, productivity, service, and cost performance.
  • Oversee inbound receiving, inventory storage, warehouse optimization, replenishment, pick-and-pack, parcel, LTL, full pallet shipping, cross-docking, and outbound execution.
  • Drive labor management and workforce planning through staffing models, time studies, productivity standards, and performance visibility.
  • Ensure operational readiness for Amazon 1P, Amazon 3P, FBA, marketplace, omnichannel, direct-to-consumer, and retail compliance fulfillment requirements.

Systems, Transportation & Financial Performance

  • Partner with IT to implement and optimize WMS, Transportation Management System (TMS), EDI, ERP integration, and broader systems integration needed to support business growth.
  • Oversee transportation coordination, parcel, LTL, freight strategy, routing guide compliance, and domestic and international shipment support.
  • Monitor budgets, capital plans, labor productivity, warehouse costs, freight costs, margin performance, chargebacks, deductions, and cost per order fulfilled.
  • Communicate operational and pricing insights to Finance and Sales to ensure customer pricing reflects service requirements and margin goals.

Continuous Improvement, Quality & Leadership

  • Lead Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives that improve safety, service, quality, productivity, and profitability.
  • Maintain strong inventory accuracy, quality standards, food safety practices where applicable, and operational readiness for customer audits and compliance reviews.
  • Build, coach, and develop a high-performing operations leadership team while fostering a culture of accountability, teamwork, employee engagement, and customer-first execution.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
  • 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in warehousing, fulfillment, logistics, distribution, contract logistics, or 3PL operations.
  • Demonstrated success scaling fulfillment operations, value-added services, customer implementations, and multi-channel or omnichannel fulfillment programs.

Technical & Operational Expertise

  • Strong knowledge of WMS, TMS, EDI, ERP integration, systems integration, inventory management, transportation, warehouse optimization, and fulfillment technologies.
  • Experience with Amazon Vendor Central, Seller Central, FBA, marketplace fulfillment, retail compliance, chargebacks, deductions, customer routing guides, and parcel/LTL/freight operations preferred.
  • Working knowledge of Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, continuous improvement, labor management, workforce planning, KPI development, and operational performance dashboards.

Leadership Capabilities

  • Proven ability to lead organizational growth, operational transformation, cross-functional collaboration, and customer-facing solution design.
  • Strong financial, analytical, project management, communication, negotiation, and customer relationship skills.
  • Ability to develop leaders, build scalable systems, drive accountability, and champion a culture of safety, service, continuous improvement, and profitable growth.

Benefits

  • Holiday pay
  • Paid Time Off, with an additional day for your birthday!
  • Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance
  • FSA, Medical & Dependent Care
  • Short Term & Long Term Disability
  • Life Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • 401K with company match

*All hires are contingent on a clean background check and a successful drug test (UA), this means that a job offer is not final until both the background check and drug test results are satisfactory to the employer*

KLN Family Brands

About KLN Family Brands

KLN Family Brands is a company located in Perham, Minnesota that manufactures a diverse and expanding range of human and pet food products that adapt to customer preferences. Three manufacturing companies fall under the KLN Family Brands umbrella: Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Tuffy's Treat Company & Cannery, and Kenny’s Candy & Confections. Whether the products are intended for our families or pets, KLN Family Brands strives to make each and every product exceptional.

What’s in a name? “KLN” are the initials of former CEO Kenny Nelson, one of the founding members of the business. Kenny is the son of Tuffy’s Pet Foods founder, Tuffy Nelson, and the father of current KLN CEO, Charlie Nelson.

We believe that the history and success of KLN Family Brands is a direct result of our commitment to our employees and community. We have always believed that “family” is the most important part of the company’s name. Why? Because it’s family that speaks to who we are: a 3rd generation, family-owned company, producing quality brands & products for families by a team of dedicated employees in a family-friendly community.

Industry
Manufacturing & Production
Company Size
51-200 employees
Headquarters
Perham, Minnesota
Year Founded
1995
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