Head of Hardware and Partnerships

About Kanpla

Kanpla helps contract catering providers create better dining experiences while reducing food waste. What began as a school project now serves more than 800,000 users across more than 5,000 locations in 14 countries.

With more than $10 million raised and a team of 70+ people, we are growing across Europe and building our presence in the US. A great hardware operation can either helps us scale faster or slow down growth, which is why we are creating this role now.

Who you will work with You will work closely with various departments, and extremely closely with the Executive team. You will partner with Product and Engineering to test, innovate and qualify devices and external products we use, and with Delivery, Sales, and Finance on forecasting, pricing, and launch planning. Externally, you will own our relationships with vendors, distributors, installers, and other key partners.

About the role

Every Kanpla launch depends on physical equipment. POS terminals, kitchen display screens, self-service kiosks, and digital signage must be specified, purchased, stored, configured, shipped, installed, and supported across several countries. When that operation works, customers go live on the date we promised. When it does not, the delay and friction are very visible.

As our first Head of Hardware and Partnerships, you will set Kanpla’s hardware strategy and own and be responsible for developing and establishing all key operational partnerships across our markets. You will build a scalable function from signed contract to live site, and give Kanpla a reliable view of demand, stock, cost, and supply risk.

What you will do

• Define and own Kanpla’s hardware and partnership strategy together with the Executive team.
• Own, develop, and establish all key operational partnerships across our markets, including vendors, distributors, installers, and field engineers.
• Set Kanpla’s recommended hardware range with Product and CS, based on customer needs, reliability, performance, and cost.
• Own hardware commercials, including terms, service levels, pricing, and margins.
• Make sure configured equipment reaches every customer site in time for launch, and build the processes and team to scale it.
• Forecast demand from the pipeline and set the inventory strategy, balancing launch readiness with working capital.
• Identify supply risks early, including single-source dependencies and end-of-life devices, and qualify alternatives before they are needed.
• Own shipping compliance for the UK and Ireland, the Nordics, DACH, Benelux, and the US, including new markets as we enter them.

What you will bring

There are different routes into this role. Strong candidates are likely to bring most of the following:

• Substantial experience in hardware operations, supply chain, procurement, or partner management, including in a strategic or leadership role.
• Hands-on experience with POS, payments, kiosk, self-service, digital signage, or closely related customer-site hardware. This is essential.
• A record of building strategic partnerships and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Practical knowledge of cross-border shipping, customs, duties, and Incoterms across multiple European markets.
• Technical confidence to assess specifications, and the commercial sense to link hardware decisions to margins and growth.
• Clear communication, comfort working with executives, and experience building teams.
• Fluent English and based in the EU

What we offer

• Ownership of a function that directly affects every customer launch and our expansion.
• The opportunity to shape Kanpla’s hardware and partnership strategy and build a team.
• Close collaboration with the Executive team and leaders across the company.
• A product that helps improve dining experiences.
• Competitive salary based on experience and real support for your professional growth.
• Remote-first working and two company off-sites or workcations each year.

Practical details

The role is remote and EU based, covering the UK and Ireland, the Nordics, DACH, Benelux, and our growing US business. Expect regular travel to partners and occasional customer-site visits.