Category Buyer - Vegetables - Hawthorn East

The Coles Group; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Gym facility and fitness classes

Free parking

Discounts: 5% year-round (10% during‑b

Company share plan and bonuses

Job summary

The Coles Group in Melbourne invites applications for a Category Buyer in Vegetables. You will support the Senior Category Manager and State Buyers, helping to deliver strategic plans, manage financials, and support stores nationwide to achieve targets with a customer focus.

Travel with growers across Australia; this parental leave cover extends through to September 2027, and we offer hybrid working options to support work-life balance for a diverse team focused on helping Australians eat and

Qualifications

• Category buyer and/or merchandising experience in a retail environment.
• Outstanding influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strategic thinking with ability to operate in a dynamic, customer-driven retail environment.
• Proven ability to champion and drive change and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Work with growers and suppliers to develop a high standard of quality, service and mutual benefits to Coles and the suppliers.
• Build and deliver seasonal commitments by product with growers/suppliers.
• Ensure amazing store availability - coordinating with state-based buyers and suppliers.
• Determine the most effective promotional offer that delivers our commercial objectives.
• Maintain a customer focus whilst problem solving and managing supply across the nation.

Skills

Category buyer

Merchandise experience

Negotiation

Stakeholder mgmt

Strategic thinking

Customer focus

Job description

We’ve been proudly serving Australian communities since 1914 and have grown to become a top 30-listed company on the ASX with a portfolio of iconic homegrown brands. At the heart of our continued success is over 115,000 team members working across the country, all contributing to bringing our customers smiles. You’ll not only get to see your work make a difference, you’ll be part of a team working together to help Australians eat and live better every day.

About The Team

Our Commercial team is a large, but a close-knit group of trading experts, who are ready to shape the future of Coles. We pride ourselves on the long-lasting supplier relationships we build, the new ideas we develop and how passionately we work to help Australian eat and live better every day. And the best part? We’re all so different. We bring diversity of thought, backgrounds, and experience to every Business Unit across Coles Supermarkets and Liquor.

About The Role

As a Category Buyer for our Vegetables team, you will aid and support the Senior Category Manager, State Buyers, stores and suppliers.
This exciting role will see you deliver strategic plans, manage financials and decision making to provide support with the National and State teams in-order to provide stores with the ability to achieve and exceed targets with a customer focus.
You’ll also

• Work and negotiate with growers and suppliers to develop a high standard of quality, service and mutual benefits to both Coles and the suppliers
• Build and deliver seasonal commitments by product with growers/suppliers
• Ensure amazing store availability - working with state-based buyers and suppliers to deliver this
• Determine the most effective promotional offer that delivers our commercial objectives
• Maintain a customer focus whilst problem solving and managing supply across the nation
• Travel within Australia, visiting the countries best growers

About You And Your Skills

In this role you will be able to utilise your experience in understanding market share gaps and helping to develop and implement a market leading plan across this portfolio. Well-developed stakeholder management skills will be key to the success of this role.
You’ll also

• Demonstrated Category buyer and/or Merchandise experience within a retail environment
• Outstanding influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills
• Strategic thinking with the ability to operate in a dynamic, customer-driven retail environment
• Proven ability to champion and drive change and continuous improvement
• Strong commercial acumen
• Customer first approach

Please note this is a parental leave cover through to September 2027.
What’s in it for you?

• Flexible working options We know that work is only one part of your life, so we actively encourage a positive work-life balance and provide hybrid working options to help you achieve it.
• Office perks Take advantage of our gym facility and fitness classes, free parking, BBQ area, mini-Coles supermarket, fooderie hub where you can sample new products before they hit the shelves, school holiday program and so much more when you come in.
• Discounts Eligible team members receive 5% discount all year round on your Supermarket and Liquor online and in-store purchases. We also offer additional periods of double discount (10%) at various times throughout the year. As well as hotdeals exclusive to team members that translate into additional savings.
• Reward through recognition Give and receive recognition, linked to our Coles values, through our digital recognition platform ‘mythanks’. You can accumulate points to redeem in the online shop for exciting gifts and electronic gift cards from an extensive range of retailers.
• Opportunities for learning and development No matter where you start within our diverse business, you’ll have experiences, exposure, and education to satisfy you. Discover and explore a variety of career development programs and job-specific training.
• Paid parental leave We understand how important your life outside work is and offer permanent team members paid parental leave to support you in balancing work and family.
• Investment in your future Our annual team member share plan offer allows eligible team members to make regular pre-tax salary sacrifice deductions to purchase Coles Group shares.

About The Recruitment Process

We’re continuing to build a gender equitable team, and a culture that is just as diverse, inclusive and welcoming as the communities we serve. We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe and respectful for our team. We encourage applications from people of all ages, cultures (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples), abilities, sexual orientation and gender identities.
We’re happy to adjust our recruitment process to support candidates with disability. For further information and additional contact details visit the ‘Our Recruitment Process’ section of our careers site or email [e-mail]
Job ID 197625
Employment Type Full time