Commercial Development Manager

Coles Group Pty Ltd; Australia; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options (Hybrid)

Gym facility

Free parking

BBQ area

Mini-Coles supermarket

Ferie hub sample products

School holiday program

Discounts for team members

Job summary

Coles Group Pty Ltd is seeking a commercially astute and strategically minded Commercial Development Manager to join our Supplier Management team in Australia. You will drive supplier engagement, execute segmentation strategies, and lead initiatives to improve cost of goods and supplier collaboration outcomes.

You will partner with senior stakeholders across Merchandise, Supply Chain and Operations to identify opportunities and embed innovative ways of working that deliver sustainable value

Qualifications

• Commercial experience within retail, FMCG, supply chain or related industries.
• Category management experience, directly or indirectly.
• Knowledge of retail operations, replenishment processes and business systems.
• Project management qualifications or equivalent practical experience.
• Consulting or large-scale project delivery experience.
• Experience delivering strategic transformation or business change initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic supplier collaboration initiatives and commercial programs.
• Build and manage supplier business plans, joint business plans and trade plans.
• Identify and deliver COGS improvement opportunities across supplier categories.
• Develop project business cases, plans, governance frameworks and risk mitigation strategies.
• Manage supplier negotiations and support category planning processes.
• Track, measure and report on project milestones, benefits and KPIs.
• Drive change management activities to ensure successful implementation of strategic initiatives.
• Deliver presentations and project updates to senior leadership teams.

Skills

Analytical capability

Influencing skills

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation

Commercial acumen

Category management

Retail/FMCG knowledge

Project management

End-to-end project delivery

Opportunity identification

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

We're seeking a commercially astute and strategically minded Commercial Development Manager to join our Supplier Management team and play a key role in driving supplier engagement, commercial excellence, and business transformation initiatives.

In this highly visible role, you'll partner with senior stakeholders across Merchandise, Supply Chain and Operations to identify opportunities, lead supplier collaboration strategies, deliver commercial benefits, and embed innovative ways of working that drive sustainable value across the business.

As the Commercial Development Manager, you will lead the development and execution of supplier engagement and segmentation strategies while identifying opportunities to improve cost of goods, operational efficiency and supplier collaboration outcomes.

You will work cross-functionally to manage strategic initiatives from concept through to implementation, building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, influencing outcomes, and ensuring business benefits are realised.

You’ll also:

• Lead strategic supplier collaboration initiatives and commercial programs.
• Build and manage supplier business plans, joint business plans and trade plans.
• Identify and deliver COGS improvement opportunities across supplier categories.
• Develop project business cases, plans, governance frameworks and risk mitigation strategies.
• Manage supplier negotiations and support category planning processes.
• Track, measure and report on project milestones, benefits and key performance indicators.
• Drive change management activities to ensure successful implementation of strategic initiatives.
• Deliver presentations and project updates to senior leadership teams.

About you and your skills

We're seeking a commercially minded relationship builder who thrives in complex stakeholder environments and is passionate about driving strategic change. You'll combine strong analytical capability with exceptional influencing skills, allowing you to identify opportunities, build business cases and deliver measurable commercial outcomes.

You'll be equally comfortable working at a strategic level while maintaining strong attention to detail and execution.

You’ll also ideally have:

• Commercial experience within retail, FMCG, supply chain or related industries.
• Category management experience, either directly or indirectly.
• Knowledge of retail operations, replenishment processes and business systems.
• Project management qualifications or equivalent practical experience.
• Consulting or large-scale project delivery experience.
• Demonstrated experience in end-to-end project management.
• Experience delivering strategic transformation or business change initiatives.
• Experience delivering margin improvement, cost reduction or COGS initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing capabilities.
• Strong negotiation and commercial acumen.
• Proven ability to identify and commercialise new opportunities.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and identify actionable insights.

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]