Strategy Lead - Customer Experience - Hawthorn East

Coles Group; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Gym facility

Free parking

BBQ area

Mini-Coles supermarket

Fooderie hub

School holiday program

Employee discounts

MyThanks recognition platform

Learning and development

Paid parental leave

Coles Group share plan

Job summary

Coles Group is seeking a Strategy Lead for Customer Experience in Hawthorn East to shape and advance the CX strategy across the business. You will align initiatives with corporate planning, and translate complex insights into actionable investment and transformation priorities.

You will partner with General Managers and senior leaders to structure ambiguous problems, deliver focused strategy engagements, and drive executive-ready recommendations for value creation across customers and operations.

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, customer strategy, digital strategy or a related strategic role.
• Proven ability to structure complex or ambiguous questions and translate analysis into practical options and recommendations.
• Experience leading short, focused strategy engagements and partnering closely with General Managers or senior executives.
• Strong commercial and analytical capability, including experience with corporate planning, strategic prioritisation and business cases.
• Exceptional written communication skills, with experience developing concise Board, executive and senior leadership materials.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build alignment across complex, cross-functional environments.
• Experience facilitating strategic workshops and senior leadership discussions.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and evolution of the Customer Experience strategy at Coles.
• Drive CX inputs to corporate planning and investment decisions.
• Partner with General Managers and senior leaders on priority choices and outcomes.
• Translate analysis into clear options, recommendations and implications for transformation.
• Build alignment across CX, Strategy, Finance, Technology and Operations.

Skills

Strategy leadership

Stakeholder alignment

Executive communication

Workshop facilitation

Commercial analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Business case development

Job description

Strategy Lead - Customer Experience - Hawthorn East

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

As one of the biggest brands in Australia, we connect with millions of Australians each week. Whether it’s connecting our customers with relevant content through digital innovation, omni-channel storytelling or impactful advertising that reaches 98% of Australians, our Marketing team play an important role in driving our brand forward, helping Australians eat and live better every day.

About the role

As CX Strategy Lead, you’ll lead the development and evolution of the Customer Experience strategy at Coles. You’ll lead CX inputs to corporate planning and lead targeted strategic deep dives, partnering with General Managers and senior leaders on priority choices. You’ll bring structure to ambiguous problems, integrate customer, commercial, operational and market insights, and translate analysis into clear choices, recommendations and implications for investment and transformation.

You’ll establish oversight of how effectively the CX strategy is being delivered, connecting strategic priorities with investment, capacity, delivery confidence and realised value. Working across Customer Experience, Group Strategy, Finance, Technology, Operations, Product and Commercial, you’ll build alignment, enable timely decisions and shape clear executive and Board-level narratives on strategic direction, choices and progress.

About you and your skills

• 7+ years’ experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, customer strategy, digital strategy or a related strategic role
• Proven ability to structure complex or ambiguous questions and translate analysis into practical options and recommendations
• Experience leading short, focused strategy engagements and partnering closely with General Managers or senior executives
• Strong commercial and analytical capability, including experience with corporate planning, strategic prioritisation and business cases
• Exceptional written communication skills, with experience developing concise Board, executive and senior leadership materials
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build alignment across complex, cross-functional environments
• Experience facilitating strategic workshops and senior leadership discussions
• Retail, customer, digital or consumer strategy experience will be highly regarded

Please note applications close on Sunday 15th, November 2026.

#LI-EC1

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]