Assistant Category Manager - FreshChoice

Cartology; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Team discounts across Woolworths Group

Robust rewards program

Wellbeing programs including SonderApp

Job summary

Woolworths Group in Christchurch is seeking an Assistant Category Manager to support the Category Manager in delivering customer-focused ranges and value. You will drive category performance, manage promotions, and build supplier relationships to enhance sales and market share.

The role features a hybrid working model, flexibility across offices and stores, and opportunities to grow within a global food retail group.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing large SKU counts and ranges.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Proficient in Excel and Google Workspace.
• Customer-focused with excellent communication.

Responsibilities

• Drive category performance with deep market knowledge and insights.
• Collaborate with the Category Manager to optimise product ranges.
• Deliver and manage a promotional program to grow sales and profit.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers and support franchise owners.
• Work with the team to align plans with broader business strategy.

Skills

Relationship building

Negotiation

Commercial acumen

Product range management

Promotional execution

Organization

Agility

Customer focus

Tools

Excel

Google Workspace

Job description

• Permanent opportunity based in Christchurch
• An exciting opportunity to join our incredible FreshChoice Commercial team
• A passion for relationship building and making a difference in our stores and for our customers will take you far

We are Woolworths Group | Ko Woolworths Tātou

We are Woolworths Group. 200,000+ bright minds, passionate hearts, and unique perspectives across Australia and New Zealand. Connected by a shared Purpose - 'to create better experiences together for a better tomorrow'. That Purpose fuels our ambition to explore new ideas, make brave commitments, and innovate better ways to meet the food and everyday needs of more than 24 million customers every week.

If you're excited to turn today's blue-sky thinking into a better tomorrow for future generations, you'll find yourself supported and enriched in a dynamic, inclusive, and empowering workplace. With a culture of genuine care, a flexible approach to work, and opportunities across the group to grow your career and make a meaningful impact, the possibilities for what we can achieve together are endless.

What you’ll do | Hei mahi

The Assistant Category Manager is to assist the Category Manager to deliver a range that is better for customers, simple to execute and enhances the customer perception of our value, quality & range. By doing so, delivering to target and sales, profit, market share & voice of customer objectives. The primary role of the ACM is to run an effective Promotional Program that delivers our sales, profit and market share results.

• Drive Category Performance: Take accountability for the sales and profitability of your category by maintaining deep expertise in market share, competitor activity, customer insights, and industry trends.
• Optimise Product Ranging: Partner with the Category Manager to deliver tailored, customer-focused product ranges, taking the lead on merchandising and product development for categories less reliant on promotions.
• Manage Promotional Strategy: Deliver a competitive and sustainable promotional program, taking full ownership of planning, negotiation, and execution for promotion-heavy categories.
• Build Stakeholder Relationships: Foster collaborative, positive relationships with suppliers to drive strategic planning, while actively supporting franchise owners with their vendor and supplier queries.
• Collaborate and Align: Work seamlessly with your Category Manager and Category Assistant to execute team goals, ensuring all your plans align with the broader business strategy.

What you’ll bring | Hei mahi

• Relationship Building & Negotiation: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills to effectively manage large suppliers, influence key stakeholders, and negotiate strong outcomes.
• Commercial Acumen & Range Management: Strong financial understanding and technical proficiency (Excel and Google Workspace), backed by proven experience managing complex product ranges and large SKU counts.
• Promotional Execution: A demonstrated ability to seamlessly manage and execute diverse promotional activities, including front-end displays, PDQs, and stunt spaces.
• Agility & Organisation: Exceptional organisational skills to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously, combined with a collaborative mindset and the flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions.
• Customer-Centric Focus: A deep passion for delivering value to the customer, supported by excellent verbal and written communication skills that foster positive connections across the business.

What you’ll experience | Ngā Huanga

• A commitment to flexibility through a hybrid working model which combines time spent at a support office or hub and time working from home, supporting both in-person connection and balancing the flexibility that remote working provides for our teams
• High-impact role supporting our teams who enrich our communities.
• A global business with endless career possibilities around every corner and across every discipline - with valuable exposure to a vast and exciting business network.
• A range of programs to help you prioritise and manage your wellbeing, including 24/7 access to the Sonder app.
• A progressive and competitive leave policy that gives you more space for what matters to you.
• Team discounts across our range of Woolworths Group brands you know and love and a robust rewards program that celebrates and incentivises purpose-driven work.

Everyone belongs at Woolworths Group | No Woolworths tātou

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are key to realising our purpose of better together for a better tomorrow. We recognise the value our team’s diversity brings to our business, customers, and communities and that teams with diverse experiences and backgrounds enrich our group and are better able to innovate and solve problems. As one of the largest employers in Australia and New Zealand, we aim to create a truly inclusive workplace where everyone feels that they belong, can be their best selves, and reach their full potential.

We encourage all candidates to apply; please let us know in your application if we can support you with any adjustments in the hiring process.