Category Development Manager

Woolworths Group; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Woolworths Group in New Zealand and Australia is seeking a Senior Commercial professional to lead pricing, promotions, and buying strategy from Auckland or Sydney. You will partner with Merchandise Trading to drive commercial outcomes and strategic alignment across categories.

You will translate high‑level initiatives into actionable growth plans, coach category teams, and deliver end‑to‑end performance improvements through data analytics and strong stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Experience in category management or merchandise trading within retail.
• Ability to translate data into commercial strategy.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication.
• Experience in fast-paced retail environments.
• Collaborative leadership and cross-functional partnering.

Responsibilities

• Provide commercial leadership in pricing, promotions, and buying strategy.
• Drive end-to-end performance optimisation across categories.
• Collaborate with Merchandise, Analytics, and Commercial teams.
• Translate strategic initiatives into actionable growth.
• Coach and mentor category teams.

Skills

Category management

Merchandise trading

Commercial analytics

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

Excel

Power BI

SQL

Job description

• Senior Commercial role based in either Auckland or Sydney
• Strategic and Partnering Focus
• Attractive Salary Package on offer

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.

About the Role | Mō te Tūranga

Partnering with Merchandise Trading, you will provide commercial leadership in pricing, promotions, buying strategy, and commercial optimisation. Reporting to the Head of Commercial & Customer Value, you will drive strategic alignment and empower category teams with the tools and insights to elevate performance. Acting as a bridge between strategy and execution, you will translate high-level initiatives into actionable growth and measurable outcomes.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Strategic & Commercial Partner: Act as the primary commercial advisor for trade departments, aligning activities with Woolworths NZ’s broader strategic and financial goals.
• Performance Optimisation: Drive pricing and promotional performance by delivering actionable insights and managing end-to-end commercial outcomes during category and range reviews.
• Program & Governance: Champion the implementation of commercial tools and frameworks while ensuring strict adherence to targets, guardrails, and compliance processes.
• Collaboration & Facilitation: Partner across Merchandise, Analytics, and Commercial teams to drive growth, while organising forums to facilitate engagement with the Merchandise Leadership team.
• Capability Building: Coach and upskill category teams to effectively execute commercial strategies, adopt new tools, and embed improved ways of working.
• Operational Support: Manage cost recovery opportunities and provide strategic, ad-hoc support to the Head of Commercial & Customer Value.

About You | Mou

To be successful in this role, you will bring a blend of retail commercial acumen, analytical curiosity, and exceptional relationship building skills.

Ideally, You Will Have

• Demonstrated experience within category management, merchandise trading, or commercial analytics, ideally gained within a fast paced retail environment.
• A strong foundation in, and passion for, data and analytics, with a proven ability to translate complex data into practical commercial strategies.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with a natural ability to build credibility and influence across a matrixed organisation.
• A collaborative mindset, thriving in environments where you can coach, mentor, and upskill others to adopt new tools and processes.
• Resilience and adaptability, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver end to end results that drive financial success.

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.