Category Development Manager -Commercial

Woolworths Group; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Woolworths Group is seeking a Category Development Manager in Auckland to lead pricing, promotions, buying strategy and commercial optimisation. Reporting to the Head of Commercial & Customer Value, you will translate high-level initiatives into actionable growth and measurable outcomes.

You will partner with Merchandise Trading, Analytics, and Commercial teams to drive performance, coach category teams, and ensure compliance with targets and governance.

Qualifications

• Experience in category management, merchandise trading or commercial analytics in retail.
• Strong data analytics ability to translate data into practical commercial strategies.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Collaborative mindset with coaching and upskilling capabilities.
• Resilience and adaptability to manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Category management

Merchandise trading

Commercial analytics

Data analytics

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Coaching & mentoring

Adaptability

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Category Development Manager -Commercial

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.

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.