Merchandise Operations Specialist

Woolworths Group; New Plymouth; On-site; NZD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Team discounts

Sonder support

Global career opportunities

Job summary

Woolworths Group in New Zealand invites applications for an operations leadership role focused on delivering excellence in daily processes, safety standards, and product presentation. You will lead a small team, develop staff, and drive improvements while acting as a store leader on scheduled shifts.

The role emphasizes collaboration across functions, adherence to guidelines, and a proactive, energetic approach to a busy retail environment with a strong customer focus.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to drive process improvements and learning.
• Strong collaboration with multiple functions and stakeholders.
• Proven experience in leading teams and coaching colleagues.
• Knowledge of compliance within the function and clear communication of standards.
• Demonstrates values-aligned behaviour and adaptability.
• Ability to work four weekend shifts per month and at least one evening per week.

Responsibilities

• Lead Operational Excellence: ensure timely routines, food safety/SF5 compliance, and production standards for fresh items.
• Drive Visual Merchandising: manage displays, promotions, facings, markdowns, and removal of outdated products.
• Champion Team Development: guide swarm in task completion, train and coach, foster safe work environment.
• Proactively Resolve Issues: escalate health checks and continuously implement improvements.
• Provide Store-Wide Leadership: act as Store Manager on scheduled shifts and support collaboration initiatives.

Skills

Process Excellence

Collaborative Partnerships

Team Leadership

Compliance Communication

Values Alignment

Weekend Shifts Availability

Job description

Roster option 1

Start dayEnd dayStart timeEnd timeMondayMonday8:30 AM5:00 PM

Roster option 2

Start dayEnd dayStart timeEnd timeTuesdayThursday6:30 AM3:00 PM

Roster option 3

Start dayEnd dayStart timeEnd timeSundaySunday2:00 PM10:30 PM

• Manage and maintain process flow for an assigned workstream.
• Collaborate closely with your Team Leader and 'swarm' to ensure efficiency.
• Ensure uninterrupted process completion and strict adherence to established guidelines.

Working with Woolworths Supermarkets New Zealand | Te Mahi ki Woolworths Supermarkets New Zealand

With over 185 stores and 20,000 team members across Aotearoa, we've made it our mission to make Kiwi lives a little better every day.

We're friendly, down-to-earth, and energetic - we work hard but we have a great time doing it, and we love what we do. There is plenty of scope for new ideas, lots of room for you to add value, and importantly, you'll be working with a business that touches the lives of three million New Zealanders a week.

We embrace diversity of thought and love to take on challenges with a pragmatic and innovative approach. Our culture thrives on mutual respect, care, curiosity, openness, and a proactive attitude. We continually seek ways to pair, collaborate, support, and learn from each other as a team!

What you'll do | Hei mahi

• Lead Operational Excellence: Ensure accurate and timely completion of routines, maintain food safety/SF5 compliance, and oversee production standards for fresh items.
• Drive Visual Merchandising: Lead product presentation, ensuring best quality availability, high standards for displays (off-locations, promotions), facings, markdowns, and out-of-date product removal.
• Champion Team Development: Lead your "swarm" in correct task completion, provide crucial on-job training and coaching, and actively foster a safe and healthy work environment.
• Proactively Resolve Issues: Timely elevate process issues to the Function Lead and conduct health checks to continuously identify and implement functional improvements.
• Provide Store-Wide Leadership: Step up as Acting Store Manager on scheduled shifts and actively participate in "Better Together" initiatives to boost team collaboration.

What you’ll bring | Hei koha

• Process Excellence & Learning: You demonstrate a strong ability in process excellence and a commitment to continuous learning.
• Collaborative Partnerships: You excel at building and maintaining collaborative partnerships with other functions and stakeholders.
• Effective Team Leadership: You effectively lead teams, delegating tasks, monitoring progress, coaching, providing feedback, and motivating members.
• Compliance Expertise & Communication: You are an expert in compliance within your function and possess exceptional communication skills to clearly articulate tasks and standards.
• Values-Aligned Behavior: Your actions consistently align with company values.
• The ability to work four weekend shifts per month and at least one evening each week.

What you'll experience | Ngā Huanga

• 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.
• Access to Sonder. Sonder provides free confidential 24/7 personalised financial, medical safety, psychological or physical support for team members and their families.
• A global business with endless career possibilities around every corner and across every discipline – with valuable exposure to a vast and exciting business network.

Endless possibilities with Woolworths Group | Ko Woolworths Tātou

We're a proud part of the Woolworths Group – 200,000+ bright minds, passionate hearts and unique perspectives working together connected by a shared Purpose – to create better experiences together for a better tomorrow.

Here you’ll be supported and empowered 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. Backed by a culture of genuine care, a flexible approach to work and the support to grow your career and make a meaningful impact, the possibilities for what we can achieve together are endless.

Everyone belongs Woolworths Group | No Woolworths tātou

We believe that 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, our customers and our communities, and that teams with diverse experiences and background 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 self and reach their full potential.

Discover more opportunities with Woolworths Group