Agile Portfolio Manager - Hawthorn East

We've been trusted to serve Aussie communities since 1914 and grown to become a top 30-listed on the ASX with 120,000 team members and a portfolio of iconic brands. At Coles Group, you'll not only get to make a difference to millions of Aussie lives—you'll also get to see your impact.

About the team

As the way we shop continues to evolve, our Data Team keeps us at the cutting edge. Driven by our innovative, inclusive, and forward-thinking culture, we’re constantly looking at ways to reinvent the shopping experience for our customers and build the next generation of digital retailing. 

The Data Team within the broader Coles Technology Team focuses on building data collection and analytics capabilities to uncover customer, product, and operational insights. Providing data driven support to our users and enabling Coles to be a data driven organisation.

About the role

For this exciting position within our Data and Intelligence team, we are seeking a strategic leader to drive the annual corporate planning process and shape the Data and AI roadmap in partnership with Group Product Managers and Product teams. In this high-impact role, you'll oversee quarterly and rolling planning cycles across the Data & AI portfolio, ensuring initiatives remain tightly aligned with business priorities and long-term objectives.

Working closely with the Head of Data & AI Product, you'll align funding and squad resourcing to meet corporate goals, while leading financial governance to ensure accurate reporting, forecast adherence, and achievement of recoverability targets. If you're ready to shape the future of Data & AI at scale—this is your opportunity to lead.

To be successful in this role, you will aim for the below: 

Portfolio Planning & Prioritisation

• Facilitate the annual corporate planning process and the Data and AI roadmap with Group Product Managers and Product teams.
• Oversee the quarterly and rolling planning cycles across the Data & AI portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and business priorities.
• Maintain a Data and AI portfolio-level view of initiatives, capacity and dependencies to optimise delivery flow.

Agile Delivery Management & Enablement

• Guide and mentor iteration managers in applying agile practices to maximise value delivery and maintain predictability.
• Monitor delivery performance using relevant metrics (e.g., velocity, cycle time, throughput) and identify opportunities to improve flow across domains.
• Ensures adherence with any requirements from the Coles Technology Delivery Framework in agile and delivery practices.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Act as a key liaison between Data & AI product teams, business stakeholders and the broader Technology function, including facilitation of reporting into board, QBR, technology delivery and other deliverables.
• Produce clear, concise and insightful portfolio reporting for leadership and stakeholders.
• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration across domains, ensuring alignment on priorities and dependencies.

Continuous Improvement & Capability Uplift

• Drive maturity in agile portfolio management practices across the Data & AI function.
• Coach teams and leaders on agile mindset, principles and delivery disciplines at both the team and portfolio level.
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance delivery efficiency, transparency and cohesion.

Experience required

• Proven experience as an Iteration Manager, Agile Delivery Lead, Release Train Engineer or Portfolio Manager in a complex enterprise environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing delivery across multiple agile teams and product streams.
• Strong understanding of agile portfolio management, scaling frameworks and agile delivery practices.
• Experience facilitating cross-team planning and coordinating delivery in a multi-domain environment.
• Background in Data, AI, or Technology delivery environments (desirable).
• Track record of working effectively with senior stakeholders and influencing decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate competing priorities and deliver in ambiguous or changing environments.

Commercial Skills and Formal Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Business / Commerce or related fields (or equivalent work experience).
• Deep knowledge of agile delivery frameworks, practices and tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, portfolio management tooling).
• Strong facilitation and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple moving parts simultaneously.
• Strong analytical skills for interpreting delivery data, identifying trends and informing decisions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt style for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management abilities.
• Agile-related certifications (e.g., SAFe LPM, ICP-APM, CSM, PMI-ACP) highly desirable.
• Ability to coach, mentor and uplift agile capability across teams and leadership groups.

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 hot deals 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 inclusionrecruitment@coles.com.au

Job ID: 166051 

Employment Type: Full time 

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