Category Buying Manager, White Wine

We’ve been trusted to serve Aussie communities since 1914 and grown to become a top 30-listed on the ASX with over 115,000 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

Our Coles Liquor team work across three leading brands (Liquorland, First Choice Liquor Market and Vintage Cellars), each with their own unique offering and customer base. With a network of more than 930 stores and ultra-convenient online sites, delivering on our commitment to provide accessible drink solutions for every occasion.

About the role

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for liquor and a knack for driving commercial success? Coles Liquor is seeking a dynamic Category Buying Manager to lead the development and execution of our customer offering across all channels. This is your opportunity to shape category strategy, build strong supplier partnerships, and lead a high-performing team in a fast-paced retail environment.

You’ll also:

• Drive the Commercial Agenda: Own the end-to-end execution of the customer offer, from pricing and brand to supply and cost
• Lead Category Strategy: Develop and implement a customer-centric category vision that grows market share and drives profitable sales
• Build Supplier Relationships: Negotiate and collaborate with suppliers to deliver growth-focused, simplified trading terms
• Operational Excellence: Manage promotional programs, product master data, and ensure seamless execution across stores
• Team Leadership: Coach and develop talent, creating career pathways aligned with our “Win Together” priority
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Store Operations to deliver results

About you and your skills

We’re seeking a commercially astute category manager with experience managing supplier relationships at scale, who brings a customer-first mindset and a data-led approach to decision-making. The ideal candidate will be a strong mentor and people leader, capable of developing a small team (including a graduate), and will possess excellent negotiation and influencing skills. While liquor trading experience is not essential, the ability to make sound commercial decisions based on data is critical.

You’ll also have:

• Proven experience in a similar buying or category management role
• Proven success in product strategy, innovation, and strategic project delivery
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of merchandise functions
• Excellent negotiation skills and knowledge of trading terms
• Passion for liquor and experience in liquor retail (preferred)
• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline
• RSA certification

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 hotdeals 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: 165894

Employment Type: Full time

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