Group Product Manager - Commercial - 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

This exciting position within our Data and Intelligence team will be pivotal in defining and leading the long-term strategy for Coles’ Data and AI product portfolio, ensuring alignment with enterprise vision, evolving customer needs, and commercial imperatives. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of data-driven innovation across the domain, positioning Coles at the forefront of AI-enabled transformation.

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

Domain Product Strategy and Direction 

• Define and drive the long-term strategy for the domain’s Data and AI product portfolio, ensuring alignment with enterprise vision, customer needs, and commercial objectives.
• This role will drive innovation in data utilisation, advanced analytics, automation, machine learning and AI (including generative AI and agentic AI) to deliver measurable value across their domain. Ensuring Coles maintains a competitive advantage in a market with AI driven disruption.
• Lead Data and AI product discovery and strategic planning across the suite, identifying new opportunities, sunsetting underperforming products, and evolving the product mix as needed.

Product Leadership 

• Oversee a team of Product Managers and Associate Product Managers, ensuring cohesive management of the full product suite across all lifecycle stages.
• Ensure a high standard of product practices across the portfolio, including user research, roadmap development, prioritisation, release planning, and benefits realisation.
• Maintain a clear line of sight across product performance, adoption, and risk, intervening or reallocating resources as needed.

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Act as a strategic partner to senior business and technology stakeholders, influencing priorities, communicating vision, and aligning roadmaps for Data and AI Products. This includes General Managers, Head Ofs and Program Managers within domain. Be able to participate in strategy development sessions with influence.
• Partner with the business to make Buy, Build and Partner decisions for AI solutions.
• Translate complex technical or delivery information into clear business context to support prioritisation and decision-making.

Product Operations and Governance

• Actively and visibly champion cross-functional ways of working that integrate product, delivery, design, technology and Data and AI engineering.
• Take ownership of the Data and AI product suite including defining value metrics and monitoring product success.
• Lead in-house multidisciplinary teams to deliver value incrementally, applying agile product management principles such as iterative delivery, continuous feedback loops, and backlog prioritisation (balancing new development, enhancement, stability, tech debt remediation and support needs).

Experience required

• Proven experience as a Group Product Manager, Head of Product or equivalent in large scale enterprise setting, with specific experience in developing AI products
• Strong domain experience in data science, machine learning, generative AI. Agentic AI systems experience preferred. 
• Familiarity with MLOps, LLMOps and continuous model monitoring frameworks.
• Proven success owning the strategy and direction of a large suite of products, ideally in a fast-paced, complex or matrixed environment.
• Track record of leading product managers and influencing multi-disciplinary teams, including design, engineering, and operations.
• Experience using customer insight, data, and commercial outcomes to shape product decisions and prioritisation.
• Deep understanding of agile and product lifecycle methodologies, and how to scale product management in large organisations.
• Involved in defining product success metrics and monitoring product success
• Strong ability to deliver and execute on agreed delivery plans, prioritise development requirements and manage output to critical milestones 
• Proven track record of building strong relationships with multiple business stakeholders and teams, including c-suite communication and engagement.

Commercial Skills and Formal Qualifications

• Proven years in product management with at least four years in AI/data products.
• Vision setting and long-term roadmap creation for AI/data portfolios. Driving enterprise-wide AI adoption strategies, including generative and agentic AI.
• Ability to translate emerging AI capabilities into domain specific value cases, identify marketplace opportunities and discover the most appropriate way to capitalise on emerging AI capabilities.
• Awareness of the competitive landscape of emerging business models reshaping the retail industry, with demonstrated expertise in emerging AI technology, including Agentic and Generative AI, providing the ability to identify opportunities, challenges, and competitive threats from these emerging technologies and how they might impact retail.
• Understanding of the full Technology Lifecycle, including both software and AI/data science development cycles, with key stages and responsibilities, technologies, vendors, and roles.

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: 166050 

Employment Type: Full time