Lead Product Developer - Fresh Produce Hawthorn East

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 Commercial team is a large, but a close-knit group of trading experts, who are ready to shape the future of Coles. We pride ourselves on the long-lasting supplier relationships we build, the new ideas we develop and how passionately we work to help Australian eat and live better every day. And the best part? We’re all so different. We bring diversity of thought, backgrounds, and experience to every Business Unit across Coles Supermarkets and Liquor.

About the role

Reporting to the Head of Own Brand - Fresh Produce, you will plan, develop, and deliver world-class innovative Own Brand products to enhance our customer offering. This is a Product Development Leadership role which oversees Nuts & Dried Fruit and Floral. Responsibilities include leading the team of product developers, assisting the Head of Own Brand in developing and evolving a customer-centric strategy for the Fresh Produce portfolio in collaboration with the category and CoE teams, and making sure that strong plans are in place to deliver the OB strategy. 

You'll also:

• Lead the team through Category planning to ensure strong cross-functional alignment behind the strategy
• Constantly prioritise the development pipeline with a dynamic alignment of resources, and clearly articulate choices which are being made to the team to ensure everyone involved in the delivery is taken on the journey
• Deliver Own Brand product plans, with an emphasis on consistent quality, range, efficacy, and price including cost of goods.
• Management of existing ranges with respect to quality, benchmarking enabling consistent growth
• Deliver against the New Product Development (NPD) process from ideation to commercialisation and ensure products are launched right, on time and in full
• Incorporate new strategic initiatives such as B2B, E-commerce and range platforms into the development plan
• Establish Health and Sustainability initiatives in line with the Central and Business Unit strategies 

About you and your skills

In this role you will have a genuine impact in the work you will do and will require the following skills:  

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with a collaborative 'solution-focused' mindset
• Strong commercial acumen and a strategic mindset
• Demonstrated leadership skills, with a passion for growing and nurturing talent
• Experience in a Product Development, Commercial or similar Leadership role within a fast-paced retail, or FMCG environment
• Well-rounded product development and innovation skills, including range architecture, product trends and insights
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, systems, and standards; with a strong knowledge of safety and quality management systems

Please note this is a 12-month maternity leave cover.

#LI-ZH1

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: 156361

Employment Type: Fixed Term