Operations 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 Australians shop continues to evolve, our Data and AI Team keep Coles at the forefront of modern retail. We combine data, artificial intelligence, and applied engineering to reimagine how our stores, supply chain, and digital channels operate — creating smarter, more connected, and seamless experiences for our customers and team members.

Operating as a centralised development and enablement function within Coles Technology, the team unites product, engineering, and platform capabilities to deliver the intelligence layer of the enterprise. We serve every part of Coles — from computer vision applications that enhance in-store experiences and reduce loss, to forecasting, optimisation, and decision-support solutions that drive efficiency, accuracy, and agility across our supply chain, retail operations, and corporate functions.

The scale and impact of this work are significant. Coles serves millions of customers each week across more than a thousand stores nationwide, and our AI and data capabilities provide the intelligence that underpins how we plan, move, sell, and serve. By combining deep data capability with applied AI and modern engineering, we’re enabling Coles to become a truly AI-enabled enterprise, transforming how we operate and how Australia shops every day.

About the role

For this exciting position within our Data and Artificial Intelligence team, we are seeking an experienced individual to lead and manage Operations engineers, DevOps engineers, and vendor resources responsible for maintaining the health and performance of Data and AI/ML platforms.

You will oversee vendor relationships, including contract management, performance monitoring, and integration of third-party services to enhance platform operations.

Working closely with the Senior Platform Manager – SREs & Support, your main responsibilities will include the following but not be limited to the below:

• Ensure timely incident detection, response, and resolution by coordinating operational and engineering teams.
• Drive continuous automation initiatives to improve deployment pipelines, infrastructure management, and monitoring systems.
• Collaborate with SRE, platform engineering, and security teams to ensure compliance with governance, security, and operational standards.
• Manage capacity planning, resource allocation, and performance tuning to maintain platform reliability and scalability.
• Establish and track operational KPIs, SLAs, and reporting metrics to provide transparency and drive continuous improvement.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing, training, and process documentation within the operations team.
• Support change management and release processes to minimize operational risk and downtime.
• Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities within platform operations.

Leadership

• Provide strong leadership, coaching, and development for operations and DevOps engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration.
• Build effective partnerships across internal teams and external vendors to ensure aligned objectives and high-quality service delivery.
• Lead operational planning and execution, ensuring teams meet or exceed performance and availability targets.
• Drive a culture of continuous learning and operational excellence within the team.
• Mentor team members to develop their technical skills, operational expertise, and career growth.
• Promote best practices in incident management, automation, and DevOps methodologies.
• Act as a liaison between vendors, engineering teams, and senior management to ensure smooth communication and alignment.

Experience required

• Proven years of experience in IT operations, platform support, or DevOps engineering roles, with at least three years in a leadership position.
• Proven experience managing technical operations teams supporting Data, AI, or ML platforms.
• Strong background in vendor management, including coordinating third-party service delivery and contract oversight.
• Hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure (Azure, Snowflake, Databricks), DevOps tooling, and monitoring systems
• Solid understanding of incident management, capacity planning, automation, and platform reliability principles.
• Experience collaborating with SRE, engineering, and security teams to deliver robust operational support.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Commercial Skills and Formal Qualifications

• Technical expertise in cloud platforms, infrastructure automation, DevOps practices, and monitoring tools.
• Leadership and team management capabilities, with a focus on operational excellence.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to manage vendor relationships and contract performance.
• Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field.
• Relevant certifications (Azure, DevOps, ITIL) are preferred.

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: 166079 

Employment Type: Full time 

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