Platform Manager - Data & AI - 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

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

We are currently recruiting for a Platform Manager – AI/ML who will Lead the design, development, and delivery of AI platform capabilities focused on Generative AI, LLMs, and agentic systems, including model access layers, orchestration frameworks, prompt management, and tool integrations.

Key responsibilities of the role will include:

• Drive the development of scalable, secure, and governed AI services that enable teams to build and deploy AI-powered applications and agents.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and business teams to translate use cases into reusable AI platform capabilities and patterns.
• Establish and enforce best practices for AI governance, prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, and responsible AI usage.
• Build and evolve agent orchestration, tool integration layers, and model routing/gateway capabilities across multiple providers.

About you and your skills

• Proven years in software/platform engineering, AI/ML, or related fields, with 3+ years in leadership roles.
• Experience working with LLMs, GenAI platforms, or AI-driven applications in enterprise environments.
• Strong understanding of:
• LLM ecosystems (Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, etc.)
• Prompt engineering & evaluation techniques
• Agent frameworks and orchestration patterns
• API design, microservices, and platform engineering
• Experience with model integration, API gateways, and distributed systems.
• Familiarity with AI governance, responsible AI, and risk management frameworks.
• Experience managing cost, usage, and performance of AI services at scale.

Qualifications

• Expertise in AI platform architecture, GenAI patterns, and scalable service design.
• Strong understanding of agentic workflows, tool integration, and orchestration layers.
• Ability to balance innovation with governance, control, and enterprise requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to translate evolving AI capabilities into practical, enterprise-ready solutions.

Education

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field.
• Relevant certifications in cloud platforms, AI/ML engineering, or DevOps are a plus.

We are ideally seeking an experienced Platform Manager to drive the strategy, engineering, and operational excellence of scalable AI/ML platforms that enable teams to efficiently and securely build, deploy, and govern AI solutions, supported by strong people leadership and stakeholder management capabilities.

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: 166720

Employment Type: Full time