Senior Transformation Manager - Hawthorn East

We’ve been proudly serving Australian communities since 1914 and have grown to become a top 30-listed company on the ASX with a portfolio of iconic homegrown brands. At the heart of our continued success is over 115,000 team members working across the country, all contributing to bringing our customers smiles. You’ll not only get to see your work make a difference, you’ll be part of a team working together to help Australians eat and live better every day.

About the team

Central Operations keeps our business moving. Our team supports, coaches, and empowers our retail teams across the country. We help them be at their best, so they can deliver the best experiences for our team members and customers every day.

About the role

An exciting opportunity for a Senior Transformation Manager - AI has eventuated within our Store Operations Team.

We are seeking an individual who will support design and delivery of workforce, labour and operating-model transformation initiatives across the network. Translate workforce planning insights and operating model guardrails into practical design and trial requirement as well as identify operational implications, risk points and adoption barriers across stores and states. Finally, assist in preparing end-state recommendations, transition paths and change impacts.

Key responsibilities of this role will include but not be limited to:

• Support capability uplift programs and leadership routines required for new workforce models
• Contribute to adoption, readiness and sustainment planning, ensuring new ways of working embed consistently
• Contribute workforce requirements into the Operations Tech & Data plan and product roadmaps
• Support pilots, testing and feedback loops across digital workforce tools, guided tasks and workflow simplification solutions
• Provide inputs into portfolio roadmap development, sequencing and prioritisation decisions
• Support governance routines, including risk/issue management, interlocks and initiative progress tracking
• Support alignment between Workforce Planning, P&C, Technology, Operations and Finance on workforce transformation initiatives
• Assess operational impacts and support planning for offsets, sequencing and BAU load
• Accountable for individual and team compliance with company values, policies and procedures (incl Coles Code of Conduct) and all applicable external laws and regulations
• Maintain effective governance in all areas of responsibility, including ensuring team compliance, training, and development needs are met

About you and your skills

• Experience supporting multi-site transformation or operational change in a retail environment
• Engaging, advising and influencing senior business stakeholders to gain buy-in and bring ideas to fruition, while managing their expectations and conflicting perspectives  
• Using data and research to identify issues and opportunities, create hypotheses and recommend solutions, including bringing an external perspective and applying it to the organisation's context and agenda  
• Navigating ambiguity and connecting diverse ideas to create clarity within project planning and for other people

Commercial Skills

• Functional Expertise: Strong understanding of retail operations, customer and commercial levers, and digital‑enablement concepts
• Commercial Acumen: Ability to assess value creation, cost‑to‑serve impacts, trade‑offs and commercial outcomes
• Business Partnering: Skilled at collaboration across Digital, Customer, Commercial and Operations
• Systems Thinking: Ability to see how changes in operating model, digital tools and customer propositions interrelate
• Change Leadership: Ability to drive cross‑functional adoption, sequencing, readiness and sustained change

We're looking for someone who can identify and shape practical AI opportunities across the business. The role will focus on understanding business problems, assessing where AI can create value, translating opportunities into clear use cases and partnering with data, AI and technology teams to move solutions from concept into delivery. This is not a technical AI development role, and it is not primarily a change management role. The ideal candidate will be business led, commercially sharp and comfortable working across operational and technology environments to turn AI potential into practical, deployable business solutions.

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: 188524

Employment Type: Fixed Term

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