Transformation Manager - Enablement - 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

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

As Transformation Manager for Enablement, reporting into the Senior Platform Manager for Transformation and Modernisation, your primary function will be to Lead the development and ongoing refinement of the transformation roadmap across data platforms, AI capabilities, and enterprise reporting, ensuring it reflects evolving business needs and technology trends.

Your main responsibilities will include the following but not be limited to the below: 

• Ensure roadmap alignment with enterprise strategy, business priorities, and technology architecture, integrating inputs from business units, IT, and leadership.
• Facilitate prioritisation of initiatives based on business impact, technical feasibility, risk profile, and organisational readiness.
• Work with stakeholders to define and track transformation value outcomes, including cost savings, operational efficiency, improved decision-making, and enhanced customer experience.
• Build and socialize business cases for transformation initiatives, including cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment, and ROI projections to secure executive sponsorship and funding.
• Collaborate with Finance, Strategy, and Architecture teams to ensure alignment, endorsement, and integration into broader enterprise planning cycles.
• Act as a strategic partner to business and technology stakeholders, ensuring clarity of purpose, shared ownership, and sustained commitment to transformation outcomes
• Ensure transparency and traceability of decisions, priorities, and outcomes, through structured governance forums, reporting frameworks, and stakeholder communications.
• Embed continuous improvement mechanisms into the roadmap, leveraging feedback loops, performance data, and lessons learned to refine priorities and accelerate value delivery.
• Develop and maintain a transformation roadmap dashboard, providing real-time visibility into progress, risks, dependencies, and business outcomes for executive stakeholders.

About you and your skills

• Proven years of progressive experience in enterprise technology, platform management, or IT transformation leadership roles.
• Led the creation and continuous refinement of enterprise-wide transformation roadmaps across data platforms, AI capabilities, and reporting ecosystems, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, enterprise architecture, and long-term business goals.
• Built and championed high-impact business cases for transformation initiatives, incorporating cost-benefit analysis, ROI modelling, risk assessments, and stakeholder endorsement to secure funding and executive sponsorship.
• Successfully influenced and engaged senior leaders across business, technology, finance, and strategy, driving shared ownership of transformation outcomes and embedding data-driven thinking into strategic planning.
• Established governance frameworks and executive reporting, ensuring transparency, traceability of decisions, and proactive escalation of risks and issues.
• Defined and tracked transformation success metrics, including adoption rates, data quality improvements, NPS, and business impact, using insights to refine delivery approaches and accelerate value realisation.
• Identified and managed cross-functional dependencies, resource requirements, and initiative sequencing to ensure realistic, achievable, and integrated transformation delivery plans.
• Acted as a strategic advisor to executives, translating complex technical initiatives into business outcomes and guiding investment decisions across data and AI domains.
• Directed and facilitated Quarterly Planning cycles, aligning cross-functional teams on transformation priorities, dependencies, and delivery commitments across business and technology domains

Skills and Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to influence, align, and collaborate with senior leaders, cross-functional teams, and external partners.
• Proficiency in building business cases, conducting cost-benefit analyses, and defining measurable value outcomes such as ROI, efficiency gains, and adoption metrics.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills with a business and technology mindset.
• Understanding of cloud platforms (Azure, Snowflake, Databricks), containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes), and automation tools (Terraform, Ansible).

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or related discipline. Advanced certifications in cloud platforms or transformation management are a plus.

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: 174716

Employment Type: Full time