Assistant Category Manager - Baby Care

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Coles Group is seeking an Assistant Category Manager: Baby in Melbourne to join the Health & Home, baby team. This full-time onsite role owns end-to-end promotional trade planning, forecasting, range reviews and layout, while building supplier partnerships and managing category data and systems to drive growth. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated category management or merchandise experience in retail, strong influencing and negotiation skills, strategic thinking, change leadership and a customer-first commercial acumen. Tips for applying: tailor your resume to show end-to-end accountability, quantify impact and highlight supplier wins and data systems; reference Job ID 179230. Applications close Feb 23 2026. Coles offers flexible hybrid options, discounts and inclusive recruitment.

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

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

The Health & Home, baby team is a high performing group within Commercial. Their focus is on delivering outstanding outcomes for our customers by accelerating growth in products that deliver exceptional value.    

As an Assistant Category Manager – Baby, you will manage the end-to-end promotional trade plan and work closely with suppliers to uplift our product ranges for our customers!

You'll also: 
•    Have end to end accountability, managing forecasting and range reviews.  

•    Manage the collection, in-put, and maintenance of all category data, including promotional systems, data systems and new lines. 
•    Deliver against the overall category strategy. 
•    Execute the category’s pricing, promotion, range selection and layout development. 

•    Develop strong supplier relationships to effectively partner and execute goals. 

About you and your skills

In this role you will be able to utilise your experience to develop and implement a market leading plan across this portfolio. A successful candidate will be highly engaged and passionate about the role.

You will also have:  

•    Demonstrated Category Management and/or Merchandise experience within a retail environment.
•    Outstanding influencing, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills. 
•    Strategic thinking with the ability to operate in a dynamic, customer-driven retail environment.  

•    Proven ability to champion and drive change, the ability to generate new and meaningful ideas and drive continuous improvement. 
•    Strong commercial acumen  
•    Customer first approach  

Please note that applications will close on Monday February 23rd, 2026.

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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 [email protected]

Job ID: 179230

Employment Type: Full time