Woolworths

• Permanent opportunity based in Christchurch

• An exciting opportunity to join our incredible FreshChoice Commercial team as a key strategic leader

• A passion for relationship building and making a difference in our stores and for our customers will take you far  

We are Woolworths Group | Ko Woolworths Tātou 

We are Woolworths Group. 200,000+ bright minds, passionate hearts, and unique perspectives across Australia and New Zealand.  Connected by a shared Purpose - 'to create better experiences together for a better tomorrow'.  That Purpose fuels our ambition to explore new ideas, make brave commitments, and innovate better ways to meet the food and everyday needs of more than 24 million customers every week.    

If you're excited to turn today's blue-sky thinking into a better tomorrow for future generations, you'll find yourself supported and enriched in a dynamic, inclusive, and empowering workplace.  With a culture of genuine care, a flexible approach to work, and opportunities across the group to grow your career and make a meaningful impact, the possibilities for what we can achieve together are endless.

What you’ll do | Hei mahi

As a Category Manager, you will take the lead on the end-to-end buying and merchandising processes for a complex and highly strategic portfolio of products. You will be responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and curating the product range WDL offers, ensuring it meets customer needs while driving long-term category strategy and business growth.

What you'll do:

• Lead Complex Merchandising: Oversee the selection, allocation, and specification of a broad product range, translating buying and selling patterns into impactful activities that meet the business's merchandise needs.

• Drive Category Strategy & Budgets: Develop long-term strategic plans and manage area budgets, utilising a deep understanding of market trends, product availability, and customer preferences.

• Source & Negotiate: Identify new vendors and lead high-level negotiations to procure challenging or strategic products on mutually beneficial terms that align with company policies.

• Ensure Seamless Execution: Collaborate closely across internal teams to guarantee efficient, on-time product delivery while proactively managing vendor relationships and resolving supply issues.

• Lead & Empower Your Team: Foster a high-performing environment through goal setting, coaching, and performance management, acting as a strong role model for company values and leadership behaviours.

What you’ll bring | Hei mahi

• Strategic Commercial Acumen: Proven ability to leverage qualitative and quantitative data to uncover trends, optimise business results, mitigate risk, and confidently lead impactful buying and merchandising strategies.

• Inspiring Leadership & People Development: A strong track record of setting high standards, coaching and developing talent, and driving exceptional team engagement while fostering a collaborative, winning culture.

• Exceptional Stakeholder Influence: Extensive experience building trusted partnerships, managing change, and driving collaboration within a complex matrix organisation, alongside the ability to effectively represent the Woolworths brand externally.

• Courageous Innovation & Agility: A bold, fast-moving approach to problem-solving with the proven ability to adapt to complex or challenging business environments, take calculated risks, and champion new ideas.

• Customer Obsession & Values Alignment: Deep alignment with Woolworths’ core values, bringing a genuine passion for understanding the customer, a highly competitive spirit, and a commitment to always doing the right thing.

What you’ll experience | Ngā Huanga

Our Team Members are at the heart of everything we do and we’re always looking for ways to support your career journey and reward great work:

• A commitment to flexibility through a hybrid working model which combines time spent at a support office or hub and time working from home, supporting both in-person connection and balancing the flexibility that remote working provides for our teams

• High-impact role supporting our teams who enrich our communities. 

• A global business with endless career possibilities around every corner and across every discipline – with valuable exposure to a vast and exciting business network.

• A range of programs to help you prioritise and manage your wellbeing, including 24/7 access to the Sonder app.

• A progressive and competitive leave policy that gives you more space for what matters to you.  

• Team discounts across our range of Woolworths Group brands you know and love and a robust rewards program that celebrates and incentivises purpose-driven work.

Everyone belongs at Woolworths Group | No Woolworths tātou

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are key to realising our purpose of better together for a better tomorrow. We recognise the value our team’s diversity brings to our business, customers, and communities and that teams with diverse experiences and backgrounds enrich our group and are better able to innovate and solve problems. As one of the largest employers in Australia and New Zealand, we aim to create a truly inclusive workplace where everyone feels that they belong, can be their best selves, and reach their full potential.

We encourage all candidates to apply; please let us know in your application if we can support you with any adjustments in the hiring process.