Head of Distribution

Head Of DC – Avalon

Retail is in our DNA and at Cotton On, we believe every part of our business plays a role in delivering an exceptional customer experience.
Our Avalon DC is where the scale of our business comes to life. It's our largest global distribution centre - 50,000 sqm, 1,000 team members, and the critical link between our product and our customers across 700 stores and 8 brands.
As Head of Distribution, you'll take ownership of strategy, performance and leadership of this high-impact, fast-moving operation. You'll ensure we deliver 80 million units annually with the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and care, all while building a culture that reflects our values and curiosity to do things better.
This role exists due to an internal promotion, a reflection of how we invest in and back our people. Now, we're looking for a new leader to take Avalon into its next phase of growth and excellence.

Your Role in Our Future:

Strategic Ownership

• Shape and lead the long-term vision for our Australian DC, aligned with business priorities and customer needs.

• Guide transformation initiatives from mechanisation to cost optimisation, designed to improve service and performance across the board.

• Collaborate closely with internal partners and use your understanding for retail, customer expectations, and product flows to shape smarter, more agile operations.

Operational Leadership at Scale

• Oversee complex, high-volume distribution across multiple brands and channels.

• Maintain industry-leading performance in safety, delivery, and cost-to-serve, while always pushing for what's next.

• Manage and optimise warehouse, transport and fulfilment operations that directly impact customer experience.

Lead a Diverse and Dynamic Team

• Inspire and support a workforce of over 1,000 team members across day, night and weekend shifts.

• Foster a people-first culture built on inclusion, learning and accountability.

• Champion safety, wellbeing and development ensuring every team member feels respected and supported.

Partner Across the Business

• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders to anticipate needs and deliver effective solutions.

• Manage external partnerships with carriers and service providers to ensure seamless, cost-effective operations.

What You Bring:

• Extensive senior leadership experience in distribution, logistics or supply chain—ideally in a retail or FMCG setting

• Confidence navigating large, complex, high-volume operations

• A strong understanding of systems (WMS/TMS), commercial levers, and continuous improvement frameworks

• A natural leadership style that balances clarity with compassion—you know how to bring people with you

• High emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and the ability to lead teams that reflect real diversity

• Clear decision-making, a hands-on mindset, and a desire to keep growing and evolving

OUR CULTURE

To describe COTTON:ON in six words is easy; optimistic, passionate, real, energetic, collaborative and, most importantly, ethical.
Our team members are a passionate group of people, committed to making a real difference in people's lives through our philanthropic arm, the Cotton On Foundation. It is our shared belief that we can make a difference to lives of everyone we touch, from our backyard to the world

BENEFITS

We are committed to personal and professional development, which is supported by an ever growing and expanding structure. We believe our people deserve the best space to their best work and to support this we provide:

50% team member discount off all brands (excl. Ceres Life which is 30% off)
Flexible working – enabling you to find the right working rhythm to be at your best.
Competitive salary packaging – ensuring we are constantly benchmarking to industry.
On-site concierge, let us help you get your life sorted with dry cleaning, car wash and more.
An Employee Assistance Program for you and your family.
Returning from maternity leave (or primary carer parental leave)? Work part-time and get paid full-time for 2 months, all part of supporting you during your transition back to work.
Team mingle celebrations, speaker's series, surprise and delight moments – the magic happens when we get together.

At Cotton On, we are focused on building a culture centred in belonging, and we are committed to creating workplaces where each individual can show up as their whole self, having an equal opportunity to succeed with us.

We are proud of our diverse global workforce of 20,000 team members from countless nationalities, and we strongly welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply with us.

We are focused on bringing more voices, experiences and backgrounds to our workforce as we drive diverse and inclusive outcomes for our team and our customers.

If you have any individual needs in order to fully participate in the recruitment process, please contact us at *********** so we may support you in completing the job application process.