Platform Manager

We've been trusted to serve Aussie communities since 1914 and grown to become a top 30-listed on the ASX with 120,000 team members and a portfolio of iconic brands. At Coles Group, you'll not only get to make a difference to millions of Aussie lives—you'll also get to see your impact.

About the team

Technology is the backbone of our business. Every day, our teams solve complex problems, the solutions help thousands of our fellow team members succeed and makes millions of customers’ lives easier.

About the role

This role of a Platform Manager for Application Engineering is a leadership role within the Coles Technology Services and Commercial function. Reporting into the Head of Quality Engineering and Site Services, the primary function of this role will be to s trategically aligning Coles’ suite of modern applications as they move from current state to the future state, drive standardisation of application engineering/development, operate and run as well as to maintain the platforms and drive self-service for platform consumers.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Accountable to build, enhance and maintain the Application Platform as a foundation for supporting business applications.
• You will act as the accountable platform owner for its products and services within the Application Platform.  You will provide necessary direction and support for “what” the squads are building.
• You will have accountability of multiple engagements / project delivery requirements for Application Platform
• You will support as necessary the technical direction and aspects of product engineering across the squads.
• You will act as a service custodian of the technology products/assets your platform will own, build and run
• You will be accountable the overall cost centre budget and accountable project initiative approved funding
• You will be accountable for multiple squads of technologists that will collaborate to deliver projects/products that are aligned with Coles business objectives.
• Articulate and communicate the platform vision, strategy and roadmap to stakeholders
• Run beta and pilot programs with early-stage products and samples
• Drive facilitation of user experience sessions with stakeholders
• Partner closely with other platform and engineering team, understanding current and future platform features and being able to impart the business value of these to downstream digital and business teams
• Engagement with a wide variety of customers
• Builds trust with key stakeholders
• Ensures stakeholders are current with the status and roadmap of the platform through proactive advocacy
• Ensure Coles platform is available to all authorised team members and partners
• Protect and enhance Coles’ reputation with customers, stakeholders, regulators and media
• Accountable for personal and team compliance with internal company policies, procedures and codes, e.g., Code of Conduct, and all applicable external laws, regulations, standards and industry codes e.g., Fair trading Laws
• Commitment to the corporate and or relevant Brand/ Retail Support Compliance Program
• Integration of compliance requirements into team performance reviews
• Able to influence a broad and diverse set of external stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to effect change
• Demonstrate self-autonomy and ‘self-starting’
• Ability to communicate effectively to all levels under pressure
• Demonstrate ‘customer first’ values representing Coles Digital
• Apply focus on meaningful results and outcomes.
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate and impart leadership qualities which are reflective of Coles team vision and values
• Demonstrate ownership of agendas and work activities

About you and your skills

• Proven years’ of IT experience in a senior managerial position, as a Digital/Product/Engineering Manager of digital products in an agile environment.
• Experience in delivering large programs of work in platform/application engineering space, managing application development platform products, including operations support.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing large scale domain services in a hybrid cloud environment using domain driven design principles (DDD).
• Demonstrated experience with Azure, Terraform, Kubernetes, Springboot/Node/Kotlin, RESTful APIs, Postgres, Redis, GitOps
• Demonstrated managing services on Full Lifecycle API Management suites (e.g., Azure API Management, Apigee, Google API Gateway, Axway, Kong),
• Experience in managing administering SaaS based applications
• Experience with Google Cloud platform is a plus
• Demonstrated experience in multiple deployment models – on-prem, vendor hosted, VM, containerized, serverless
• Good understanding of security controls including PII and PCI obligations
• Advanced understanding of all aspects of the technology’s broader operational environment (i.e., processes, procedures, associated toolsets, DevOps/Automation, operating systems, etc.)
• Proven track record in managing multiple concurrent projects, people management and leading large teams of 50+
• Proven capabilities in vendor, partner and stakeholder relationship management including the negotiation, management of outsource agreements, statement-of-works, licensing and maintenance requirements and delivery to agreed service levels.
• Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and tracking of actual expenditure; and maintaining accuracy between planned v/s actual.
• Excellent analytical and problem resolution skills
• Demonstrated success defining & launching high quality and business critical products & services, in a complex enterprise production environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to influence and persuade outcomes / direction
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority
• Experience managing relationships with senior leaders and stakeholders
• Excellent analytical and problem resolution skills

Commercial Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Market knowledge and experience in the delivery and management of retail and technology solutions
• Agile Product/Service/Project management skills
• Financial and risk management skills
• Stakeholder management skills

You will be a seasoned professional in Technology with expertise ideally across Cloud and Application Engineering platforms.

Pivotal to this role will be your ability to manage large teams, suppliers, and partners across key platforms in a complex enterprise type environment, overseeing multiple end-to-end project ownerships from inception to operations, and engaging with senior stakeholder groups and leadership teams.

In turn, we offer you a great place to work and a fun-filled, flexible culture at Coles. You’ll have access to a range of exclusive benefits and programs that support, reward, and inspire team members.  Some of these include:

• Discounts and weekly special deals across all our external brands – Coles, Coles Express, Coles Liquor and Coles Online
• Free parking, mini-Coles and food hub at our Store Support Centre in Hawthorn East
• Sampling of new products before they’ve hit the shelves
• Gym, BBQ and Children’s holiday club - all onsite
• Team Member Share Plan

Take your next step into something bigger,