Category Strategy Manager (12 Month FTC)

About the role

Kmart and Target are looking for an experienced Category Strategy Manager to join their team on a 12-month fixed-term contract. The role owns the end-to-end category strategy, combining customer understanding, commercial thinking and marketing expertise to set short, medium and long-term direction and turn insight into actionable strategies that drive growth.

Key responsibilities

• Own and develop 6-month, 12-month, 3-year and always-on category marketing strategies based on customer insights and business objectives.
• Act as the category customer and marketing expert, building a point of view across audiences, channel performance, category dynamics and the competitive landscape.
• Translate category strategy into marketing and communications plans for each brand.
• Partner with Merchandise to shape joint strategies and priorities across growth, maintenance and decline categories.
• Use customer insights, performance data and trading insights to spot category gaps, changing customer behaviour and commercial opportunities.
• Lead in-year optimisation of category marketing activity across channels, messages, assets and audiences, recommending course corrections.
• Develop briefs for communications teams, agencies and internal creative teams with clear objectives, key messages and measures of success.

Required profile

• 10+ years of marketing and communications experience, ideally in retail, FMCG or other major brands.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing or a related business discipline.
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic category marketing plans that deliver incremental and sustained commercial growth.
• Experience delivering measurable, scalable commercial impact through marketing plans.

Required skills

• Strong business and commercial acumen, translating customer and business insights into communications strategies.
• Influencing, negotiation and decision-making skills, managing complex internal and external stakeholder relationships.
• Planning, organisational and project management capability.
• Collaborative approach, balancing long-term strategy with fast-moving in-year opportunities.

What we offer

• Flexible hybrid working through the Flex Where, Flex When, Flex Well policy.
• Team member discount card at Kmart, Target, Officeworks and Bunnings.
• Brighter Benefits program with discounts and benefits from over 60 suppliers.
• Eligible team members can join a bonus program.
• Inclusive parental leave and support through a partnership with Circle In.
• Learning and support program, and a Mentor Program as mentee or mentor.
• Kudos recognition program and career opportunities across the Wesfarmers Group.