Head of Inventory - Merchandise
Date: 30 May 2025
Location: Mulgrave, VIC, AU
Company: kmartaustr
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Brighter Futures Start Here
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We are an inclusive team who power two of the most iconic and loved brands, Kmart and Target. We have more than 50,000 passionate individuals across our stores, distribution centres, and offices around the globe.Â
With our brands touching the lives of almost two million customers every week, you’ll feel the impact of the work you’ll do every day. As a leader in the retail market, we’re optimistic about our future and yours. We’re changing at a rapid rate, giving you challenging work that you’ll be proud of.Â
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Join the team
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We're excited to offer a standout opportunity for an experienced leader to join Kmart Group as Head of Inventory. In this pivotal role, you'll report directly to our General Manager of Inventory & Planning and play a key part in shaping our inventory strategy across the business. As the Head of Inventory across Kmart and Target your primary purpose of this role is developing and delivering strategic initiatives associated with the Inventory Management team to ultimately improve our customers' shopping experience. Coaching and developing the leadership of the Inventory Team. Working collaboratively across functions and ensuring the delivery of key goals and deliverables of the Inventory Team.
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What you’ll be doing
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This is a leader-of-leaders role, overseeing a team of 40+ across merchandise inventory, demand planning, optimisation, and systems. You’ll work cross-functionally with Merchandise, Supply Chain, Store Operations, and Technology across both Australia and India to deliver results in a fast-paced, high-volume retail environment.
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As the Head of Inventory for Kmart Group you will:
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- Strategy Delivery: Implement key strategic initiatives related to inventory.
- Representation: Represent Inventory at relevant Steering Committees.
- Strategic Development: Involve in the development and creation of strategic initiatives for the Inventory Management function.
Other key responsibilities include (but not limited to):
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Advanced Supply Chain & Forecasting Expertise:
- Understand merchandise forecasting, replenishment, and inventory optimization.
- Familiarity with tools like Blue Yonder (D&F) is a strong advantage.
- Understanding of merchandise forecasting and replenishment concepts. Good Understanding of International and Domestic Supply Chains
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People Leadership & Culture Building:
- Coach, develop, and inspire high-performing teams.
- Foster a culture of accountability, feedback, and continuous improvement.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence:
- Work closely with stakeholders across Merchandise, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology, and other functions.
- Strong influencing, negotiating, and communication skills to align goals and prevent unintended consequences.
Executional Excellence in a Fast-Paced Retail Environment:
- Prioritize conflicting demands, manage large-scale projects, and deliver against challenging KPIs like availability, stockturn, and lost sales.
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To Be Successful in This Role You’ll Have:
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Proven Leadership in Inventory or Supply Chain at Scale:
- 7+ years in experience Retail or Supply Chain .
- Experience managing large inventory or supply chain teams in a high-volume retail environment.
- Track record of delivering measurable improvements in availability, stockturn, and cost efficiency.
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Strong Commercial and Strategic Acumen:
- Ability to translate inventory decisions into commercial outcomes.
- Understand how inventory impacts sales, margin, customer experience, and working capital.
Advanced Analytical and Systems Capability:
- Proficiency in inventory planning systems, forecasting models, and analytics platforms.
- Comfort with complex data and performance metrics.
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Exceptional Stakeholder Management and Communication:
- Influence, negotiate, and align across diverse teams and senior leadership.
- Handle high-pressure situations effectively.
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Cultural Fit and Leadership Style:
- Embody values such as Grow Together, Reach Higher, Live Integrity,
- Take Care, Think Customer.Build a high-performance, feedback-driven culture within the team.
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Are you ready to lead and innovate in a dynamic retail environment?
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Benefits we’ll offer you:
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- Flexible hybrid working options through our Flex Where, Flex When, Flex Well policy. Â
- A team member discount card that gives you a discount at Kmart, Target Officeworks and BunningsÂ
- Access to the Kmart for You benefits program which entitles you to exclusive discounts and benefits in the areas of entertainment, travel, lifestyle, and health – with over 60 suppliers! Â
- We want you to feel rewarded for your commitment and hard work that's why eligible team members get the opportunity to participate in a bonus programÂ
- We offer inclusive parental leave, and ongoing support offered though our partnership with Circle In for team members of all backgrounds and family circumstances Â
- A dynamic learning and support programÂ
- Opportunity to fast track your career through our Mentor Program as a Mentee or MentorÂ
- A Kudos recognition program, where you are nominated by your peers to spin a wheel, to win a stack of cool prizesÂ
- Great career opportunities across the broader Wesfarmers GroupÂ
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We celebrate the rich diversity of the communities in which we operate. We are committed to creating inclusive and safe environments where all our team members can contribute and succeed. We believe that all team members should feel valued, respected and safe, and strive to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and welcoming, with applications encouraged from all candidates.
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We encourage you to tell us about any workplace adjustments that you would like, by emailing kmartgroupcareers@kmart.com.au
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If you would like to explore a career with Kmart and this sounds like the perfect role for you – apply now!
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