Assistant Category Manager – Food Services

Love discovering new food products, following the latest trends and understanding what makes a great food offering? This could be the perfect opportunity for you.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, organised and commercially minded Assistant Category Manager to join our growing Food Services team at LagardèreAWPL. - This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys the fast-paced world of food and hospitality but wants to take the next step into a commercial, buying or category management career.

Working across our Australian and New Zealand network, you will play a key role in developing and improving our Grab & Go category, while also supporting broader commercial projects and initiatives across our diverse portfolio of cafés, restaurants, bars and food concepts.

Reporting to the Commercial Strategy & Category Manager, you will play a key role in supporting the commercial performance, product development and day-to-day execution of our Grab & Go category across Australia and New Zealand, while also contributing to broader Food Services initiatives.

This is a varied and hands-on role where no two days are the same. From discovering new food trends and working with suppliers to analysing sales, developing product ranges and supporting new venue openings, you will have the opportunity to see your work come to life across our national network of cafés, restaurants and bars.

What You Will Do on a Day-to-Day Basis

• Product Development & Trends – Research, trial and introduce new food and beverage products, keeping our offerings fresh, competitive and relevant.
• Commercial Performance – Analyse sales, margins, product performance and customer trends to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
• Supplier Relationships – Work closely with suppliers on product sourcing, pricing, promotions and new product opportunities.
• Range Management & Execution – Coordinate product launches, range changes and promotional activities across our network of stores.
• New Venue Openings – Support exciting new Food Services openings, from product selection and supplier coordination through to operational readiness.
• Collaboration & Improvement – Work alongside Operations, Marketing and store teams to improve our customer offerings, simplify processes and drive better commercial outcomes.

We are looking for someone who is curious, organised, commercially aware and genuinely passionate about food and hospitality.

You don't necessarily need to have worked in category management before. We are equally interested in someone who has developed strong food and beverage knowledge through hospitality or retail operations and is ready to take their career in a new direction.

Ideally, you will bring:

• Experience in hospitality, foodservice, retail, buying, merchandising, category management or a similar commercial support role.
• A genuine interest in food, beverage, consumer trends and discovering new products.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities and deadlines.
• Confidence working with numbers, spreadsheets and reports, with good Microsoft Excel skills.
• A commercial mindset and an interest in understanding sales, pricing, margins and what makes products successful.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to build relationships with suppliers, store teams and internal stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and a proactive, solutions-focused approach to getting things done.
• A willingness to learn, ask questions, challenge existing ways of working and contribute new ideas.

Previous experience in buying, category management, supplier coordination or multi-site food and beverage operations would be an advantage but is not essential.

Above all, we are looking for someone with the right attitude, a genuine interest in food and a desire to build a successful career in the commercial side of hospitality.

If you love food, enjoy discovering new products and are looking for an opportunity to develop your commercial skills while being part of a growing hospitality business, we'd love to hear from you.

Advertised: 06 Nov 2026 AUS Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: 30 Nov 2026 AUS Eastern Daylight Time

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