Job Summary
As the Retail Program Lead, you will be responsible for delivering a coordinated pipeline of retail specific transformation initiatives that directly enhance in store execution and uplift the overall store environment. Working across the full spectrum of our central retail teams, you will translate our premium retail ambition and product strategy into practical, executable outcomes that improve the way our stores operate day to day.
About the role
You will lead programs and projects that uplift both new and existing store formats — ensuring that changes to customer‑facing experiences, merchandising execution, product presentation, retail technology, and physical store design are seamlessly integrated into frontline operations.
Your role is critical in ensuring every initiative is grounded in the realities of the shop floor while also driving consistency, operational excellence, and a step‑change in customer experience. Through effective planning, delivery oversight, and cross‑functional leadership, you will help accelerate our next‑generation store roadmap and enable a modern, high‑performing retail network.
Working across central retail teams, you will shape, plan, and deliver initiatives that modernise store formats, uplift the physical and operational environment, and ensure changes are seamlessly embedded into frontline routines. Through strong program leadership, cross‑functional coordination, and a deep understanding of store execution, you will turn strategic intent into consistent, high‑quality retail outcomes that support our next‑generation store roadmap and long‑term growth.
As a driven, experienced, and hands-on Retail Program Lead, you will:
Lead the end‑to‑end delivery of retail‑specific transformation initiatives across new and existing store formats, ensuring they uplift in‑store execution and enhance the customer experience.
Develop and maintain robust project plans, schedules, budgets, risk registers, and quality frameworks to ensure disciplined and consistent project delivery
Partner with Store Experience, Retail Operations, and frontline leaders to ensure initiatives are trialled, validated, and embedded in ways that improve ease of execution on the shop floor.
Identify impacts to store rhythms, staffing, merchandising processes, technology usage, and customer flows — ensuring change is designed for real‑world retail conditions.
Work across all central retail teams — including Retail Design, Marketing, Category & Product, Technology, and Store Development — to ensure program alignment and seamless execution in stores.
Prepare and present program updates, risks, decisions and prioritisation recommendations to key governance forums, including the Retail Change Forum.
About you
What you need to succeed:
Demonstrated experience-based qualifications in retail project delivery, store development, or retail transformation, ideally with exposure to delivering category innovation at scale, new store formats, upgrades, or multi‑site retail project rollouts.
Formal training or accreditation in retail design, space planning, or visual merchandising is advantageous, given the role's requirement to understand layout optimisation, customer flow, merchandising principles, and in‑store execution.
Qualifications or coursework in retail marketing or customer experience design beneficial for connecting retail strategy with in‑store execution and brand expression.
Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline such as Project Management, Retail Design, Retail Construction, or Business. These backgrounds reflect the technical and spatial literacy required to deliver complex retail environments.
Professional project management certification (highly desirable) demonstrating capability in structured end‑to‑end delivery of large‑scale programs.
Demonstrated capability working within construction, property, or retail development environments, including knowledge of compliance, design documentation, vendor management, and operational readiness processes.
Strong proficiency with project management tools and frameworks, including scheduling, budgeting, risk management, and benefits tracking methodologies relevant to retail environment programs.
If this opportunity sounds like a perfect fit for you, we encourage you to apply!
We fully embrace flexibility and choice at Telstra, and it is as unique as you. We believe every role can flex in some way and encourage you to work where, when, and how you are most engaged, safe, and productive. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you!
We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce in all its forms. We encourage applicants from diverse gender, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and applicants who may be living with a disability.
To learn more about how we support our people, including accessibility adjustments we can provide you through the recruitment process, visit tel.st/thrive.