Food Science Jobs at Coles Australia
Looking for food science jobs that combine innovation, commercial impact, and real-world scale? This Product Technologist role at Coles Group offers an exceptional jobs opportunity for life science graduates and experienced professionals seeking meaningful Jobs in Australia. As part of Coles’ Own Brand portfolio, you’ll help deliver safe, high-quality products while building a rewarding career in one of the most trusted names in retail.
About the Company
Coles Group is one of Australia’s leading retailers and a top-30 ASX-listed company. With over a century of heritage, Coles supports local communities through innovation, sustainability, and quality food solutions. For professionals seeking food science jobs, Coles Group offers scale, stability, and career progression across multiple life science disciplines.
Job Details:
- Job Title: Product Technologist – Own Brand
- Category: Commercial & Merchandise
- Company: Coles Group
- Location: Hawthorn East, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Employment Type: Full-time
- Job ID: 178321
About the Team
From baby food to coffee blends, the Own Brand team brings passion and innovation to develop high-quality, great-value products across food and non-food categories for Coles customers.
About the Product Technologist Role
As a Product Technologist – Own Brand, you’ll play a critical role in shaping Coles’ Own Brand portfolio. This specialist position focuses on delivering products customers love by driving quality, safety, innovation, and value across diverse categories.
You’ll collaborate closely with suppliers, internal teams, and external stakeholders, ensuring products exceed customer expectations while meeting commercial and compliance requirements. This role suits a technically strong, commercially savvy product champion who thrives in a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop strategic product plans aligned to category and Own Brand objectives, covering taste, quality, range, and price
- Embed Own Brand initiatives into broader commercial planning to meet or exceed business case expectations
- Manage supplier relationships to deliver product launches, innovation, and continuous quality and safety improvements
- Act as the key interface for waste, loss, and product availability considerations
- Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, standards, codes, and internal policies
- Monitor, escalate, and manage product quality and food safety issues
Educational Requirements for Food Science Jobs
You are a technically skilled, commercially astute professional with a passion for customer-focused outcomes. You thrive in ambiguity, enjoy working at pace, build strong partnerships, and challenge the status quo to drive innovation. Experience across Grocery, Meat, Produce, Ready-to-Eat, Agronomy, or Agriculture is highly advantageous.
You’ll also ideally have:
- Tertiary qualification in Food Science, Microbiology, or a related field
- High-level expertise in processing technologies and traceability systems
- Significant industry experience in food, FMCG, manufacturing, retail, or compliance
- Strong technical knowledge of product development
- Proven experience managing suppliers, audits, investigations, and technical data
- Experience writing and delivering strategic product plans
- Experience working with legislation, internal policies, and safety controls
- A track record managing both international and small suppliers
- A current driver’s license
What’s in It for You
- Flexible working: Hybrid options to support work-life balance
- Office perks: Gym and fitness classes, free parking, BBQ area, mini-Coles supermarket, product sampling hub, and school holiday programs
- Team discounts: 5% discount year-round, plus periodic double discount offers
- Recognition: Digital recognition platform (mythanks) with redeemable rewards
- Learning & development: Career development programs and job-specific training
- Paid parental leave: For permanent team members
- Share plan: Opportunity to invest in Coles Group shares via salary sacrifice
