Why this role exists
The Category Assistant Lead is accountable for the performance, capability and service delivery of a centralised pool of Category Assistants supporting assigned category portfolios. The role ensures core category processes, including product onboarding, product data maintenance, range administration, promotions, pricing and rebates, are completed accurately, consistently and within agreed service levels.
The role combines people leadership with direct involvement in category support. It works alongside the team on complex or priority activity, steps into delivery when additional support is required and uses day-to-day work to build capability, reinforce standards and resolve issues.
The role provides a clear link between Category Assistant teams and Merchandise stakeholders. It balances portfolio continuity with shared business priorities, manages service expectations and works with the Systems and Reporting Team Lead to improve the systems, processes and data that support category execution.

Where you will make a difference
In this role you will:
Centralised Support and Portfolio Delivery
Lead the delivery of category support across assigned portfolios through the centralised Category Assistant team.
Work alongside the team on priority and complex activity and undertake category support work directly where additional capacity, judgement or experience is required.
Manage team workload, portfolio coverage and delivery priorities while balancing leadership responsibilities with hands-on contribution.
Monitor the quality and timeliness of work, intervening where delivery is at risk and supporting the team during workload peaks, planned absences and major commercial activity.
Resolve competing requests and escalate material capacity constraints, commercial decisions or control risks through the appropriate channels.
Process Execution, Quality and Control
Oversee and contribute to the accurate execution of product onboarding, product data, range, promotional, pricing, rebate and supplier administration.
Support resolutions of complex transactions and exceptions, working with team members to resolve issues and reinforce expected standards.
Ensure approved category decisions are accurately reflected across relevant systems, processes and customer channels.
Maintain consistent processes and controls, including appropriate approvals and records for material product, pricing, rebate and supplier activities.
Monitor data quality, transaction accuracy and rework, addressing recurring issues and providing hands-on support where standards are not met.
Stakeholder Partnership and Continuous Improvement
Act as the primary service contact for Merchandise leaders across the supported portfolios.




Agree priorities and delivery expectations with Category Managers and Merchandise Planners while maintaining clear commercial decision rights.
Work alongside category stakeholders and Category Assistants to resolve operational issues and support major launches, seasonal events and range changes.
Provide clear visibility of team capacity, work in progress, service risks and material dependencies.
Use operational insights and team feedback to identify recurring issues and opportunities to simplify work, improve controls or reduce manual effort.
Partner with the Systems and Reporting Team Lead to prioritise improvement needs and contribute operational expertise to process analysis, solution design, testing and user validation.
Lead the adoption of approved improvements within the Category Assistant team through practical coaching, communication, training and performance follow-up.
People Leadership
Lead, coach and develop Category Assistants to deliver accurate, timely and consistent category support.
Build capability through work reviews, demonstrations and shared problem-solving, using day-to-day delivery as a practical coaching opportunity.
Set clear expectations and accountabilities and provide regular feedback on individual and team performance.
Build cross-portfolio knowledge and team coverage across core category processes and supporting systems.

Who you will be working with
Commercial and Merchandise leadership: Align the Category Assistant service with commercial priorities, operating model expectations and performance requirements.
Category Managers and Merchandise Planners: Agree portfolio priorities, service requirements and delivery expectations while maintaining clear commercial decision rights.
Category Assistant team: Lead performance, capability, workload, portfolio coverage and consistent ways of working.
Suppliers: Support the timely provision and resolution of product, pricing, rebate and administrative information.
Marketing, Digital, Stores and Online: Coordinate category information and activity required for execution across customer channels.
Finance and Commercial Operations: Maintain appropriate controls over pricing, rebates, supplier funding and other commercial processes.
Technology, Data and process owners: Resolve system and data issues and improve the tools and processes supporting category execution.

What success looks like
Service performance:



Category support activities are completed accurately and within agreed service levels and category milestones.
Portfolio coverage: Assigned portfolios receive consistent support while team capacity can respond effectively to changing business priorities.
Data and execution quality: Product, range, promotional, pricing and rebate information is complete, accurate and correctly established across relevant systems.
Operational control: Category support activities comply with agreed processes, delegated authorities and audit requirements.
Stakeholder confidence: Category and Merchandise Planning teams have clear expectations and confidence in the support provided by the centralised pool.
Team capability: Category Assistants demonstrate the knowledge, accountability and flexibility required to support multiple category processes and portfolios.
Issue resolution: Service risks, control exceptions and competing priorities are resolved promptly or escalated through the appropriate governance process.
Continuous improvement: Recurring errors, delays and process inefficiencies are identified and addressed.
Values and behaviours: The team demonstrates behaviours aligned with Officeworks values and contributes to a respectful, inclusive and high performing culture.

Qualifications and work experience
Essential
6+ years' experience leading an operational support, category administration, product data or merchandise support team.
A relevant qualification in business, commerce, retail, data management or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
Strong knowledge of product onboarding, product data, range administration, promotions, pricing, rebates or comparable commercial processes.
Experience managing work across multiple portfolios, stakeholders and competing priorities.
Demonstrated ability to establish service expectations, monitor performance and address delivery or quality issues.
Strong people leadership capability, including performance management, coaching and team development.
Strong attention to detail and an understanding of the controls required for product, pricing, rebate and supplier information.
Confidence working with business systems, workflow tools, data and Microsoft Excel.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to resolve competing priorities and manage service expectations.
Sound judgement and the ability to distinguish operational execution from matters requiring commercial decisions or escalation.
Experience identifying and implementing process, system or service improvements.

Preferred
Experience in a retail, consumer goods or omnichannel environment.
Experience working within retail, consumer goods or another complex, high volume commercial setting.

📌 Category Assistant Lead (Bengaluru)
🏢 Officeworks
📍 Bengaluru