David Jones is a business that has undergone significant transformation over the past three years through the successful delivery of our $250m Vision 25+ strategic plan. Having completed this pivotal chapter, we are now focused on the next phase of our evolution through our Inspire 30 strategy.
This is an exciting time to join the business as we continue to invest in our future, our customer experience, our brands, and our people. We’re looking for a dynamic, commercially astute and resilient finance leader who is energised by transformation and motivated to help shape the future of one of Australia’s most iconic retail brands.
As the retail landscape continues to evolve, we recognise the challenges facing the industry and the importance of remaining agile, customer-focused and commercially disciplined. At David Jones, we are actively transforming our business for the future — investing in our customer experience, category strategies, operating model and commercial capability to ensure we continue to lead in premium retail.
Reporting to the CFO and working closely with the Executive Leadership Team, you as the General Manager – Commercial Finance will lead the Commercial Finance team for David Jones.
This is a highly visible leadership role with a broad enterprise remit. You will be responsible for ensuring the business has the commercial insight, financial discipline and performance focus required to deliver sustainable, profitable growth. You will play a key role in shaping business decisions, challenging thinking, identifying opportunities and ensuring financial outcomes are clearly understood across the business.
Key responsibilities of the role and your team will include:
Leading the Commercial Finance function and partnering model across the entire business, including Merchandise, Retail Operations, Supply Chain, Omnichannel and Technology.
Acting as a trusted commercial partner to the CFO, Executive Leadership Team and senior business leaders, providing insight, challenge and recommendations that support strategic decision-making.
Translating complex financial information into clear commercial narratives that help leaders understand performance, risks, opportunities and trade-offs.
Leading budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning cycles, ensuring assumptions are robust, commercially grounded and aligned to business strategy.
Driving margin analysis, sales productivity reviews, category profitability and cost performance insights to support improved commercial outcomes.
Partnering with Buying and Merchandise teams to understand the relationship between product, price, margin, inventory, promotional activity and customer demand.
Supporting investment appraisal, business cases, capital allocation and strategic initiatives through robust financial modelling, scenario planning and post-investment review.
Providing commercial governance and financial discipline across transformation initiatives, ensuring decisions are supported by clear analysis, benefits tracking and commercial accountability.
Identifying opportunities to improve profitability, productivity and return on investment across the business.
Building strong cross-functional relationships and influencing outcomes across all levels of the organisation.
Leading, coaching and developing a capable commercial finance team, fostering empowerment, creating accountability and a strong culture of business partnering.
Championing commercial thinking across the organisation and helping build financial confidence and capability within non-finance teams.
You will be an experienced senior finance leader with a strong background in commercial finance within a complex retail, FMCG, consumer, multi-site or multi-category environment.
You will bring strong technical finance capability, but your real strength will be your leadership as well as your ability to connect the numbers to the commercial reality of the business. You will know how to influence decision-making, ask the right questions and provide insight that helps the business make better, faster and more commercially disciplined choices.
To be successful in this role, you will bring:
CA, CPA or equivalent qualification, supported by significant post-qualification experience in senior commercial finance leadership roles.
Demonstrated experience leading commercial finance teams in a complex, fast-paced organisation.
Strong understanding of retail or consumer business drivers, including sales, margin, stock, category performance, promotions, labour, cost management and return on investments.
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Experience supporting transformation, business improvement, capital investment or strategic growth initiatives.
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- Strong leadership capability, with experience building, mentoring and developing high-performing finance teams.
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A collaborative and pragmatic style, with the ability to build trust quickly across finance and non-finance stakeholders.
At David Jones, we’re reimagining the future of retail while staying true to the heritage and service excellence that have defined us for generations.
We foster an inclusive and collaborative culture where diverse perspectives are valued and innovation is encouraged. Alongside a competitive remuneration package, you’ll enjoy:
- Unique opportunity to be part of a team driving the transformation of an iconic Australian brand
- Hybrid working arrangements that support work/life balance
- Parental leave policy of 18-weeks paid leave for the primary carer, and 3-weeks paid leave for the supporting partner
- Generous employee discounts across David Jones and access to partner benefits
- An additional day of leave for your birthday, plus time to support charitable work
- Opportunities to contribute to our Corporate Social Responsibility program and community partnerships
- Ongoing training and development to support your growth and ambitions
Since 1838, David Jones has been one of Australia’s most iconic retail brands, known for quality, style and service. Our purpose is to inspire like no other, and today that ambition continues as we evolve our stores, brands, customer experience and digital offer for the future.
Our culture is built around our THRIVING foundations. We are customer obsessed, inclusive, empowered and innovative. We care about creating experiences that matter — for our customers, our people and our partners.
This is a unique opportunity to bring your commercial finance leadership to a brand with heritage, ambition and momentum.
