Aldi hiring Victorian area managers for a salary of up to $155,000

HOW would you like to make up to $155,000 a year? Aldi has kicked off a hiring spree for a role with some serious perks.

ALDI is on the hunt for 10 new area managers to run its Victorian stores for a starting salary of $101,800.

The role, which comes with a company car, iPhone and five weeks annual leave, increases to a salary of up to $155,000 with experience.

“Our area managers must be able to plan and manage their time effectively to achieve goals, be supportive and approachable in order to develop their teams, and have the knowledge and drive to deliver on significant P&L responsibilities,” the job listing reads.

The German discount supermarket says applicants must have completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any discipline, “demonstrate a strong academic record, have a minimum of three years business experience and proven success in leadership roles”.

Retail experience is not required.

The area manager role involves “running and overseeing three to five Aldi stores as if they were your own business” and “managing all aspects of your area including recruitment, training, profit and loss management”.

Area managers must also “ensure all Aldi controls, policies, procedures and guidelines are adhered to”, contribute “to the wider business by undertaking project work on cross location challenges” and plan “out the efficient day-to-day running of your business”.

Aldi Victorian store operations director Hariet Honore said the role was “really diverse”.

“You manage everything from recruitment, training and development, influencing KPIs, property maintenance and driving projects,” she said.

“Therefore one of the challenges with the role is the ability to multitask and balance competing priorities in a dynamic retail environment.

“The role is heavily people focused. It’s about adapting your leadership approach to motivate and develop your managers, in order to get the best out of everyone. This is one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of the role, where you get to make a real difference.”

Ms Honore said the position was highly sought after and Aldi was expecting “high volumes” of applicants.

“Our recruitment process is challenging and involves several stages including interviews with senior leadership as well as spending a few hours with a current area manager to get a taste of the role,” she said.

Applications for this round close on September 8. It comes after an earlier hiring round saw Aldi bring on more than 50 area managers across the country as the retailer expands westwards.

Aldi says it looks for professionals from all sectors — 42 per cent of area managers come from a non-retail background, with 24 per cent consisting of former scientists, engineers, teachers, IT experts and psychologists.

“It’s a great role, with amazing opportunities, so we receive a lot of applications — about 9000 per year,” James Buonopane, corporate finance and administration director at Aldi Academy, said earlier this year.

Last year, former lawyer and Aldi area manager Kelly Wells revealed how she made the decision to leave the legal industry to work in retail, describing it as “one of the best things” she had ever done.

Meanwhile, Aldi’s graduate program is equally sought after. With a starting salary of $87,000, it pays better than any of the careers with the highest starting salaries in the country including dentistry and optometry.

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