General Manager - Chemist Discount Centre

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About the Role We are seeking a highly commercial, retail-first General Manager to lead the Chemist Discount Centre (CDC) pharmacy franchise network. This is a senior executive role for a leader who has run retail businesses, owned complex P&Ls, and understands how to win in high-volume, price-competitive, customer-driven retail environments.

CDC operates in a fast-moving, value-led retail category where pricing, discount strategy, merchandising execution, and brand clarity directly determine success. This role is accountable for translating strategy into store-level retail performance, ensuring the brand is competitive, relevant, and executed consistently across the network.

You will act as the chief retail operator and brand custodian for CDC — shaping the offer, setting the commercial guardrails, and driving profitable growth across a national multi-site footprint.

Success in this role depends on exceptional stakeholder leadership. You will operate with influence across franchise members, suppliers, shared services teams, and senior executives — aligning diverse interests around clear retail priorities and driving disciplined execution at scale.

Key Accountabilities Retail Trading & Commercial Ownership (Core to the Role)

Hold end-to-end P&L accountability, with direct responsibility for sales growth, gross margin, cost control, and overall trading performance.

Define and continuously optimise retail pricing and discount strategies, ensuring CDC remains highly competitive while protecting margin and brand equity.

Lead promotional planning, campaign effectiveness, and value messaging in partnership with merchandising and marketing teams.

Drive a strong retail trading rhythm, using data, insights, and performance reporting to identify opportunities and address underperformance.

Brand, Offer & Customer Proposition

Own the CDC retail brand strategy, ensuring the proposition is clear, compelling, and differentiated in a crowded discount retail landscape.

Lead brand refresh and evolution initiatives, grounded in customer insight and retail performance outcomes.

Ensure consistency of the retail offer across the network — from price perception and promotional execution to in-store experience.

Act as the public-facing retail leader of the brand, confidently presenting to members, suppliers, partners, and industry audiences.

Network Growth & Retail Expansion

Lead the retail expansion strategy, including site selection, feasibility, demographic analysis, and commercial modelling.

Own the franchise recruitment and conversion process, clearly articulating the retail value proposition through high-impact pitch decks and presentations.

Work closely with network development and operations teams on store builds, refurbishments, relocations, and format compliance.

Franchise, Member & Retail Leadership

Build high-trust relationships with CDC members, positioning yourself as a commercial retail partner, not just a network leader.

Navigate competing stakeholder priorities while maintaining clear commercial guardrails and a consistent retail strategy across the network.

Establish strong member communication rhythms, translating retail strategy into clear, actionable guidance.

Manage performance, compliance, and escalations with a clear focus on retail outcomes and customer impact.

Cross-Functional Retail Execution

Work in deep partnership with shared services (merchandising, marketing, consumer marketing) to ensure strategies are executable at store level.

Ensure retail initiatives are practical, scalable, and commercially sound across a diverse network.

Champion a disciplined, performance-led retail culture across CDC.

What We’re Looking For

Proven senior leadership experience in multi‑site retail (essential).

A demonstrated track record of owning and growing retail P&Ls in competitive, price‑sensitive environments. Demonstrated ability to interpret retail trends and translate insight into scalable growth strategies across pricing, format, proposition, and network expansion.

Deep understanding of retail pricing, discount mechanics, promotional effectiveness, and margin management.

Strong brand and proposition leadership experience, ideally involving brand repositioning or refresh.

Highly confident and credible retail communicator and presenter, comfortable being the public face of a brand.

Experience working within shared service retail models while maintaining strong executional discipline.

Commercially sharp, data‑driven, and comfortable making high‑impact retail decisions.

Why This Role is Different This is not a passive franchise leadership role. It is a hands‑on retail GM position for a leader who understands where the market is heading and that retail success is won or lost on price perception, offer clarity, and execution at store level.

Company Overview DBG Health is a leading independent health, wellness, and beauty company headquartered in Melbourne. With a team of over 1,000 dedicated professionals, we are committed to delivering affordable and innovative solutions that enhance the well‑being of our customers. Our organization is built on a foundation of strong values, fostering a culture where our people go above and beyond for each other and our clients. Our diverse portfolio includes Arrotex Pharmaceuticals, VidaCorp Consumer Goods, Independent Pharmacies of Australia Group, and Axe Health Services.

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