About the position
As a Product Owner , you aren't just managing a backlog; you are the bridge between vision and execution. You will own products of high complexity, navigating the intersection of business strategy, technical integrity, and customer delight. You will lead an agile team to streamline program priorities, ensuring that every user story delivered moves the needle on our digital omnichannel strategy.
This is a role for a strategic executor-someone who can engage at a senior level to advocate for customer-first design while getting into the weeds of technical enablers and big data analytics.
Responsibilities
Strategic Backlog Leadership
Refine & Sequence: Own the end-to-end team backlog. You'll gather requirements, craft high-quality user stories with airtight acceptance criteria, and prioritize work based on economic decision-making and stakeholder demand.
PI & Sprint Planning: Lead the team through PI planning and sprint cycles, ensuring the team is always "ready" with a healthy runway of stories and enablers.
Execution & Quality: Act as the final word on "Done" by accepting completed work during Iteration Demos and maintaining the conceptual integrity of every feature.
Customer Experience & Innovation
Omnichannel Mastery: Drive mobile and digital engagement, ensuring a seamless, delightful experience across every touchpoint in the customer journey.
Strategic Growth: Provide data-driven input to improve customer acquisition, retention, and conversion rates.
Advocacy: Act as the primary advocate for the customer, translating their needs into meaningful product optimizations.
Leadership & Collaboration
Bridge Builder: Collaborate deeply with Product Managers and Business Executive Managers to align team objectives with the broader Product Vision and Roadmap.
Mentor: Coach and support junior to mid-level Product Owners, fostering a culture of excellence within the PO community.
Reporting: Provide integrated reporting on progress, risks, and achievement of PI objectives to senior leadership.
Education & Certification
Degree: Completed degree in Business, IT, Engineering, or Marketing (Essential).
Certification: Certified Product Owner or Certified SAFe Product Owner (Essential).
Experience
Seniority: 6+ years as a Lead or Senior Product Owner within an agile environment.
Track Record: Proven success launching complex product features and translating high-level analysis into consumer-facing products.
Technical Depth: Strong understanding of Big Data and Analytics.
Sector Knowledge: Experience in digital-led business development, customer loyalty, and a solid grasp of legal compliance (POPIA, etc.).
Context: Retail/Marketing experience and exposure to the African digital market are highly preferred.
An Analytical Problem-Solver: You balance technical constraints with product value, always asking "how does this align with our strategy?"
A Motivated Self-Starter: You thrive in fast-paced environments and persevere through challenges to deliver high-quality results.
A Collaborative Influencer: You can navigate senior stakeholder relationships and negotiate objectively good results while keeping the team inspired.
Adaptable & Curious: You are comfortable with technological change and are always looking for more agile ways to innovate.
Desired Skills:
- Certified SAFe Product Owner
- POPIA
- Backlog
