Product Manager

Role and Responsibilities:
• Responsible for facilitating product ideas throughout the product lifecycle from idea generation to execution in support of organizational strategy and objectives.

Core Functions:

• Research and Analysis:
• Research and analyse market conditions.
• Identify key competitor and consumer trends.
• Articulate market requirements and opportunities.
• Identify opportunities for product innovation and product enhancements.
• Work with sales, operations and marketing regarding product development.

• Product Planning and Management
• Manage and support product life cycle stages i.e. conceive, plan, develop, qualify, launch, deliver and close out.
• Determine product specifications.
• Produce product strategies and roadmaps.
• Gather and document business requirements.
• Analyse business and technology requirements.
• Design and map relevant business processes.
• Perform product feasibility studies.
• Document close out process, where appropriate.
• Gather customer insight pertaining to channel requirements, as well as end user requirements.

• Product Commercials and SLAs
• Maintain a solid commercial understanding of current products.
• Present commercial models to EXCO for approval when sourcing new service providers.
• Work with and negotiate with external 3rd parties to assess potentially beneficial partnerships.
• Work with internal product partners/providers to introduce new products.
• Conclude Main Agreements and SLAs.
• Commercialise and institutionalise new products delivered via 3rd Party service providers in consultation with other business areas.
• Manage relationships with 3rd party service providers in terms of agreed SLAs.

• Product Marketing
• Develop product marketing plan and event campaigns to generate product awareness and demand.
• Facilitate product launch planning and execution.
• Liaise with advertising and public relations to promote product.
• Support sales, marketing and operations with the necessary product knowledge and technical expertise.
• Conduct product presentations.
• Develop sales tools and sales training material.
• Provide input for marketing collateral development.
• Supply sales with latest research and marketing information.
• Implement marketing plan in conjunction with all departments.
• Facilitate driving ongoing improvement in sales and profitability and remediating below-par product performance.

• Product Performance
• Design appropriate reporting formats to report product performance (commercial and functional).
• In conjunction with BI, source relevant data, interrogate and interpret data and draw conclusions with respect to product penetration/growth levels across all channels for newly launched products or product enhancements.

Education & Qualification:
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Advanced degree advantageous.
• Sound knowledge of business principles.
• Minimum of 3-5years’ experience as a Product Manager
• Microsoft Office; Word/Excel/Powerpoint/Outlook & Visio

Preferred Skills:
• Experience within the Financial Services industry advantageous.
• Experience within the Telecommunications Industry advantageous.
• Quantitative and business analysis skills advantageous.
• Knowledge of marketing principles and practices advantageous.
• Knowledge of business and management principles and practices advantageous.
• Proficient in relevant software applications.
• Familiar with the purpose and composition of Service Level Agreements

Competencies :
The ideal candidate must display the following critical competencies:
• Communication skills (written, verbal)
• Problem analysis and solving
• Strategic thinking and planning
• Organizational and planning skills
• Multi-tasking
• Judgment
• Attention to detail
• Negotiating skills
• Creative and resourceful
• Team player
• Stress tolerance
• Customer orientation
• Presentation skills