Analytics and Optimisation Manager at Shoprite Group of Companies

Purpose of the Job    

• The Analytics and Optimisation Manager leads data-driven commercial, operational, and decision-making across the supermarkets. The role provides deep performance insights, identifies optimisation opportunities, and strengthens operational efficiency through robust analytics, forecasting, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• This role ensures continuity of reporting, insights, and optimisation activity, critical to maintaining commercial momentum within supermarkets. Due to current capacity constraints, these responsibilities cannot be absorbed by the existing team without impacting delivery, making replacement through a ring-fenced internal process essential.

Job Objectives    

Insights, Performance Analytics & Reporting:

• Analyse sales, pricing, promotional, stock, and customer trends to inform commercial decision-making.
• Build, maintain, and enhance daily/weekly/monthly performance dashboards to provide clear visibility of business performance.
• Identify key drivers of performance variances across stores, regions, and categories.
• Provide actionable insights that support operational execution and margin improvement.
• Present insights to leadership in clear, concise, and commercially relevant summaries.

Operational & Commercial Optimisation:

• Identify efficiency opportunities across the value chain—from store operations through to supply, stock, and promotions.
• Conduct root-cause analysis to diagnose operational inefficiencies and performance gaps.
• Recommend optimisation initiatives that enhance sales, profitability, and productivity.
• Work with cross-functional teams to implement solutions and track impact over time.
• Support price, mix, markdown, and promotional optimisation initiatives.

Forecasting, Modelling & Scenario Analysis:

• Develop forecasting models to predict sales, stock demand, run-rates, and operational trends.
• Build scenario analyses that support business planning, budgeting, and strategic trade-offs.
• Model the impact of new initiatives, operational changes, and commercial interventions.
• Provide data-driven guidance to support business cases, investment decisions, and strategy design.

Data Management, Quality & Governance:

• Ensure the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of datasets used for reporting and decision-making.
• Collaborate with Data, IT, and Operations teams to improve data structures and reporting consistency.
• Implement controls that reduce data discrepancies, enhance visibility, and strengthen governance.
• Standardise metrics and reporting methods across the supermarkets.

Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnering:

• Partner with Operations, Commercial, Finance, Supply Chain, and Marketing to understand business priorities.
• Translate complex analytical outputs into simple, actionable guidance for operational teams.
• Support regional and store-level teams with insights that improve daily operational execution.
• Act as the central analytics and optimisation advisor for leadership and decision-makers.

Qualifications    

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Analytics, Business Science, Statistics, Economics, Engineering, or related field (essential).

Experience    

• +4 years’ experience in analytics, operations analysis, commercial insights, or optimisation or similar role (essential).
• Strong experience working with large datasets and performing complex analysis (essential).
• Experience with BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Qlik), Excel, and SQL (essential).
• Experience working directly with store operations, commercial teams, or supply chain functions (preferred).
• Experience with forecasting, modelling, or optimisation techniques in a fast-moving retail environment (preferred).

Knowledge and Skills    

• Proven exposure to retail or FMCG, ideally within supermarkets, discount formats, or multi-store environments (essential).

Closing Date    

• 2026/03/25