Group Head of Vodacom Business Segments at Vodafone Global Enterprise

Role purpose:

The Head of Segment will play a pivotal role in understanding, targeting, and catering value propositions to varied business segments, spanning small business, large enterprise, public sector and multinational corporations. This group-level role demands not only a deep insight into these segments but also proficiency in sales and value proposition design across both small- and large-scale corporations. Collaboration with the products and partnerships teams to craft scalable and segment specific value propositions is paramount, and then interfacing tightly with the sales organisation to ensure appropriate value propositions get to market effectively. This person needs to be the custodian of the customer, showing deep levels of customer empathy to develop value propositions and journeys that customers love. This person must have a deep level of segment insight and be able to drive the disciplines necessary across the operating companies to become enterprise segment leaders. This person will be the group subject matter expert on segments and will need to interface into numerous functions to ensure that these segments are effectively catered for. Understanding the evolution from telco to techco is critical, especially as this relates to small businesses versus large businesses, and how we need to coordinate to best serve these segments profitably across our very diverse markets. 

Your responsibilities will include:

Segment strategy development and enablement:

• Develop and train opcos on tailored strategies for each business segment (small, medium, and large enterprises) to drive growth, increase market share, and enhance customer satisfaction. Ensuring they analyse market trends, competitor activity, and customer needs to identify opportunities and threats within each segment, adjusting strategies as necessary to maintain a competitive edge.
• Value proposition and product alignment:
• Collaborate with the product and partnerships teams to ensure that product offerings and value propositions are well-aligned with the unique needs and pain points of each business segment. In this way providing input into the product team, while also taking output and developing custom value propositions per segment through the various operating companies. 
• Customer experience and relationship management:
• Oversee the development and implementation of initiatives aimed at enhancing the customer experience across all business segments. Build and maintain strong relationships with key accounts, particularly in the large enterprise segment, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Sales and marketing integration:
• Work closely with the Sales and Marketing teams to develop and execute effective go-to-market strategies for each business segment. Ensure that sales and marketing efforts are closely aligned, with clear messaging and positioning that resonates with the target audience of each segment.

Segment performance:

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets for each business segment, regularly monitoring and analysing performance data to identify areas for improvement. Implement initiatives to optimise segment performance, driving efficiency, and effectiveness across all areas of responsibility.

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

Must have technical/professional qualifications: 

• Matric – Essential 
• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields - Essential
• An MBA or other master’s level post-graduate studies – Advantageous 
• A minimum of 8-10 years proven track record in telecommunications, ICT and segment management with a minimum of 5 year’s management experience - Essential

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:

• Thorough understanding of segments, customer insight methodologies and disciplines to increase customer value. Often becoming an interlock between functions to ensure enablement of their segments.  
• Good understanding of fundamentals of marketing & sales including but not limited to market research, advertising, demand creation, segmentation, market mix, positioning, targeting, empathy mapping, customer journey mapping and customer value management
• A natural networker, adept at establishing and cultivating relationships that align with the company's vision and objectives. In particular being comfortable engaging with the most rural of street vendors, all the way to the CEO of a multinational company. 
• Have experience in operating in group and operating company environments within technology and communication companies would be beneficial, with focus on enterprise customers across small and large clients would be beneficial 
• Have strong technical and commercial understanding and experience of mobile, fixed and platform-based products and services as it related to customer segments and be able to conceptualise value propositions that leverage the core capabilities of the group and our partners profitably across these segments