Head of Cloud Networking - Gauteng at Liquid Intelligent Technologies

Description

• Oversee a portfolio of products, ensuring alignment with and support of the overall company strategy and goals whilst collaborating with various stakeholders to achieve revenue targets and exceed customer satisfaction goals. 
• Responsible for building a profitable segment revenue through Cloud Networking Products, Professional Services, Managed Services and Partnerships, find new and effective solutions and strategies to grow market share.  
• In the domain of product management, conduct comprehensive market analysis and research to gather product and customer requirements. The product development aspect of this role includes formulating product specifications, implementing pricing strategies, creating product marketing and go-to-market strategies, and developing time-integrated plans for product introductions, solution sets and enhancements.  Create a winning value proposition and ensure sales teams are fully enabled to actively sell, create clear processes on delivery and track product performance.
• Provide Pricing Strategies, Bundling Strategies, Marketing input and custom proposals and lead product management efforts for strategic projects, RFP's/RFQ's and customer-specific solutions. 
• Strategic contract management with external product stakeholders, managing relationships with partners and suppliers.

Product Performance Management -

• Ensure a synchronised product performance management for the product portfolio.
• Provide key input to the budget development process and product revenue target setting and achieve the revenue targets
• Perform product performance analysis and reporting to business to establish insights that support to business strategic business decisions
• Provide Products revenue assurance, through ongoing analysis of process, systems and commercials. Design, create and implement effective improvement plans
• Coordinate overall Product performance within prescribed business cases / commercials and maintain portfolio P&L
• Secure best prices, discount levels and preferential rates from vendors and contractors
• Participate in strategic customer interactions, to identify and fulfil deal closure, upselling, co-creation of solutions to win business and drive revenue growth
• Validate proposed price models, business cases and support initiatives across products space

Product Portfolio Management -

• Ownership and project manage the entire product life cycles from conception to retirement through strategic planning and tactical activities. Develop the product portfolio strategy. Execute the product strategy, training, and marketing to ensure awareness and acceptance of responsibility and accountability
• Develop products and product management strategies
• Architect and implement product management framework, within which specific product sets are managed to ensure standardisation of business practices
• Execution of the annual product plans, quarterly and monthly, assisting product managers to deliver on product objectives
• Support strategic initiatives in product department operations
• Ensure product documentation and collateral is developed for all products ensuring the defined standards are met
• Sales team product training 

Product Management

• Develop and execute Product strategy aligned to the overall company objectives
• Definition & development of product set/s within the assigned Portfolio
• Define, development, co-ordinate & drive all product development, product integration & go-to-market strategy for product set. 
• Develop and implement the specific product and service’s sales & support documentation, costing and pricing models
• Manage profitability, gross margin, sales and revenue targets for the product and associated service
• Set and drive sales targets for products and related services
• Product life cycle management, inception to retirement, Product definition, market needs analysis, viability and product fit
• Develop and maintain tender and bid management documentation for product and associated services
• Keep abreast with all regulatory, technology and market requirements in the product area
• Relationship management with partners and vendors 
• Build and maintain productive relationships with all stakeholders that can impact product performance
• Product Innovation & Enablement - Market Analysis, explore opportunities, define product strategies, and execute in collaboration with key stakeholders as per the C2 process

Product innovation and enablement

• Understand the Customer requirements and ensure alignment with the Product initiatives and enablement
• Conduct research through competitor analysis, telecommunication analysts’ reports or suppliers/partners to identify potential innovative products that complement existing C2 products
• Develop and ensure the implementation and adherence of the annual strategic and operational plan by the enablement of transformational products and services
• Review and update the plan with the team on a pre-agreed basis, including outputs and deliverables, risks and risk mitigation and relevant action
• Provide input on vision regarding technology strategy and market-related thought leadership via engagement with Industry, Analysts, Markets, forums, and technology partners

Relationship Management (Partners, Vendors, Suppliers and Stakeholders)

• Partners, Vendors and Suppliers - Identification, Analysis and evaluation of optimal Partner relation to achieving C2 Cloud Strategy.  Build and maintain good relationships with Partners in respective Centre of Excellence
• Perform Ambassadorial functions for the company at various business   events and exhibitions
• Drive Partner integration and collaboration for respective Centres of Excellence across the organisation
• Customers - Work with internal and external customers to identify Customer Needs, POCs, Case studies, Complex and Customer Specific Solutions to contribute to the improvement of the product offering.  Proactively create and provide sustainable customer relations that minimise attrition

Team management and Collaboration.

• Manage timelines in the product development process and assist team members 
• Formalise processes and manage team processes to ensure efficiency and delivery
• Ensure HR processes are completed within the set timeframes
• Set and Manage staff performance management items including KPA and OKRs
• Career Development - Set development plans for training and development of key talent in the team
• Ensure business continuity targets are met through team development initiatives
• Coaching, Mentoring & Rewards and recognition

Collaborate with cross-functional business units and other stakeholders

• Provide ongoing business support to cross-functional team members
• Mentoring and coaching of Account Managers and Solution Architects, amongst other internal peers
• Presentations of topics relevant to your Centre of Excellence or new disruptive technologies
• Provide Subject Matter Expert support to the broader Cassava Group on topics relevant to Centre of Excellence

Requirements

Qualifications

• Degree / Diploma in Information Technology or related
• Postgraduate level qualification in IT or Business-related field  
• Specialised qualification in subject matter area

Experience

• 5 years' Product Management experience
• Knowledge of Cloud Business, Telco, Cloud Platforms and Data Centre services
• Exposure to emerging and new technologies
• Experienced in commercial interpretation / creation of financial models for business cases
• Sales & Business Development experience advantageous 
• Experience in a technical / engineering field relevant to the products portfolio