Junior Project Manager at Shoprite Group of Companies

Purpose of the Job    

• The purpose of the Junior Packaging Artwork Project Manager role is to provide end-to-end project management support to various teams across the Private Label brand.
• This position plays a crucial role in supporting cross-functional teams by coordinating activities to gather information, evaluate options, and recommend solutions to operational challenges.
• This support is essential for the successful execution of projects. The role works across the Private Label value-chain with a view on products, services, processes and systems.
• This role will initiate the Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) tool to track and manage all projects at product level and to execute the administrative tasks while liaising with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the artwork is produced according to brand guidelines, brand style guides, compliance and regulatory requirements, sustainability and production timelines.
• The role offers the right candidate the opportunity to be part of a dynamic team where a working knowledge of Shoprite as a business will be acquired along with a practical understanding of Private Label Foods and Non-Foods Buying in a fast-moving, dynamic environment.

Job Objectives    

Operational project delivery:

• Support teams with managing the launch of new Private Label brands and products from concept to launch into store.
• Act as a brand custodian, ensure products launch in line with the brand principles and style guides to deliver on brand IP.
• Research local and international markets, competitor brands, new product categories, trends and gaps for all new projects.
• Schedule and attend regular in-store visits, including competitors, to keep abreast of the market.
• Provide thorough packaging artwork briefs for the designer to create new packaging artwork.
• Support and understand the Concept Design process on new concept designs, range extensions and design master layouts.
• Create and maintain all projects and products on excel and the online PLM tool and invite relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain the online PLM tool to manage, track and report on projects.
• Co-ordinate and drive the artwork approval process, ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and involved in the process.

Service excellence:

• Ensure that all packaging artwork is developed as per the brand style guide and in line with the brand principles.
• Ensure that all artwork is reviewed and approved by cross-functional teams before it is released for printing.
• Maintain the artwork library and archiving to ensure that all artwork is created in accordance with the to the brand style guide.
• Ensure quality control so that all artwork meets the highest quality standards.
• Provide regular reports to management on artwork-related activities.
• Maintain and track records of all artwork development and approval processes.
• Provide support to internal teams to ensure that their artwork needs are met.
• Provide support on artwork best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Support the team in buying in-store samples for benchmarking and mock-up completion.

Collaboration:

• Collaborate closely with stakeholders, to ensure that artwork is produced to the required standards and delivered on time.
• Take ownership of all project documentation and engagements ensuring that discussions points and stakeholder inputs are captured and incorporated into decision making.
• Coordinating, assigning and driving project team activities to ensure project objectives are met.
• Where possible, create efficiencies across the business by identifying cross-functional impacts and handover points that could potentially be consolidated or simplified.

Reporting:

• Create project status reports and ongoing status updates to appropriate stakeholders.
• Provide input for cross-functional teams to address issues through data and reports.
• Continuously create efficiencies by making use of data to drive quality, accuracy and timing of information to relevant stakeholders.

Qualifications    

• Diploma, degree in Marketing, Packaging Technology/ Science, Customer Science, Quality Assurance, Project Management (preferred).

Experience    

• +2 years’ artwork project management experience within a product development environment (essential).
• Project Management, studio or agency management, design trafficking or a related field (advantageous).
• Retail environment, Private Label brand experience and an understanding of the market and competitors (preferable).
• Experience in Artwork Coordination within a New Product Development space related to products as well as packaging, artwork and development from ideation to implementation (advantageous).

Knowledge and Skills    

• Proficiency in using Microsoft Suite (essential).
• Knowledge of graphic design applications such as InDesign Adobe Creative Suite (advantageous).
• Knowledge of printing processes, colour management, and digital asset management systems (advantageous).

Closing Date    

• 2026/03/19