Principal Specialist: Continuous Improve at Vodafone Global Enterprise

Role Purpose/Business Unit:

• The Principal Specialist: Continuous Improvement is accountable for leading and managing a team of CI Specialists to deliver measurable business benefits through optimised customer journeys, business processes, and service performance.
• This role ensures structured demand intake, prioritisation, and the disciplined delivery of improvement initiatives using CI frameworks and service design thinking.
• The Principal Specialist drives people performance, capability development, and resource planning, while ensuring that all CI activity aligns with business needs and strategic priorities.
• By partnering with cross-functional teams, including product, operations, and technology, the role shapes and enhances end-to-end business processes and user experiences, with a focus on value, feasibility, and sustainable impact.

Your responsibilities will include:

People Management and Capability Building

• Set clear goals linked to CI KPIs and hold team members accountable through regular 1:1s and delivery reviews.
• Assign work based on team skills and capacity to ensure quality and reliable delivery.
• Coach CI Specialists in CI methodologies and best practice ways of working through feedback, mentoring, and peer reviews to strengthen delivery and influence.
• Review key deliverables at each stage and step in early to address risks or underperformance.
• Build and track a CI capability path and invest in training that leads to real results.
• Lead by example, setting high standards and building trust through professional, consistent delivery.

Continuous Improvement (CI)

• Facilitate CI workshops
• Provides expertise and coaching in CI framework, tools and methodologies to ensure the correct and efficient application of CI methodologies and tools
• Develops and delivers training across the business
• Provides CI training to relevant leadership and business resources
• Actively researches new methodologies and builds onto the CI office methodology repository
• Supports the development and ongoing relevance of Vodacom South Africa’s CI framework

Programme Management

• Programme manages CI office initiatives, ensuring that initiative leads are standardized in their approach
• Works with other Vodacom departments to ensure that the CI office is using standardized Vodacom best practices
• Manages strategic prioritisation of initiative pipeline
• Ensures efficient end-to-end implementations of approved initiatives aligned to the CI office mandate
• Collaborates with all relevant internal and external parties to develop and implement solutions 
• Keeps all stakeholders updated by conducting progress meetings (performance against KPIs) and reporting
• Ensures sound inter-group relationships by ensuring timeous response to requests, information and requirements
• First line of conflict resolution outside of individual initiatives

Leadership

• Responsible for the delivery of the Continuous Improvement office KPIs
• Builds effective professional relationships (both for him/herself and the team) and establishes the team’s credibility with business partners
• Engages with EXCO and MEs to obtain commitment and buy-in to the strategically important improvement initiatives and to second the required business resources to the project
• Manages expectations (of team and stakeholder/customers alike) and keeps commitments or promises
• Proactively supports stakeholders, and the Executive in identifying and prioritizing improvement opportunities
• Identifies relevant training requirements for Continuous Improvement Office resources and the wider Vodacom South Africa business resources
• Responsible for identifying growth opportunities within the CI team and obtaining budget approval
• Responsible for working with the leadership to develop/amend CI office KPIs and mandate
• Manages effective knowledge management within the CI office

Change Management

• Drives the shift in culture within Vodacom South Africa to embed CI as a way of working
• Supports the Initiative Leads in managing the interface between initiative stakeholders and business areas to secure the delivery of initiative outcomes and the realisation of benefits whilst maintaining BAU
• Supports the Initiative Leads in the transition to new processes/technology with the operational teams
• Supports individual initiative communication plans
• Explores different communications mediums to maintain stakeholder interest and buy-in
• Assess the skill level of the participants prior to scheduling workshops
• Ensures change interventions are aligned to BU requirements and prepares the BU for the change
• Ensures support functions are on board and aware of any initiatives

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• Matric - essential
• Bachelors degree - essential (preferred in Engineering)
• Post graduate qualification in related field (Preferred)
• Continuous Improvement related qualification - essential (Preferrably in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt/ Black Belt)

One of the following:

• eTOM certified (Desirable)
• Change Management or related Human Behaviour Qualification (Desirable)
• Certificate in Project Management (Desirable)

Core competencies, knowledge, and experience:

• Strong analytical, research and forecasting skills
• Ability to work cross-functionally in order to achieve desired results
• Strong presentation skills
• Excellent verbal and written skills
• Customer focus with regards to understanding the service being delivered 

8 -10 years’ working experience in:

• Change management
• Continuous Improvement
• Problem solving
• Stakeholder management
• Proven business analysis skills
• Leading and supervisory skills
• Persuading and influencing
• Planning and organising
• Presenting and communicating information
• Relating and networking
• Writing and reporting
• Formulating strategies and concepts 
• 5 year Leadership/ Managerial experience – given leadership skills required

We make an impact by offering:

• Enticing incentive programs and competitive benefit packages
• Retirement funds, risk benefits, and medical aid benefits
• Cell phone and data benefits, advantages fibre connection discounts, and exclusive staff discounts offered in collaboration with partner companies

Closing date for Applications: 18 February 2026