Product Owner (FMCG) at Salt South Africa

About the Role

• A leading South African retailer is looking for a Product Owner to sit within their Data & Analytics Centre of Excellence, reporting directly to the Chief Data & AI Officer. This role takes full ownership of the Data & Analytics asset portfolio – ensuring that what gets built is strategically aligned, well governed, and delivers measurable business value.
• This is a role for someone who sits comfortably between technology and business, speaks both languages fluently, and can drive a product from inception through to delivery and ongoing operation without losing sight of the commercial outcomes it needs to produce.
• Due to the high volume of applications expected, candidates who have not received feedback within two weeks of applying should consider their application unsuccessful.

Key Responsibilities

• Take overall accountability for the effective operation and ongoing management of Data & Analytics assets
• Identify product challenges and opportunities, driving continuous improvement and adoption across the business
• Champion the business user throughout the product lifecycle – ensuring delivery decisions are grounded in real business need
• Manage end-to-end product delivery including project management, change management, business and systems analysis, design, and UAT
• Analyse and optimise inter-system information flows, developing success metrics for operations and the systems that support them
• Keep stakeholders informed throughout delivery and ensure business benefits are realised – not just shipped
• Accurately measure and report on the impact of initiatives, track issues, and define areas for ongoing enhancement
• Stay current on global best practices in data, analytics, ML/AI, and UX to inform product direction

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in Technical Product Management, or a Systems and Business Analyst role bridging technology and business
• Strong understanding of data systems, information flows, and analytics platforms
• Proven ability to manage complex stakeholder environments across multiple seniority levels
• Strong project management and organisational capability
• Passion for data, analytics, and emerging technologies including ML/AI
• Retail industry experience advantageous
• Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Information Technology, Mathematics, Data Science, Engineering, or related field