Project Officer at The Shoprite Group of Companies

Purpose of the Job    

• The purpose of the special operational assignments Project Officer role is to provide operational project services to various teams across the supermarket brands. This position supports the leadership team with coordinating activities to gather information, evaluate options and recommend solutions to operational challenges. The role also coordinates projects, conducts research and analysis and prepares reports or communications. Other areas of focus may include driving the identification and implementation of process improvements, policies, and procedures, managing relationships with various teams, and serving in an advisory capacity to leadership or other stakeholders.

Job Objectives    

• Service excellence
• Respond to requests for immediate input and feedback as required - not all aspects of this role require a ‘project’ approach, discern the nature of request and respond accordingly within the expected timeframe.
• Take briefs and requests from senior leadership at short notice and respond by preparing a high level problem statement, provisional action plan, stakeholder list and anticipated timeline.
• Together with other stakeholders, design, define, develop and deliver a ‘fix’ plan identifying the connections, opportunities or specific aspects that require remedial action or improvement.

Operational project delivery

• As relevant, translate operational ad hoc requests into workable short and long term ‘project’ approaches and outputs to frame the problem statement, identified activities, roles and responsibilities, timeline and primary milestones.
• Create project status reports and ongoing status updates to senior stakeholders.
• Take ownership of all ‘project’ documents 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.
• Working with stakeholders, define the scope and plans for future project phases and work streams - particularly in more complex or longer range ‘fix’ plan scenarios where budgets and other resources will need to be planned and mobilised in advance.
• Ensuring all project and related support deliverables are achieved in line with time, cost and quality criteria.
• Ensure that all stakeholders are fully engaged, consulted and informed as required.

Recommendations, reporting and insights

• As far as possible and appropriate, support feedback, input, insights and recommendations with data.
• Work with varied data and ensure readiness of the integrity of data to support accurate reporting assumptions, forecasts and trend analysis.
• Use data to create and support feasibility models - forecasts, ROI and break even analysis scenarios etc.
• Transform data into insights that drive business and customer value using data analytics, data visualisation and data modeling techniques and technologies.
• Turn data into critical information and knowledge that can be used to make sound business decisions.
• Analyse business scenarios, problems and issues using data from internal and external sources to provide insight to decision-makers, provide scenarios and make recommendations where appropriate.
• Identify and interpret trends and patterns in datasets to locate influences.
• Construct forecasts and recommendations based on business data and market knowledge.
• Create specifications for reports and analysis based on business needs.
• Provide input for cross-functional teams to address issues through data and reports.
• Produce datasets and reports for analysis using system reporting tools. Data: Internal operations-focused and/or external customer-focused, working in conjunction with other stakeholders.
• With reference to data analysis and insights, provide commentary for standing reports and dashboards as required, on time against daily, weekly, monthly and annual deadlines.
• Continuously create efficiencies by making use of technologies and automation tools to drive quality, accuracy and timing of information and insights to relevant stakeholders.

Collaboration

• Identify connections between various areas and leverage functional capabilities to inform and improve processes cross-functionally for improved delivery to our customers.
• Where possible, create efficiencies across the business by identifying cross-functional impacts and handover points that could potentially be consolidated or simplified.
• Drive collective ‘future-fit thinking’ into all activities and recommendations ensuring alignment with strategic imperatives and potential technological or automation opportunities that drive value and efficiencies.

Qualifications    

• Degree in Finance, Business Sciences, Information Technology or equivalent

Experience    

• +1 year experience in an operational project, finance or data analyst capacity within the FMCG, retail sector or similar role

Knowledge and Skills    
Essential:

• Strong analytical knowledge, including experience working with analytical models, with a demonstrated ability to extract appropriate data to convey complex information and financial analysis through the use of supporting tables, graphs and other visual representations.
• Resilient, able to work in a fast-paced environment with a proven track record to lead multiple contending tasks and demands with a service orientated and ‘fixer’ mentality.
• Ability to travel at short notice per operational requirements.
• Exposure to both RSA and Non-RSA operations on the African continent - (highly beneficial).