Principal Specialist: Data Products

Role Purpose/Business Unit

• A strategic role combining data product management and organisational culture change to embed a data-first mindset across Vodacom Group. This role is essential to defining and co-building enterprise-wide data products, coordinating the Data Product Delivery Squads, and driving data literacy, capability uplift and change management initiatives across Group and all operating companies.
• The role partners closely with the Head of Data to translate the Group Data Strategy into tangible Data Products and a thriving data culture.

Your responsibilities will include

Define and Co Build Enterprise Data Products

• Define and co build enterprise wide data products e.g. Customer, Network, Fraud, Supply Chain in collaboration with functional data stewards and business champions.
• Develop and maintain data product roadmaps, backlogs and documentation to ensure clarity, discoverability and reuse.
• Partner with data engineering, data science and technology teams to ensure data products are scalable, high quality and accessible.

Embed Data Product Management Disciplines

• Champion data as a product thinking by establishing product management practices such as OKRs, prioritisation, iteration cycles and user feedback loops.
• Maintain the enterprise data product catalogue, ensuring consistent product definitions across markets and domains.
• Support governance aligned prioritisation of data products in partnership with functional data stewards.

Drive Data Culture, Literacy and Capability Uplift

• Design and deliver data literacy, capability uplift and change management initiatives across Group and operating companies.
• Identify data capability gaps and co design interventions training, workshops, communications to improve data fluency at all organisational levels.
• Champion data democratisation and promote effective, responsible use of data in decision making.

Coordinate Enterprise Communities and Knowledge Sharing

• Build, coordinate and facilitate the Data Products Delivery Squads and across Group and our 8 markets.
• Enable knowledge sharing, reuse of best practice and alignment across markets and domains through Data Product Community of Practise.
• Monitor external trends and emerging practices in data product management and data culture to inform internal approaches.

Track Adoption, Maturity and Value Realisation

• Track and report on Data product adoption, data maturity and value realisation metrics across Group and markets.
• Provide insights to the Head of Data on progress, risks and improvement opportunities related to data products and culture initiatives.
• Support continuous improvement of Group-wide data products and culture programmes based on performance insights.

The ideal candidate for this role will have

• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in data product management, data strategy, data analytics or a related data role.
• Bachelor's degree in Information System, Computer Science or a related field essential.
• Professional certification in Product Management and Product Delivery e.g. AIPMM CPM, Safe Agile or Data Management e.g. DAMA CDMP is advantageous.

Core competencies, knowledge and experience

• Define and co-build enterprise-wide data products e.g. Customer 360, RAN Telemetry, Fraud Detection, Supply Chain in collaboration with the Data Product delivery squads.
• Develop and maintain the data product catalogue, product roadmaps and associated documentation to ensure discoverability and reuse.
• Champion data product thinking by establishing product management disciplines including product backlogs, integration of data products into other data / operational systems and user feedback.
• Support the Head of Data in embedding the Group Data Strategy across the organisation, ensuring market-level adoption and alignment.
• Track and report on value realisation, data maturity, adoption metrics and success measures across data products and culture initiatives.
• Knowledge agile methodology and ways of working

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: 10 September 2026.