Data & Retention Manager (Shopify/Ecommerce)

Black Pen Recruitment; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Pen Recruitment is seeking a Data & Retention Manager in Cape Town to own customer data strategy, analytics, pricing and margin analytics, email operations and marketing automation. You’ll lead data reviews with Head of Marketing and Head of Commercial, driving data-driven decisions across the business.

The role requires 4+ years in analytics, strong SQL and CRM/automation experience, and hands-on Shopify analytics. A hybrid work model with four days in office is provided.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in data analytics, customer analytics or marketing analytics
• Expert knowledge of customer lifecycle, retention and segmentation
• Strong experience with analytics tools and dashboards
• Expert knowledge of email platforms and automation workflows
• Comfortable with SQL or similar data query languages
• Experience managing CRM or marketing automation platforms
• Demonstrable experience using AI tools in analytics and business intelligence
• Data-driven — comfortable with analytics and building reports
• Strategic thinker — understands how data drives business decisions
• Detail-oriented — meticulous about data accuracy and integrity
• Organised — manages multiple workstreams and stakeholders
• Communicator — able to translate data into clear insights and recommendations
• Project manager — coordinates with CRM agency and internal teams
• Uses AI as a working tool — not occasionally
• E-commerce analytics or customer lifecycle management experience is advantageous
• Hands-on experience with Shopify is essential, including working with e-commerce customer and sales data to analyse purchasing behaviour, track retention and repeat purchases, optimise customer lifecycle campaigns, and drive revenue growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute customer data strategy across brands
• Own customer segmentation and audience definitions
• Build and maintain LTV models and cohort analysis
• Manage customer attribution and journey tracking
• Report on customer metrics and insights
• Model margin by product, brand and customer segment
• Conduct price elasticity analysis and promotional margin impact assessment
• Feed pricing insight to Head of Commercial as standing data review agenda item
• Provide analytical foundation for pricing decisions
• Own and chair the regular data review meeting
• Set agenda and present insight including pricing and margin analytics
• Present customer insights and performance data
• Drive actions and decisions from data insights
• Attendees: Head of Marketing, Head of Commercial, Brand Leads as decision-makers
• Build and maintain consolidated reporting dashboard across all channels
• Create brand-level and corporate dashboards
• Manage data connections and refresh schedules
• Provide ad hoc reporting and analysis as needed
• Maintain master email send calendar as visibility tool
• Ensure all Brand Lead campaign sends are visible to prevent audience fatigue
• Monitor send calendar to identify opportunities and conflicts
• Deploy all sends once Brand Lead authorisation is confirmed
• Receive campaign email authorisation from Brand Leads
• Handle email segmentation and CRM agency briefing
• Deploy campaign emails on authorisation
• Receive B2B email authorisation from PR & Communications
• Handle B2B email segmentation and deployment
• Deploy on authorisation
• Own all automation strategy and execution end-to-end
• Manage welcome series, post-purchase, re-engagement, win-back, loyalty, browse abandonment and other automations
• Conduct lifecycle reviews with each Brand Lead to align flows with brand positioning
• Manage CRM agency relationships on automation builds
• Test and optimise automations continuously
• Be sole point of contact for CRM agency
• Brief CRM agency on automation builds and email deliverables
• Manage creative feedback and approvals
• Coordinate timelines and deliverables

Skills

Data analytics

Customer analytics

Marketing analytics

Retention & segmentation

Dashboards

SQL

CRM/Marketing automation

AI in analytics

Communication

Project management

Strategic thinking

Organisational skills

Education

Degree in mathematics, computer science, business analytics or related field

Equivalent experience

Tools

Shopify

Job description

Our client is a leading European provider of premium natural pet nutrition, focused on supporting pet health and wellbeing through high-quality, minimally processed food. The business offers a broad range of fresh and gently cooked meals, functional snacks, and supplements, combining quality ingredients with nutritional expertise to deliver healthy and nutritious solutions for pets.

Role overview

As Data & Retention Manager you will own customer data strategy, customer analytics, pricing and margin analytics, email operations and marketing automation. You’ll own and chair the data review meeting with Head of Marketing and Head of Commercial. You’ll manage the email send calendar and coordinate all email deployments. You’ll own all CRM automation end-to-end and be the sole point of contact for the CRM agency. You’ll be central to customer insight and data-driven decision making across the business.

Job Type: Full-time, permanent

Location: Cape Town

Work Place: Hybrid (4 days in office, 1 day remote)

Focus areas: Customer data, Analytics, Email, Automations

Reports to: Head of Commercial

Requirements

• 4+ years in data analytics, customer analytics or marketing analytics role
• Expert knowledge of customer lifecycle, retention and segmentation
• Strong experience with analytics tools and building dashboards
• Expert knowledge of email platforms and automation workflows
• Comfortable with SQL or similar data query languages (or willing to learn)
• Experience managing CRM or marketing automation platforms
• Demonstrable experience using AI tools in analytics and business intelligence
• Degree in mathematics, computer science, business analytics or related field, or equivalent experience
• Data-driven — comfortable with analytics and building reports
• Strategic thinker — understands how data drives business decisions
• Detail-oriented — meticulous about data accuracy and integrity
• Organised — manages multiple workstreams and stakeholders
• Communicator — able to translate data into clear insights and recommendations
• Project manager — coordinates with CRM agency and internal teams
• Uses AI as a working tool — not occasionally
• E-commerce analytics or customer lifecycle management experience is advantageous
• Hands-on experience with Shopify is essential, including working with e-commerce customer and sales data to analyse purchasing behaviour, track retention and repeat purchases, optimise customer lifecycle campaigns, and drive revenue growth.

Responsibilities

• Customer data strategy - Develop and execute customer data strategy across all brands - Own customer segmentation and audience definitions - Build and maintain LTV models and cohort analysis - Manage customer attribution and journey tracking - Report on customer metrics and insights
• Pricing and margin analytics - Model margin by product, brand and customer segment - Conduct price elasticity analysis and promotional margin impact assessment - Feed pricing insight to Head of Commercial as standing data review agenda item - Provide analytical foundation for pricing decisions (Head of Commercial owns decisions)
• Data review ownership - Own and chair the regular data review meeting - Set agenda and present insight including pricing and margin analytics - Present customer insights and performance data - Drive actions and decisions from data insights - Attendees: Head of Marketing, Head of Commercial, Brand Leads as decision-makers
• Reporting and dashboards - Build and maintain consolidated reporting dashboard across all channels - Create brand-level and corporate dashboards - Manage data connections and refresh schedules - Provide ad hoc reporting and analysis as needed
• Email send calendar - Maintain master email send calendar as visibility tool - Ensure all Brand Lead campaign sends are visible to prevent audience fatigue - Monitor send calendar to identify opportunities and conflicts - Deploy all sends once Brand Lead authorisation is confirmed
• Campaign email management - Receive campaign email authorisation from Brand Leads - Handle email segmentation and CRM agency briefing - Deploy campaign emails on authorisation
• B2B email management - Receive B2B email authorisation from PR & Communications - Handle B2B email segmentation and deployment - Deploy on authorisation
• Marketing automation - Own all automation strategy and execution end-to-end - Manage welcome series, post-purchase, re-engagement, win-back, loyalty, browse abandonment and other automations - Conduct lifecycle reviews with each Brand Lead to align flows with brand positioning- Manage CRM agency relationships on automation builds - Test and optimise automations continuously
• CRM agency management - Be sole point of contact for CRM agency - Brief CRM agency on automation builds and email deliverables - Manage creative feedback and approvals - Coordinate timelines and deliverables

AI in this role

• Use AI to analyse customer data and generate insights
• Use AI to forecast LTV and customer value scenarios
• Use AI to help segment customers and identify opportunities
• Use AI to assist with pricing and margin analysis
• Use AI to help manage data and reporting workflowsStay current with AI tools relevant to analytics and data management