Growth & Retention Executive

VirtuHire; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 420,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

VirtuHire in Cape Town is seeking a hands-on Growth & Retention Executive to join a fast-growing e-commerce business selling premium pet wellness supplements. The role focuses on building scalable customer systems, automation and experiences across Shopify, Takealot and Amazon, with US expansion on the horizon.

You will own projects end-to-end, implement workflows with platforms like Gorgias, Zapier and Klaviyo, and collaborate with marketing, ops and senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Approximately 2–5 years in e-commerce operations or related fields.
• Hands-on experience building and implementing operational systems.
• Experience with platform selection, automation funnels, or automation tools.

Responsibilities

• Research, evaluate and select a customer support platform.
• Lead setup, configuration and integration of support systems.
• Design automated WhatsApp marketing funnels and retention sequences.
• Build automated workflows with Zapier, Make or n8n.
• Support Shopify, Takealot and Amazon operations and international growth.

Skills

E-commerce operations

Growth operations

Marketing operations

Customer experience

Automation workflows

Analytical skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Campaign optimization

Tools

Gorgias

Zendesk

Freshdesk

WATI

Klaviyo

Omnisend

Zapier

Make

n8n

Shopify

Job description

Location: Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, South Africa
Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 17:00 SAST
Work Arrangement: Office-based, with the possibility of hybrid working after a 3-month probation period

About the Opportunity

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a hands-on Growth & Retention Executive to join a fast-growing, Cape Town-based e-commerce business specialising in premium, veterinarian-formulated pet wellness supplements.

The business operates across Shopify, Takealot and Amazon and is expanding its presence into the United States.

This position is ideal for a technically minded, commercially aware professional who enjoys building systems, implementing automation and improving customer experiences.

Rather than focusing purely on traditional marketing strategy, this role requires someone who can take ownership of projects, implement solutions and create scalable processes that support business growth.

Key Responsibilities

1. Customer Support Systems & Implementation

• Research, evaluate and select an appropriate customer support platform.
• Lead the setup, configuration and integration of customer support systems.
• Implement and optimise platforms such as Gorgias, Zendesk, Freshdesk or similar.
• Develop automated customer service workflows to improve efficiency and response times.
• Integrate support systems with Shopify and other relevant e-commerce platforms.

2. WhatsApp Marketing & Customer Retention

• Design, build and manage automated WhatsApp marketing funnels.
• Create customer engagement, retention and reactivation sequences.
• Implement automation using platforms such as WATI, Respond.io, Klaviyo or Omnisend.
• Develop customer segmentation and personalised messaging workflows.
• Monitor campaign performance and optimise customer engagement and retention.

3. Business Process Automation

• Identify operational inefficiencies and opportunities for automation.
• Build and implement automated workflows using Zapier, Make, n8n or similar tools.
• Integrate systems across customer service, marketing and e-commerce operations.
• Develop scalable processes to reduce manual administration and improve productivity.
• Maintain and continuously improve existing automations.

4. Paid Media & Growth Operations

• Support paid advertising campaigns across Meta and Google Ads.
• Review campaign performance, conversion metrics and return on investment.
• Collaborate with the marketing function to improve campaign effectiveness.
• Assist with growth initiatives, customer acquisition and retention strategies.
• Use performance data to identify opportunities for optimisation.

5. E-commerce & Marketplace Operations

• Support day-to-day operations across Shopify, Takealot and Amazon.
• Assist with marketplace integrations and operational improvements.
• Support international expansion initiatives, particularly within the US market.
• Contribute to Amazon marketplace operations and related processes.
• Develop systems that support increased order volumes and customer growth.

Experience & Requirements

Essential Requirements

• Approximately 2–5 years of experience in e-commerce operations, growth operations, marketing operations, customer experience operations or a related field.
• Proven hands-on experience building and implementing operational systems or automation workflows.
• Experience with at least one of the following:
• Customer support platform selection, implementation and integration.
• WhatsApp, SMS or email marketing automation funnels.
• Business process automation using Zapier, Make, n8n or similar tools.
• Working knowledge of Shopify and e-commerce marketplace operations.
• Familiarity with Takealot Seller Portal and/or Amazon Seller Central.
• Understanding of customer retention, CRM workflows and automated communications.
• Exposure to Meta Ads and Google Ads, including the ability to interpret campaign performance.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and organisational skills.
• Ability to independently manage projects from initial planning through implementation.
• Willingness to work on-site in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, during the probation period.

Advantageous Experience

• Experience with Gorgias, Zendesk or Freshdesk.
• Experience with WATI, Respond.io, Klaviyo or Omnisend.
• Previous exposure to Amazon US marketplace operations.
• Experience working within a growing direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand.
• Knowledge of the pet wellness, health or supplement industries.
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills, including reporting and basic data modelling.
• Experience building integrations between multiple business platforms.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be a proactive, resourceful and technically capable individual who enjoys turning ideas into functioning systems.

They should demonstrate:

• A strong hands‑on approach to building and implementing solutions.
• A genuine interest in automation, systems integration and process improvement.
• The ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Comfort working within a small, entrepreneurial and fast‑moving team.
• Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of operational efficiency.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Flexibility to manage multiple priorities across customer support, marketing and operations.
• A results‑driven mindset, with the ability to measure the impact of implemented solutions.

Key Objectives – First 90 Days

Within the first three months, the successful candidate will be expected to:

1. Customer Support Platform: Select, configure, integrate and launch a fully operational customer support system.
2. WhatsApp Marketing Funnel: Build and activate automated customer communication and retention workflows with measurable results.
3. Business Automation: Identify key operational inefficiencies and establish a prioritised automation roadmap, with implementation underway.
4. Growth Support: Begin contributing to paid media optimisation, marketplace operations and international growth initiatives.

What Makes This Opportunity Exciting?

• Join a growing e-commerce business with international expansion ambitions.
• Take ownership of systems and automation projects from the ground up.
• Work directly with senior leadership and influence operational improvements.
• Gain exposure to customer experience, marketing technology, e-commerce and international marketplaces.
• Make a measurable impact on business efficiency, customer retention and growth.
• Enjoy the potential for hybrid working following successful completion of probation.