Head of Loyalty

Woolworths Financial Services; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1 200 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A financial services provider in Cape Town is seeking a Head of Loyalty to develop and execute loyalty strategies that enhance customer value. This senior role demands expertise in customer engagement and analytics, managing a team to drive loyalty initiatives and integration with retail partners. Successful candidates will possess 8-10 years of relevant experience and strong leadership abilities, with a focus on data-driven decision-making and innovation.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in loyalty program management, customer analytics, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful loyalty strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of WFS's Customer Loyalty strategy.
• Drive innovation in loyalty offerings that create measurable business value.
• Direct the creation of loyalty-focused reporting and dashboards.
• Manage vendor relationships and technology partnerships.

Skills

Loyalty management expertise

Data & commercial analysis

Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities

Strategic thinking

Team leadership and development

Strong communication & diplomacy

Innovation and creative thinking

Education

Master's degree preferred in Business Administration, Marketing, Analytics

Bachelor's degree required in Business, Marketing, Statistics

Tools

CRM systems

Marketing automation platforms

Job description

Woolworths Financial Services | Full time

Head of Loyalty

Cape Town, South Africa | Posted on 02/10/2025

Woolworths Financial Services, or WFS as it is better known, is a Joint Venture with Absa Bank, that supports the Woolworths retail business by providing in‑store credit in the form of the Woolworths StoreCard and offering value‑added services including credit cards, personal loans, short‑term insurance and life insurance linked to other products.

Job Description

Main Purpose

The Head of Customer Loyalty is responsible for developing and executing the overarching WFS Customer Loyalty strategy to drive customer‑centric solutions that enhance the total customer value proposition and deliver business value to both the enterprise and our customers. This senior leadership position combines strategic insight with analytical capability to design, implement, and optimise the loyalty program that drives customer engagement, retention, and profitable behavioural shifts creating mutual value for customers and the business. It is also responsible for integration with our retail partner and potential other partners in the future.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Contribution

• Lead the development and implementation of WFS's Customer Loyalty strategy, ensuring alignment with broader business objectives and customer needs.
• Collaborate with other business units to sponsor and deliver loyalty solutions that meet customer needs and expectations.
• Drive the evolution of loyalty program through data‑informed decision making and customer insights.
• Establish frameworks for measuring and evaluating loyalty program effectiveness.
• Collaborate with the Customer Insights and Advanced Analytics team to develop predictive models and customer segmentation strategies.
• Partner with Woolworths to ensure seamless integration of loyalty initiatives across both businesses.

• Revenue and Commercial Leadership Contribution

• Own the P&L responsibility for the loyalty program, including revenue generation, cost management, and ROI optimisation.
• Develop and implement commercial frameworks and metrics to evaluate, measure, and optimise loyalty initiatives.
• Lead the development of value case (business cases) for new loyalty programs and enhancements.
• Assess value propositions and new loyalty offerings against Loyalty Strategy and commercial framework and pursue commercial opportunities that reside within the threshold.
• Drive innovation in loyalty offerings that create measurable business value including profitable customer behaviour changes.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for loyalty program performance.

• Data‑driven Campaign / Project Management

• Leverage advanced analytics to drive customer segmentation and personalization strategies.
• Oversee the development of customer lifetime value models and behavioural analysis.
• Manage foreseeable risks by adequately capacitating the campaign/project teams to drive efficient project and programme delivery and identify and manage potential risks.
• Review campaign/project plans and ensure that adequate planning and execution mechanisms are in place for delivery, communication, stakeholder engagement, monitoring of impacts and calculating ROI.
• Direct the creation of loyalty‑focused reporting and dashboards.
• Guide the development of predictive models for customer engagement and churn.
• Ensure data‑driven decision making across all loyalty initiatives.

• Programme Management and Innovation

• Lead the design and implementation of new loyalty programs and features.
• Oversee the integration of loyalty programs with existing product offerings.
• Drive digital transformation initiatives within the loyalty space.
• Manage vendor relationships and technology partnerships.
• Ensure operational excellence in program delivery and execution.

• Partner and Stakeholder Management

• Lead the integration of new Loyalty Programme across the WFS and Woolworths landscape to deliver the strategy and the required capabilities, as well as to initiate new engagement opportunities and strengthen existing synergies.
• Establish relationships with key stakeholders to enable decisions regarding solutions that are practical and viable from a commercial perspective.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders including Woolworths, ABSA, and other partners.
• Present loyalty program performance and strategies to executive leadership.
• Lead cross‑functional teams to deliver integrated loyalty solutions.
• Manage relationships with external vendors and service providers.
• Collaborate with marketing, product, and technology teams.
• Lead and develop a team of loyalty professionals, analysts, and program managers.
• Foster a culture of innovation and customer‑centricity.
• Drive talent development and succession planning.
• Establish clear objectives and performance metrics for team members.
• Promote collaboration across departments and functions.
• Understanding of financial levers and customer behaviours that enables a profitable Loyalty Programme.
• Leverage financial acumen on business commercials and loyalty to make informed decisions, prioritise effectively, and align our loyalty strategy with the organisation’s financial goals.
• Support identification of common metrics and KPIs used to measure Loyalty Program performance.

Requirements

Technical Skills:

• Loyalty management expertise: Advanced understanding of loyalty program mechanics and best practices.
• Experience with personalised customer journeys & lean start‑up / agile methodology.
• Strategic thinking.
• Demonstrates a passion for & deep understanding of customer and technology.
• Customer research and insights driven.
• Data & commercial analysis.
• Understanding of machine learning and predictive modelling concepts.
• Experience with CRM systems and marketing automation platforms.
• Strong communication & diplomacy.
• 8‑10 years proven loyalty industry experience and /or product ownership experience.
• Strategic thinking and business/commercial acumen.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
• Excellence in stakeholder management and communication.
• Innovation and creative thinking.
• Team leadership and development.
• Commercial and financial acumen.

Experience

• 8‑10 years of experience in loyalty program management, customer analytics, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful loyalty strategies.
• Experience in financial services or retail industry.
• Strong background in customer analytics and data‑driven decision making.

Education

• Master's degree preferred in Business Administration, Marketing, Analytics, or related field.
• Bachelor's degree required in Business, Marketing, Statistics, or related field.
• Equivalent experience in Loyalty capabilities.