Head of Product

Private Safaris DMC; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading travel company is seeking a Head of Product to define and deliver its product vision across Southern Africa. This senior leadership role involves overseeing product strategies, managing cross-functional teams, and ensuring operational systems support client experiences. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in product management within a travel context, along with strong leadership and negotiation skills.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years’ experience in senior product or commercial roles within a DMC or similar.
• Proven leadership of cross-functional teams, including product and systems/technology.
• Strong knowledge of Southern African travel products.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the product strategy in line with company goals.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the Product Management and Systems teams.
• Oversee the strategic management of core operational system (Tourplan).

Skills

Strategic Leadership & Vision

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Supplier Partnership Management

Customer-Centric Thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Tourism

Tools

Tourplan

Job description

Job Purpose:

The Head of Product is a senior leadership role responsible for defining and delivering Private Safaris’ product vision acrossSouthern Africa, while ensuring the systems team supports efficiency, profitability, and exceptional client experiences. Leading the Product and Systems teams, this role combines strategic product development, commercial direction and sales conversations, and systems optimisation to meet evolving B2B client needs, drive revenue growth, and uphold Private Safaris’ reputation for quality and reliability.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Vision & Strategic Direction

o Define and execute the product strategy in line with company goals, contracted agents, and source market priorities.

o Translate market trends and client insights, with the support of the team, into innovative product concepts and enhancements.

o Oversee the team’s execution of full product lifecycle, from ideation with agents, through launch, audit procedures, and continuous improvement.

o Monitor and analyse product and sales performance, adjusting strategies as needed.

Leadership & Team Management

o Lead, mentor, and develop the Product Management and Systems teams, fostering a high-performance culture.

o Foster a proactive, commercially minded culture within the Product team, encouraging active participation in sales discussions and product positioning.

o Set clear objectives, priorities, and KPIs for both teams.

o Promote collaboration between product, reservations, operations, marketing, and systems functions.

o Ensure both teams are aligned to strategic business goals and deliver measurable value.

Commercial Strategy & Supplier Partnerships

o Set the overarching commercial framework for supplier contracting, rates, and overrides.

o Guide product managers in supplier negotiations, ensuring profitability and competitiveness.

o Develop and approve, in collaboration with CEO, key supplier agreements and strategic partnerships.

o Oversee risk management related to supplier agreements and service delivery.

Systems Team Oversight

o Oversee the strategic management of core operational system (Tourplan)

o Ensure systems team optimises to support product delivery, pricing and data accuracy, reporting, and client communications.

o Drive system improvements, in collaboration with the CEO, and integrations that enhance efficiency and client experience.

Customer Journey & Sales alignment

o Ensure products and systems together deliver a seamless, high-quality client experience.

o Ensure products and systems together with sales/reservations, embed client feedback into product and system improvements.

o Act as the strategic link between the customer facing teams, ensuring brand and company goals are achieved

o Maintain an in-depth understanding of competitor offerings, market shifts, and source market trends.

o Identify, in collaboration with the team, emerging destinations, experiences, and product categories to expand the portfolio.

o Ensure the sales/reservations team has the tools, knowledge, and positioning needed to succeed.

o Support business development efforts with market insights and product recommendations.

o Enable and coach the Product team to confidently engage in sales conversations, supporting account growth through effective product storytelling and solution selling.

Qualifications & Experience

o Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Tourism, or related field.

o 8–10 years’ experience in senior product or commercial roles within a DMC or similar.

o Proven leadership of cross-functional teams, including product and systems/technology.

o Strong knowledge of Southern African travel products

o Experience with operational systems relevant to travel product delivery (e.g., Tourplan).

o Demonstrated success in driving revenue growth and operational efficiency through product and systems strategies.

o Exceptional leadership, negotiation, and communication skills.

Core Competencies

o Strategic Leadership & Vision

o Product & Commercial Acumen

o Systems & Process Optimisation

o Cross-Functional Collaboration

o Market & Trend Analysis

o Supplier Partnership Management

o Customer-Centric Thinking

o Influencing & Negotiation Skills