Principal Specialist: Data Products

Vodacom; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive programs

Competitive benefits

Medical aid + retirement funds

Job summary

Vodacom in Midrand is seeking a strategic leader to combine data product management with data culture change, embedding a data-first mindset across the Group and operating companies. You will translate the Group Data Strategy into tangible Data Products, coordinate the Data Product Delivery Squads, and drive data literacy, capability uplift and change management initiatives across Group and markets.

Collaborate with leaders in data, engineering and science to ensure scalable, high-quality

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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 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.

Skills

Data product management

Data strategy

Data analytics

Stakeholder management

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information System or Computer Science

Job description

When it comes to putting people first, we're number 1.

The number 1 Top Employer in South Africa.

Certified by the Top Employer Institute 2026.

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, 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.

The base location for this role is Midrand, Vodacom Campus.

The company's approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.

Vodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates, and values diversity & inclusion.