Principal Specialist: Loyalty Partnership Manager

Vodafone Group; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company in Midrand is looking for a Principal Specialist: Loyalty & Rewards. The role focuses on managing and optimizing strategic partnerships for the VodaBucks Rewards Programme. The ideal candidate should have a marketing degree and extensive experience in negotiation and partnership management. The position offers competitive benefits and aims to enhance customer engagement and profitability.

Benefits

Enticing incentive programs

Competitive benefit packages

Cell phone and data benefits

Qualifications

• 8 to 10 years of relevant experience with a proven track record in negotiation.
• Experience in dealing with multiple external partners.
• High level of EQ and mindfulness.

Responsibilities

• Lead short and long term commercial opportunities.
• Negotiate sustainable commercial terms with new partners.
• Source new partners in line with VodaBucks Rewards Programme.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking

Relationship building

Analytical skills

Problem solving skills

Strong communicational skills

Education

3 year Degree or National Diploma in Marketing

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 2025.

Role Purpose/Business Unit:

The purpose of the Principal Specialist: Loyalty & Rewards is to Contribute towards the sustainability of the VodaBucks Rewards Programme through sourcing of new partnerships, managing existing strategic partnerships by optimizing commercial terms and identifying market opportunities. Custodianship of benefits for new strategic initiatives in exploiting business opportunities to optimise commercial profitability.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Strategically lead both short and long term commercial opportunities.
• Strategically contribute to building the vision and developing successful practices, supporting management of partners by providing a factual view of partner management specific challenges and long term sustainable plans.
• Source new partners in line with VodaBucks Rewards Programme and Vodacom’s strategic focus areas.
• Negotiate sustainable commercial terms with new partners.
• Review and re-negotiate optimum commercial terms on existing contracts
• Generation of commercially positive ideas that will impact customers and change customer buying behaviour, personalized offers per customer segment/cohort to drive engagement & increase revenue, active days and reduce churn
• Design, brief, maintain, and report on below the line campaign activities to promote upgrades, up-sell & cross-sell and reduce churn using Vodacom Brand CI & tonality guidelines
• Manage the commercial capability roadmap and track delivery of new features and products within the Loyalty team
• Monthly product performance and impact measurement of the activities
• Collaborate with the applied machine learning team to incorporate machine learning into base marketing products and marketing campaigns Working collaboratively with various Business Units within VSA, VB and Group
• Proactively develop relationships with key internal & external stakeholder’s to ensure co-operation with regards to financial optimization
• Understand and manage risks and risk incidents relevant to the role in collaboration with Risk and Legal

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• 3 year Degree or National Diploma in Marketing or related
• 8 to 10 year’s relevant experience with Proven track record in negotiation
• Experience in dealing with multiple external partners, legal leverage and commercialisation is essential
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Relating and networking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Understanding of both the current Telecommunications and digital services market and emerging business and technology trends
• High level of EQ and mindfulness

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:

• Market awareness (locally & internationally)
• Innovator and disruptor at heart
• Relationship building
• Excellent Negotiation skills
• Persuasiveness and influential
• Integrity
• Strong financial skills
• Adapting and responding to change
• Analytical skills
• Problem solving skills
• Decisiveness and initiating action
• Ability to work independently with strong problem solving attributes
• Strong communicational skills, written and oral presentations and the ability to communicate propositions in an efficient manner.
• Ability to work in complex environments, with the ability to influence and persuade stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes.
• Ability to communicate effectively, think strategically and implement tactically with proven business skills
• Experience in working in agile based organisations

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: 25 November 2025.

The base location for this role is Vodacom, Midrand 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.