Product Developer, IP

Ninety One; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Ninety One is seeking a Product Development professional to help shape and deliver the Ninety One Investment Platform’s product and investment offering. You will assess market opportunities, vet new products and structures, define business requirements, and support implementation across the platform.

You will collaborate with investment, technology, sales, and operations teams to ensure offerings remain competitive and deliver value to advisers and clients.

Qualifications

• Com or related degree is required.
• A CFA designation or actuarial background is advantageous.
• 4+ years of experience in product development, business analysis, investment product, or platform-related roles.
• Understanding of the investment platform industry and how platforms function.
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills; a data science qualification is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Drive and evolve the platform’s investment offering by shaping the investment proposition.
• Assess new investment products, wrappers, and structures for inclusion on the platform.
• Evaluate market developments; consider tokenisation and digital investment models impact.
• Explore opportunities to apply AI to strengthen the platform and capabilities.
• Develop understanding of investment instruments and product structures for advisors and clients.
• Vet new opportunities with commercial, regulatory, and platform perspectives; ensure relevance and competitiveness.
• Translate market and adviser needs into practical product proposals and refine business requirements.

Skills

Analytical ability

Excel / data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Investment product understanding

Education

Com or related degree

CFA designation or actuarial background advantageous

Job description

About us:

Ninety One is an independent, active global asset manager withR4 trillion* of assets under management.

Established in South Africa in 1991, as Investec Asset Management, the firm started offering domestic investments in an emerging market. In 2020, almost three decades of organic growth later, the firm demerged from Investec Group and became Ninety One.

Our distinctive capabilities sit within differentiated fixed income and credit as well as specialist equities, and we have a unique perspective and approach to investment opportunities presented by emerging markets and the energy transition.

*as at30 June 2026

Ninety One is an equal opportunities employer. Our imperative is to attract and retain the best talent by providing a corporate environment where people from varying backgrounds can develop professionally and build a rewarding career.

About the team:

The Product Development team within the Ninety One Investment Platform is focused on continuously enhancing our offering to financial advisors. Our mission is to develop innovative investment products, technology solutions, and operational efficiencies that improve the overall experience for advisors and their clients.

We work closely with investment, technology, sales, and operations teams to identify opportunities for growth and differentiation. Whether it’s refining investment product structures, optimizing platform functionality, or streamlining operational processes, we are committed to delivering forward-thinking solutions that empower financial advisors to serve their clients more effectively.

As part of this team, you will play a role to help shape and deliver the Ninety One Investment Platform’s product and investment offering by assessing market opportunities, vetting new investment products and structures, defining business requirements, and supporting the successful implementation of product and platform. This is a broad product role with exposure across investment products, platform capability, market trends, business requirements, and delivery into production.

In this role you will:

Drive and evolve the platform’s investment offering:

• Help shape and maintain the platform’s investment proposition
• Assess the suitability of new investment products, wrappers, and structures for inclusion on the platform
• Evaluate developments in the market and consider how emerging themes, such as tokenisation and new digital investment models, may affect the platform over time
• Look for opportunities to use AI to further strengthen the platform’s investment offering and other capabilities
• Develop a strong understanding of different investment instruments and product structures that can be made available to advisors and clients
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to vet new investment opportunities from commercial, operational, regulatory, and platform perspectives
• Maintain and improve existing product offerings to ensure they remain relevant and competitive

Assist with requirements for general product development:

• Research the competitive environment and identify product and platform opportunities
• Translate market needs, adviser needs, and business priorities into practical product proposals
• Gather, document, and refine business and product requirements for new developments
• Contribute to business cases for product and platform change

Query Resolution & Issue Management:

• Address queries from Advisors, Sales Consultants and Advisor Liaison teams, covering:
• Investment performance metrics (IRR, asset allocation, performance etc.)
• Investigate product or data issues and coordinate resolution across relevant teams

Assist with requirements for web development:

• Gather and analyse web development requirements from various teams to enhance investment platform features
• Work closely with technology teams to refine user stories and business cases
• Attend JAD sessions
• Assist in process engineering of the to be process
• Manage requirements through the SDLC to testing and implementation

Support regulatory and governance requirements:

• Ensure that new product and platform developments stand up to regulatory and governance scrutiny
• Consider regulatory, operational, tax, and platform implications when assessing new investment offerings
• Support ongoing monitoring processes, including Reg 28-related investigations and query resolution where relevant
• Help ensure that product changes are well governed, documented, and implemented appropriately

You should consider applying if you have:

• Com or related degree is required. A CFA designation or actuarial background is advantageous, to assess new investment opportunities critically
• 4+ years of experience in product development, business analysis, investment product, or platform-related roles within the platform, wealth, asset management, or broader investments industry
• Understanding of the investment platform industry, platform offerings and of how platforms function in general.
• Strong analytical capability and comfort working with financial, product, and operational detail
• Experience engaging across business, technology, operations, and investment stakeholders
• Exposure to regulatory considerations relevant to investment products and platforms
• Strong Excel and data analysis skills, a data science qualification is an advantage

Some of the attributes we look for in a person are:

• Intellectual curiosity and a genuine interest in investments and product innovation
• The ability to analyse, interpret, and articulate complex information clearly
• A proactive approach, with a willingness to take ownership and improve things
• Good judgement and a practical, solutions-oriented mindset

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