Product Specialist Sport (Hybrid)

Findojobs South Africa; Wes-Kaap; Hybrid; ZAR 800,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company in South Africa seeks a Product Specialist Sport to lead local operations and enhance client satisfaction. This role requires exceptional leadership and technical skills to manage a cross-functional team and implement effective strategies in the local sports market. The ideal candidate has experience in ticketing and live events, strong communication skills, and a results-driven approach.

Benefits

Inclusive work culture

Opportunities for professional development

Qualifications

• Experience leading and growing cross-functional teams.
• Fluency in English and local business language.
• Proven ability to manage stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of the sports platform.
• Manage a local sports team of client support experts.
• Develop action plans for service level improvements.

Skills

Leadership

Client support expertise

Communication skills

Project management

Technical acumen

Job description

THE JOB

In this role as Product Specialist Sport– South Africa, you will report to the Senior Director Operations – Middle East & Africa. This is a senior role within the Ticketmaster Local team, supporting the Regional and Global International Sports Leadership team in developing and delivering the business strategy within Sport.

You are expected to be an ambitious, results-driven leader responsible for providing leadership to employees and delivering outstanding client support. This includes accountability for client satisfaction, meeting service level standards, driving efficiency, and improving employee performance in the South African Region.

You will work closely with the Senior Director Operations – Middle East & Africa and the Managing Director to facilitate the implementation of our sports platform and collaborate with application providers. You will oversee performance improvement and cost efficiency initiatives in the market, while servicing local sports market and client needs as a priority. Collaboration with other Regional leads to ensure communication standardization and efficiencies is also required.

As a Product Specialist in our sports division, your role is to strengthen Ticketmaster’s client relations and increase client satisfaction through collaboration with other local and regional client-facing teams.

You will demonstrate outstanding leadership skills, combining market and management experience with business strategy to add value, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence throughout the workforce.

This hands-on role requires strategic thinking, operational and business acumen, and client-facing expertise.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

• Lead the implementation of our sports platform, ensuring timely delivery aligned with client requirements.
• Proactively manage a local sports team of client support and operations experts under the guidance of the Senior Director.
• Assist in building the Client Support, Event Management, Product Operations, and Field Operations structures following International Operations principles for South Africa.
• Build and maintain excellent client and interdepartmental relationships.
• Collaborate with Regional Operations teams on performance improvement and cost efficiency strategies, including load balancing.
• Maintain strong relationships with sports application developers and oversee implementation and integration.
• Ensure company OKRs are met.
• Own and be accountable for service quality and performance KPIs in the market.
• Oversee support for our Sports system and products provided to clients.
• Stay current with software features and their impact on clients.
• Provide support and best practices for all Sports products.
• Research client challenges regarding service levels and develop action plans for improvements.
• Ensure team compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Adjust staffing to maximize productivity.
• Guide team members, monitor their performance, discipline, and attendance.
• Collaborate with other Ticketmaster function leads to enhance cooperation and share best practices.
• Drive a culture of innovation and excellence, emphasizing internal communication.
• Mentor, support, and develop people across the market.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (or TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS)

You must demonstrate high-level business acumen and sector knowledge related to international ticketing and live entertainment.

• Experience leading and growing successful cross-functional teams in international or global organizations.
• Experience with complex technical system implementations from platform to application.
• Experience in cross-platform integrations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Fluency in the local business language and strong English skills.
• Experience managing stakeholder relationships, including reimbursement processes.
• Experience in ticketing, live events, promotion, e-business, media, or entertainment industries is preferred.
• Proven leadership ability.
• Experience in project management and implementation.
• Innovative, flexible, and results-oriented approach.

BEHAVIORAL REQUIREMENTS

The following attributes are essential for success:

• Careful consideration of issues and factors affecting decisions.
• Making high-quality decisions promptly, considering immediate and long-term impacts.
• Asking questions to ensure understanding and generate innovative solutions.
• Responding flexibly and resiliently to demands, priorities, ambiguity, or change.
• Effective time management and planning for future needs.
• Clear communication of goals and expectations; confronting difficult issues.
• Leading change, reducing resistance, and persuading others.
• Demonstrating ethical behavior.
• Strong technical skills.
• Building and fostering trust-based relationships with clients and partners.
• Teamwork, networking, and empathetic collaboration skills.

LIFE AT TICKETMASTER

We are part of Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s largest live entertainment company.

Our vision is to connect people worldwide to live events they love. As the largest ticket marketplace and provider of enterprise tools for live entertainment, we are committed to that vision.

We promote a passionate, diverse, and inclusive culture, encouraging employees to bring their whole selves to work, develop professionally and personally, and learn from talented colleagues.

Our values include:

Reliability, Teamwork, Integrity, and Belonging.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

We are dedicated to diversity and inclusion, providing an inclusive environment where all can thrive. We encourage applications regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or caring responsibilities.

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