Senior Product Manager

Paracon; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A trusted news brand in South Africa is searching for a Senior Product Manager to drive digital innovation. The 6-month contract requires a leader with over 7 years of experience in product management, especially in a digital/mobile environment. Responsibilities include enhancing digital products, leading product development, and driving significant business value through innovative solutions.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of product management experience, especially in digital/mobile environments.
• Proven track record in senior leadership roles.
• Experience with Agile and Lean methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the enhancement of digital products and user experience.
• Drive innovative concepts for new digital publishing products.
• Manage product lifecycle and lead product rollouts.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical Thinking

Agile Methodology

Product Development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Post-graduate qualification

Job description

This is a premier opportunity for a highly experienced, data-driven Senior Product Manager to immediately drive significant digital innovation for one of South Africa's most trusted news brands.

This is a 6-month contract role the company is searching for a multi-skilled leader with exceptional interpersonal skills to join our fast-paced newsroom.

This is a strategic, hands‑on role where you will use your advanced product expertise to lead the development of innovative solutions and maintain company position at the forefront of the news landscape.

What You'll Be Doing (The Core Mission)

• Act as the strategic lead for enhancing and optimizing all of the company’s digital products, ensuring the highest standards in product quality and user experience.
• Develop and drive innovative concepts to enhance or create new digital publishing products, focusing on improving the user experience and driving business value.
• Collaborate closely with technical and editorial teams to specify, prioritize, and manage product requirements (user stories, feature definitions).
• Act as a senior advisor and operational champion for editorial and product queries, workflows, troubleshooting, and senior‑level escalation.
• Monitor industry trends, technologies, and emerging best practices to keep the company ahead of the curve and inform strategic product direction.
• Manage the entire product lifecycle for both existing digital assets and emerging projects across the company.
• Lead product rollouts, testing, training, and continuous optimization efforts.

What You'll Need (Qualifications & Experience)

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (post‑graduate qualification is a distinct advantage).
• Experience: A minimum of 7+ years of product management experience, with at least 5 years in a dedicated digital/mobile environment, and a proven track record in a senior or leadership capacity.
• Methodology: Significant experience with Agile and Lean product development methodologies.
• Data Fluency: Highly data‑driven and analytically minded, with the proven ability to inform decision‑making through research and insight.
• Technical Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of prevailing and emerging digital and mobile trends and technologies.
• Track Record: Consistent track record of successful product launches and driving significant, measurable business value.
• Key Skills & Competencies: Exceptional leadership, communication, and presentation skills; the confidence to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels; expertise in managing diverse workloads and applying strategic prioritization to maximize ROI; excellent judgment, analytical thinking, and meticulous attention to detail; a professional, assertive, proactive, and quality-oriented approach.