Team Lead - Item Coding Management

BuddiesHR; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Circana is seeking a Team Lead - Item Coding Management to guide a cross-functional team responsible for item acquisition, coding, enrichment, matching, and content management. The primary objective is to establish scalable, accurate item dictionaries that support client requirements and high-quality delivery.

The leader will ensure quality and scalability of the item dictionary, partnering with Product, Technology, and Engineering to improve automation, speed, and data foundations for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Analytics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in Item Management, Product Information Management, Master Data, Data Operations, Analytics Operations, or related environments.
• Experience leading operational teams and delivering business-critical outcomes.
• Experience building, managing, or improving item dictionaries, classification frameworks, product hierarchies, or master data structures.
• Demonstrated success improving quality, productivity, consistency, or scalability.
• Strong understanding of how data quality impacts client delivery.
• Ability to identify operational constraints and translate them into actionable improvements.
• Experience partnering effectively with Product, Technology, and Engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Item Management team and deliver client-ready item dictionaries.
• Own dictionary quality, completeness, consistency, and client readiness.
• Ensure item structures scale across categories, customers, and business needs.
• Evaluate and validate third-party content and data sources.
• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team focused on quality, continuous improvement, and professional growth.

Skills

People leadership

Operational excellence

Data quality focus

Cross-functional collaboration

Process improvement

AI-enabled thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Engineering/CS/IS/Data Analytics

Tools

PIM systems

Data management tools

AI tools

Job description

Circana is a leading provider of technology, AI, and data solutions for consumer packaged goods companies, manufacturers, and retailers. Our predictive analytics and Liquid Data® platform help clients measure market share, uncover consumer behavior, and drive growth—powered by six decades of expertise and an expansive, high-quality data set.

At Circana, we are fueled by our passion for continuous learning and growth, we seek and share feedback freely, and we celebrate victories both big and small in an environment that is flexible and accommodating to our work and personal lives. We’re a global company dedicated to fostering inclusivity and belonging. We value and celebrate the unique experiences, cultures, and viewpoints that each individual brings. By embracing a wide range of backgrounds, skills, expertise, and beyond, we create a stronger, more innovative environment for our employees, clients, and communities. With us, you can always bring your full self to work. Join our inclusive, committed team to be a challenger, own outcomes, and stay curious together. Circana is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place To Work®. This prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Circana. Learn more at www.circana.com.

Role Overview

The Team Lead - Item Coding Management is responsible for leading a team responsible for Item Acquisition & Intake, Coding & Enrichment, Matching & Identity Resolution, Quality Control, and Item Content Management.

The primary objective of this role is to establish scalable, accurate, and client-ready item dictionaries that support customer requirements and high-quality client delivery. Success is measured by the organization's ability to maintain complete, accurate, and commercially relevant item structures that support current and future business needs.

This leader is accountable for the quality, consistency, and scalability of the item dictionary. They are responsible for building item foundations with near-zero error tolerance while enabling highly automated ongoing operations.

The successful candidate combines strong people leadership, operational excellence, and a technology-first mindset. Working closely with Product, Commercial, Technology, and Engineering teams, the role drives improvements in quality, speed, automation, and scalability and understands that sustainable AI adoption depends on high-quality data foundations.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the Item Management team and deliver client-ready item dictionaries.
• Own dictionary quality, completeness, consistency, and client readiness.
• Ensure item structures scale across categories, customers, and business needs.
• Evaluate and validate third-party content and data sources.
• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team focused on quality, continuous improvement, and professional growth.

Success Measures

• Dictionary readiness for client delivery.
• Dictionary accuracy and completeness.
• Automation rate.
• Scalability without proportional headcount growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Analytics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in Item Management, Product Information Management, Master Data, Data Operations, Analytics Operations, or related environments.
• Experience leading operational teams and delivering business-critical outcomes.
• Experience building, managing, or improving item dictionaries, classification frameworks, product hierarchies, or master data structures.
• Demonstrated success improving quality, productivity, consistency, or scalability.
• Strong understanding of how data quality impacts client delivery.
• Ability to identify operational constraints and translate them into actionable improvements.
• Experience partnering effectively with Product, Technology, and Engineering teams.

Qualifications for Success

• Experience in retail, consumer goods, market measurement, analytics, or information services.
• Experience evaluating and integrating third-party content or product data sources.
• Demonstrated success driving automation, process improvement, or operational transformation initiatives.
• Practical experience applying AI, automation, or digital tools to improve productivity and business outcomes.
• Strong interest in AI-enabled operating models and data foundations that support automation at scale.

Beyond technical skills, experience, and role-specific attributes, these shared behaviors are fundamental to our culture and success. We seek individuals who consistently demonstrate and champion these behaviors in their daily work:

• Stay Curious: Being hungry to learn and grow, always asking the big questions.
• Seek Clarity: Embracing complexity to create clarity and inspire action.
• Own the Outcome: Being accountable for decisions and taking ownership of our choices.
• Center on the Client: Relentlessly adding value for our customers.
• Be a Challenger: Never complacent, always striving for continuous improvement.
• Champion Inclusivity: Fostering trust in relationships engaging with empathy, respect, and integrity.
• Commit to each other: Contributing to making Circana a great place to work for everyone.

Location: This position can be located in the following area(s): Cape Town / Johannesburg, South Africa