We are currently seeking a Senior Specialist – Product Manager to join our dynamic team in Durban Jacobs, responsible for managing the product portfolio for the South African domestic market. The role is strongly product-management centric, encompassing product planning, development, and full lifecycle management to ensure a competitive and relevant offering for local customers. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated individual who will take ownership of steering the product range both in the short and long term, aligning products to market needs, customer insights, and business strategy. The role requires close collaboration with Sales, Supply Chain, R&D, and HQ PM teams to successfully execute new product launches and drive the ongoing success of the current product range.

       KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Create long-term and short-term product range plans.
• Conduct ongoing market, competitor, and consumer analysis to identify product gaps, feature opportunities, and pricing benchmarks.
• Manage products across the entire lifecycle from concept, development, launch, growth, and phase-out.
• Support and coordinate product launches, including launch documentation, training material, and collaboration with marketing and sales teams.
• Facilitate and support pricing strategy, margin management, and profitability analysis for product ranges.
• To maintain the Key product development files: NPI, SKU Monitoring, Model retail pricing target, Product Introduction Calendar.
• To monitor, manage and communicate internally all relevant legislations (energy, environmental and safety standards) affecting all products.
• To work closely with the production plants providing product briefs and to guide them on product design, feature trends and to keep to date on market related costs.
• To provide effective and timely communication and support to internal customers such as Sales, Customer Support, Supply Chain and Service teams on all product related issues including conveying USPs, sales performance, market positioning, technical and commercial issues to ensure internal customers are up to date with all product related issues.
• Analyse sell-out data, market share trends, and product performance metrics to guide range optimization. Take related actions to improve performance or rationalize range to maintain a competitiveness.
• To develop marketable communications concepts through strong technical knowledge backed by qualified data capable of supporting potential product promotional claims.
• Support in stock review and forecast evaluations on new models as well as key strategic models for market share growth and sales distribution proposals thereof.

       MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• BSc Degree in Engineering (preferrable), Business, Marketing
• 2–5 years’ experience in product, category, or commercial roles (FMCG or consumer durables preferred)
• Exposure to end-to-end product lifecycle management, from concept to launch and post-launch analysis/performance tracking
• Strong analytical and technical skills, with confidence working with data and insights
• Experience with forecasting, demand planning, and stock control
• Confident in creating and presenting data-led recommendations
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with marketing, sales, supply chain, and technical teams
• Growth mindset – adaptable, curious, and eager to learn