Principal Proposition Manager

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Role Purpose/Business Unit:

• Help Vodacom become the preferred partner of all SME businesses in their digitalization and transformation journey by providing leadership and hands-on direction to a cross-functional team of Product, Customer value management and Sales members to deliver relevant, market-leading propositions.
• As Vodacom, we know the significant contribution SMME’s make to the economy and the important role these businesses play in the sustainability of our country and continent. To provide better support and enablement to this unique and diverse segment of customers, this role will be responsible for shaping the strategic direction of this segment across our enterprise and financial services business units as well as drive the prioritisation of initiatives that will enable us increase our market share in the mobile, beyond mobile and financial services categories we compete in.
• The successful candidate is a customer obsessed and commercially savvy individual that thinks strategically and executes effectively. Required to lead the impact assessment of market trends, activity across a diverse competitive landscape and our business strategy, they must have the ability to translate data and insights into customer level execution plans with ease. Since the businesses within the SME segment are more mature, candidate must be a seasoned professional with extensive B2B knowledge.
• They must be able to work well independently, as part of a team, or create high-performing cross-functional teams necessary to deliver against our strategy. Since this is a relatively “new” area, they must be able to navigate ambiguity and be comfortable to challenge the status quo across business units and support areas.
• This role will require establishing strong working relationships with the direct and indirect distribution channel for SME value propositions and products roll out.

Your responsibilities will include:

Market Research & Testing

• Understand customer needs, preferences, and pain points
• Deep research/understanding of what motivates customers to choose one proposition over another (Focus Groups, Secondary Data, etc.)
• Gathering data on market trends, competitor propositions and industry dynamics.
• Test proposition in the market with customers
• Conducting POC’s and fine-tuning propositions
• Support in market development and assist sales in selling the first few units in market

Value Propositions Management

• Based on customer insights/needs, design and implement the proposition in line with SME business strategy and sub-segment.
• Ensure that each proposition highlights its unique differentiation, benefits and advantages
• Grow the SME business market share by sub segment (micro, small, medium), in performance and revenue, by product/channel vs. budget
• Customer NPS by subsegment
• Drive revenue growth and market penetration together with the respective distribution channels to meet PNL targets.
• Primary ownership of SME value proposition and product strategy and interworking with distribution across all channels.
• Develop a deep research and customer Business Intelligence practice with Dashboards, weekly trends, competitor analysis, etc. to inform the Value Proposition strategy.
• Ensure successful SME product roll out through partnerships with different channel owners.
• Develop KPIs and analytics to support pricing and P&L growth
• Manage sales and revenue execution of various value propositions across the various distribution channels, embed value propositions into the various channel sales plans
• SME Segmentation, insights, market/revenue share achievement
• National: Sales, Revenue & Margin achievement
• Distribution channels sales and coverage target achievement
• Customer Satisfaction scores for the segment ( NPS )

Market Development

• Present to customers and strategic partners on value proposition strategy
• Drive strategic deals with customers through new propositions developed to support PNL growth targets
• Develop strategic partnerships to scale the sales of developed propositions with channel partners and extract the required sales/revenues.
• Drive the closure of the first few deals of a new propositions, to enable the sales teams to understand the USP and to scale the sales in the market

GTM Design

• Working with sales in defining channels to market
• Define the GTM strategy to achieve sales, revenue, profit targets
• Work with marketing in designing campaigns to drive the required demand
• Drive market awareness campaigns that position the SME mindshare of Vodacom being the digitisation partner of choice for SME’s
• Negotiate for marketing budget to launch particular propositions

Stakeholder Management & Business Development

• Collaborate, champion and enable effective leadership and cross-functional working relationships to create a unique, superior customer experience based on leadership practice. Connect and leverage the skills of various functional teams to generate synergy across all the different customer touch points
• Collaborate with industry vertical leads and teams on Sales Strategies and Plans to unlock growth in scaling industries and/or strategic accounts
• Present to customers/partners on Value Propositions to close strategic / high value deals
• Internal and External stakeholder engagement and partner management related to growth of segment
• Establish and monitor healthy, diverse internal and external relations and implement remedial actions where required, in the achievement of organisational goals.
• Develop and maintain key account relationships with channel partners, ensuring that channel partners are aligned to the customer experience expectations and to the sales partner strategy framework.

Delivering through People:

• Oversee the activities of the team to ensure effective delivery of business outcomes.
• Supports and enables the team to succeed by encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members amongst other enablement initiatives.
• Create fit for future organization capability through skills development informed by skill gap analysis in line with business strategy and ensuring that the identified skills gaps, are addressed through training.
• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance management process, informal coaching through continuous 1:1 performance discussion
• Embed the Spirit of Vodacom by living the Spirit behaviours and ensuring consistent Spirit engagement initiatives.
• When required, initiate disciplinary processes for team members calling on support from HR when required
• Resolve grievances raised by team members and escalate only if required
• Motivate team members and ensure that their efforts are recognised by using Vodafone Stars platform.

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• B Degree/Equivalent in engineering, commerce, business science
• Post-graduate degree or diploma in the related fields an advantage
• 7+ Years of Experience in B2B business development, Product Management, Segment Marketing
• ICT or financial services experience essential

Technical Competencies

• Strategic mind set and out of box thinking
• Experience in solution selling within enterprise customers
• Deep understanding of the customer’s business, it’s market and industry alongside key decision-makers and influencers in account organisation
• Ability to translate customer’s objectives and strategy into relevant Vodacom Business propositions
• Robust understanding of account P&L
• Experience working in multinational matrix organisation
• Successful track record of managing multi- industry sales teams and demonstrate profitable revenue growth
• Strategic Thinking: Effectively delivers against assigned strategy, exceeding expectations. Translates strategy into clear areas of focus and priorities for
• In depth understanding of segmentation strategies and proposition management

Behavioural Competencies

• Customer Focus: Prioritizing customer needs and delivering excellent service
• Accountability: seeks feedback and identifies opportunities for improvement or innovation
• Collaboration: Actively fosters collaboration, seeks input and effectively partners
• Resilience: Actively seeks opportunities for growth, demonstrates a strong commitment to self-improvement and has a growth mindset
• Flexibility: uses various techniques to influence others (lobbies, approaches decision makers, finds sponsors)
• People Management: Ensure team work together to deliver on their responsibilities creating accountability and ownership
• Organizational Savvy: Demonstrates strong understanding of assigned strategy for the Business/ Function and creates strong team alignment to the strategy.

We make an impact by offering:

• Enticing incentive programs and competitive benefit packages
• Retirement funds, risk benefits, and medical aid benefits
• Cell phone and data benefits, advantages fibre connection discounts, and exclusive staff discounts offered in collaboration with partner companies

Closing date for Applications: 16 May 2025. 

The base location for this role is Vodacom Midrand Campus.

The company's approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.
Vodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates, and values diversity & inclusion.