📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Product Lead (Retention & Growth)
🔹 Company: Takealot.com
🔹 Location: Cape Town, South Africa
🔹 Job Type: Full-time, Hybrid
🔹 Category: Retail, E-commerce
🔹 Date Posted: June 25, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 8+ years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site (Hybrid)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Defining and driving the product vision and strategy for retention and growth
- Leading the product development lifecycle, from problem framing to execution
- Collaborating cross-functionally to deliver exceptional customer experiences
- Leveraging data and experimentation to continuously improve the product
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of strategic thinking, analytical skills, and customer empathy to succeed.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Define a compelling long-term product vision and strategy for your product area, aligned with business goals and grounded in customer needs
✅ Own and maintain an actionable product roadmap that clearly prioritizes features, enhancements, and strategic initiatives
✅ Lead the full product development lifecycle, collaborating with cross-functional partners to run discovery, define requirements, drive delivery, support experimentation and user testing, and ensure high-quality outcomes
✅ Serve as the thought leader and champion of the digital customer experience within your domain, representing your product vision to internal stakeholders and senior leadership
✅ Drive alignment and collaboration across disciplines, influencing related product roadmaps to ensure coherence, scalability, and a seamless experience across the platform
✅ Leverage data and experimentation to continuously improve the product, analyzing performance, testing hypotheses, monitoring key metrics, and using customer insights to identify and deliver impactful optimizations
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strong understanding of growth loops, funnels, A/B testing, and experimentation frameworks, as well as familiarity with user segmentation, cohort analysis, and LTV modeling.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Minimum bachelor’s degree, preferably in engineering
Experience: 8+ years of product management experience, with at least 3-5 years focused on product leadership/strategy (Bonus if loyalty/growth related strategy)
Required Skills:
- Vision & Strategic Thinking: Define clear, ambitious product visions and translate them into cohesive strategies across multiple teams
- Product Craft & Execution: Envision, build, and scale customer-facing products, with a proven track record of delivering impact through exceptional product thinking, strong execution, and a deep understanding of what it takes to ship and scale successful digital experiences
- Customer-Obsessed Problem Solving: Lead with curiosity and empathy, constantly seeking to understand user needs, pain points, and behaviors
- Commercial and Market Acumen: Use data, user insights, and competitive intelligence to assess opportunities and make informed decisions
- Analytical Rigor: Interpret quantitative and qualitative signals, with understanding of growth loops, funnels, A/B testing, and experimentation frameworks
- Thoughtful Leadership: Lead with humility, curiosity, and conviction, mentoring and developing product talent, fostering a high-performing, customer-focused culture
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with loyalty, growth, and retention strategy, growth models such as PLG (Product-Led Growth)
ASSUMPTION: Experience in consumer tech, e-commerce, marketplaces, or subscription-based platforms is highly preferred.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: R1,200,000 - R1,800,000 per annum (Based on industry standards for a senior product role in South Africa)
Benefits:
- Market-related Total Remuneration Package with full flexibility
- Staff discount across 28 departments
- Birthday leave
- Remote working (Hybrid model)
- Mentorship programme
- Online learning opportunities
- Confidential counselling, legal support, and financial guidance
- Free parking
Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexible hours and work-from-home options
ASSUMPTION: The salary range is estimated based on industry standards for a senior product role in South Africa, with consideration for the company's size and the role's responsibilities.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Takealot.com operates in the competitive retail and e-commerce industry in South Africa, with a focus on providing a customer-centric online shopping experience
Company Size: Takealot.com is a mid-sized company with 1,001-5,000 employees, offering a dynamic and collaborative work environment
Founded: Takealot.com was founded in 2011 and has since grown to become one of the largest e-commerce retailers on the African continent
Company Description:
- Takealot.com is the leading eCommerce retailer in South Africa, offering a wide range of products across 28 departments
- The company is committed to improving the customer experience, from the moment they arrive on the website to the moment they receive their order
- Takealot.com is dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement, with a focus on aligning itself to the philosophy that the customer comes first
Company Specialties:
- Online Retail
- Online Marketing
- Open Source Development
- Logistics and Warehousing
- E-commerce and innovation
Company Website: Takealot.com
ASSUMPTION: Takealot.com's focus on customer-centricity and continuous improvement creates an environment that values innovation and adaptability.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is at the senior leadership level, with the potential for further growth and development within the organization
Reporting Structure: The Product Lead (Retention & Growth) reports directly to the Head of Product
Work Arrangement: This role operates on a hybrid work arrangement, with a combination of on-site and remote work
Growth Opportunities:
- Takealot.com offers a mentorship program to help employees grow and develop their skills
- The company provides online learning opportunities through platforms such as MyAcademy, Udacity, Coursera, and more
- Takealot.com promotes from within, offering opportunities for career progression within the organization
ASSUMPTION: The hybrid work arrangement and focus on employee growth and development create an environment that supports work-life balance and long-term career success.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Takealot.com's headquarters is located in Cape Town, with a modern and collaborative work environment
Office Location(s): Takealot.com's headquarters is located at 116 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
Geographic Context:
- Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, with a diverse and vibrant culture
- The city is known for its natural beauty, with beaches, mountains, and wine regions nearby
- Cape Town offers a high quality of life, with a range of housing options, excellent schools, and a thriving arts and culture scene
Work Schedule: The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexible working hours and the ability to work from home when needed
ASSUMPTION: The hybrid work arrangement and flexible working hours create an environment that supports a healthy work-life balance.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application and resume screening
- Phone or video screening with the HR team
- On-site or virtual interview with the hiring manager and team members
- Final round interview with senior leadership
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
- Analytical and data-driven approach to decision-making
- Customer-centric mindset and ability to understand user needs
- Leadership and team collaboration skills
- Cultural fit and alignment with Takealot.com's values
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role
- Be prepared to discuss your approach to product management, strategic thinking, and customer-centric design
- Demonstrate your understanding of Takealot.com's business and the retail e-commerce industry
ATS Keywords: Product Management, Strategic Thinking, Customer Empathy, Analytical Skills, Problem Solving, Leadership, Collaboration, Data Analysis, Market Acumen, Execution, Innovation, User Testing, Growth Strategy, Digital Experience, Product Discovery, Customer Insights
ASSUMPTION: Takealot.com's interview process is designed to assess candidates' strategic thinking, analytical skills, and cultural fit, with a focus on finding the best fit for the role and the organization.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- JIRA
- Confluence
- Google Suite (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Sheets)
- Data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)
- Customer analytics tools (e.g., Mixpanel, Amplitude)
ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies listed are commonly used in product management roles and may vary depending on the specific needs of the role and the organization.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Customer-centricity
- Innovation and continuous improvement
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Accountability and ownership
- Integrity and respect
Work Style:
- Dynamic and fast-paced work environment
- Focus on results and delivery
- Data-driven decision-making
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Flexible and adaptable approach to work
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you have a strong customer-centric mindset and a deep understanding of user needs?
- Are you comfortable working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, with a focus on results and delivery?
- Do you have strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills?
- Are you an effective collaborator, able to work well with cross-functional teams?
- Do you have a flexible and adaptable approach to work, with a willingness to learn and grow in your role?
ASSUMPTION: Takealot.com's culture values customer-centricity, innovation, collaboration, accountability, integrity, and respect, with a focus on results and delivery in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment may require adaptability and resilience
- The role may involve managing competing priorities and making trade-offs between short-term and long-term goals
- The hybrid work arrangement may present challenges in maintaining work-life balance and staying connected with the team
- Cape Town's high cost of living may present financial challenges for some employees
ASSUMPTION: The potential challenges listed are common to roles in fast-growing organizations and may vary depending on the individual's personal circumstances and preferences.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- Compared to other product management roles, this role has a strong focus on retention and growth strategies, with a specific emphasis on loyalty and customer engagement
- In the retail e-commerce industry, this role requires a deep understanding of customer behavior, market trends, and competitive dynamics
- Career progression in this role may lead to senior leadership positions within the product organization or other areas of the business
ASSUMPTION: This role is unique in its focus on retention and growth strategies, with a specific emphasis on loyalty and customer engagement, and may require additional skills and expertise compared to other product management roles.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and implementing a customer loyalty program to increase retention and engagement
- Analyzing customer data to identify trends and opportunities for growth and optimization
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to design and launch new features and products that drive customer acquisition and retention
ASSUMPTION: The sample projects listed are illustrative of the types of initiatives a Product Lead (Retention & Growth) might work on, and may vary depending on the specific needs of the organization and the market.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the current state of the retention and growth strategies, and how this role fits into the broader product vision?
- How does the team collaborate and make decisions, and what is the dynamic like working with cross-functional partners?
- What are the key priorities for this role in the first 30, 60, and 90 days, and how will success be measured?
- How does Takealot.com support the professional development and growth of its employees, and what opportunities are there for career progression within the organization?
- What is the company's approach to work-life balance, and how does the hybrid work arrangement support this?
ASSUMPTION: The key questions listed are designed to help candidates understand the role, the team, and the organization, and to assess their fit for the position.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through the Takealot.com Careers page
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role, with a focus on strategic thinking, customer-centric design, and data-driven decision-making
- Prepare for the interview by researching Takealot.com's business, the retail e-commerce industry, and the specific challenges and opportunities facing the company
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after your interview to express your continued interest in the role and to ask any remaining questions
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
