Gauteng: CPE Product Manager – telecoms posted by Recruit-It

• Develop and maintain the CPE portfolio strategy across:
• Consumer broadband and fixed wireless access
• SME and enterprise connectivity
• Private 5G and industry-specific deployments
• Define segment-based device requirements by use case, customer profile, price point, performance tier, and install model
• Own the end-to-end lifecycle of CPE products from evaluation and business case development through launch, optimization, refresh, and retirement
• Ensure CPE roadmap alignment with broader access, enterprise, and private network product strategies

 
Product definition and feature management:

• Define product and technical requirements for CPE devices across all supported segments
• Prioritize features such as:
• Indoor and outdoor deployment models
• Wi-Fi capability and in-home performance
• Remote diagnostics and device management
• Zero-touch provisioning
• Security and policy management
• Enterprise networking and branch connectivity support
• Ruggedization and environmental suitability where required
• Private 5G integration and on-premises deployment support
• Ensure device requirements align with customer experience, commercial needs, and operational practicality

 
Enterprise and private 5G support:

• Define CPE requirements that enable enterprise-grade connectivity and managed access services
• Support private 5G product teams with device strategy for use cases including campuses, mines, logistics, utilities, factories, healthcare, and branch environments
• Ensure that selected devices support repeatable deployment, service assurance, and lifecycle support in enterprise and industrial settings

 
Vendor and partner management:

• Manage relationships with CPE vendors, ODMs, chipset providers, software suppliers, and certification partners
• Evaluate vendors based on:
• Technical suitability
• Security posture
• Roadmap maturity
• Lifecycle support
• Commercial competitiveness
• Enterprise and private 5G readiness
• Lead vendor selection, product evaluation, and ongoing portfolio performance reviews
• Support commercial negotiations and reduce undue vendor dependency where appropriate

 
Operational alignment and lifecycle support:

• Work closely with operations, supply chain, field teams, and customer support to ensure product readiness and scalability
• Improve install success, replacement workflows, firmware lifecycle management, and device observability
• Support inventory planning, certification, in-life support, and end-of-life transitions
• Ensure that portfolio decisions are supportable at scale in real operating conditions

 
Cross-functional collaboration:

• Coordinate with:
• Product teams
• Engineering and network teams
• Enterprise and private 5G teams
• Procurement and logistics
• Customer operations
• Finance
• Legal, regulatory, and compliance stakeholders
• Translate technical and operational trade-offs into clear commercial recommendations for leadership

 
Key performance indicators:
Success in this role will typically be measured against:

• Portfolio gross margin and cost-to-serve performance
• Speed of product launch and refresh execution
• Installation success rates
• Device return and failure rates
• Support ticket reduction and operational efficiency
• Customer experience and service quality outcomes
• Enterprise and private 5G deployment readiness
• Vendor performance and roadmap alignment
• Contribution to scalable access and connectivity growth

 
Qualifications and experience
Minimum requirements

• Relevant product management experience in telecommunications, connectivity, networking, broadband, or adjacent technology sectors
• Demonstrated experience managing hardware-enabled or connectivity-based product portfolios
• Experience building business cases and managing cross-functional delivery

 
Preferred requirements:

• Experience in one or more of the following:
• Fixed wireless access
• Broadband CPE
• Enterprise networking
• Managed connectivity
• Private LTE / private 5G
• Familiarity with device management, provisioning, and lifecycle practices
• Experience working with vendors, OEMs, ODMs, or network equipment providers
• Exposure to enterprise, industrial, or operational telecom environments

 
Knowledge and skills:

• Strong commercial and financial acumen
• Solid understanding of CPE technologies and deployment models
• Ability to interpret technical requirements and convert them into product and business decisions
• Strong analytical, planning, and prioritization skills
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional communication
• Experience with vendor evaluation and negotiation
• Ability to manage multiple product lines and lifecycle timelines simultaneously

 
Competencies:

• Strategic thinking
• Customer and market orientation
• Ownership and accountability
• Problem solving and decision making
• Collaboration and influence
• Execution discipline
• Commercial judgment
• Adaptability in fast-changing technology environments

 
Working relationships
The role will work closely with:
 

• Consumer product teams
• Enterprise product teams
• Private 5G product and solution teams
• Network engineering and architecture
• Procurement and supply chain
• Field operations and customer support
• Finance and commercial leadership
• Device and platform vendors

 
Role summary
The CPE Product Manager plays a critical role in ensuring that device strategy enables scalable,
commercially viable, and operationally supportable connectivity products across consumer, enterprise, and private 5G segments. This role is a core enabler of access-product competitiveness and long-term service innovation.