Sandton: Junior Product Manager – (PERMANENT) posted by PM Connection

• Our client is seeking to hire a Junior Product Manager who will be responsible for managing a set of products or product lines throughout the entire product lifecycle, from ideation and development to launch, post-launch support, and eventual discontinuance. This role will ensure the alignment of cross-functional business processes when new products are introduced, working collaboratively across departments such as sales, development, operations, and production.
• The Junior Product Manager will represent the voice of the customer and maintain a strong interface between internal teams and external stakeholders, including international original equipment manufacturers. A sound understanding of payments trends, including alternative payment solutions and the future of the payments industry, is essential to support innovation and strategic product alignment within the business

Key Responsibilities:

Product Ideation and Evaluation

• Solicit and contribute ideas for new products by engaging with stakeholders and gathering input from both internal and external sources.
• Collect and analyse data on new product concepts and assist in assessing the viability of new product lines.
• Perform market and user research to identify trends and opportunities.

Requirements Gathering and Documentation

• Gather and document detailed product requirements to support development activities.
• Draft Business Requirement Specifications (BRS) and other supporting documents for product initiatives.
• Collaborate with development teams to ensure accurate interpretation and execution of business requirements.

Product Development Support

• Assist in the end-to-end product development process through data analysis, research, and operational coordination.
• Document all workflows, processes and key outputs related to product development projects.
• Support planning, testing and implementation activities across the product lifecycle.

Pilot and Launch Management

• Manage operational tasks and reporting for pilot phases and early-stage product rollouts. Coordinate activities necessary for the commercial launch of new products.
• Engage relevant stakeholders to ensure readiness across functions during product launches.

Product Portfolio and Roadmap Support

• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of product roadmaps and strategic plans. Conduct analysis to support product portfolio optimisation and planning.
• Review product performance to identify underperforming or outdated products and provide recommendations.

Testing and Quality Assurance

• Coordinate and manage functional, usability and beta testing processes.
• Ensure product readiness through structured testing and user feedback loops.

Stakeholder Communication and Alignment

• Create internal alignment and support for product initiatives through effective communication.
• Engage regularly with internal teams to promote understanding of product goals and progress.

Operational and Tactical Execution

• Support the execution of tasks that deliver immediate value to the business.
• Contribute to achieving medium-term objectives by aligning day-to-day tasks with broader product strategies.
• Work closely with project managers to provide input, monitor progress, and ensure outcomes are met.

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Customer-centric mindset
• Strong analytical and attention to detail skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills
• Willingness to learn and grow in the product space
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• Resilient, proactive and adaptable
• Strong analytical, research and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams

Qualifications and Experience:

• Matric
• Bachelors degree in Business, Information Systems, Computer Science or related field
• 12 years of experience in a junior product, product support or business analyst role
• Experience in financial services, payments or technology industries (preferred)
• Knowledge of the payment industry including acquiring transaction processing, Card Present as well as Card Not Present (mandatory).
• Understanding of product lifecycle and agile or scrum methodologies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and tools such as Jira, Confluence or Trello

Kindly regard your application as unsuccessful if you have not heard from the agency within 2 weeks.