Executive Head: Mobile Products
Vodafone · Johannesburg
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Role Purpose/Business Unit:
Leads Mobile Products & Solutions as a major national sub-function within the broader Products & Solutions function. Shapes and owns the medium-term Mobile strategy and integrated portfolio plan, aligned to the overarching Products & Solutions strategy set by the Managing Executive. Holds consolidated accountability for the approved Mobile P&L, including revenue, margin, profitability, market share, customer experience and sustainable growth across Mobile Voice, Data, APN, devices and related propositions.
Leads the Mobile portfolio organisation through Portfolio Managers, Product Managers and Trade Marketing, and orchestrates delivery across Sales, Marketing, Finance, Commercial, Technology, Operations, Digital and CVM. Makes portfolio, pricing, lifecycle and investment decisions within approved governance and delegated authority.
Your responsibilities will include:
Strategy Formulation & Execution:
- Maintain a deep understanding of customer, competitor, technology, regulatory and economic developments and convert these insights into strategic choices for the national Mobile portfolio.
- Shape and own the two-plus-year Mobile strategy and consolidated roadmap within the overarching Products & Solutions strategy and approved functional mandate.
- Translate the Mobile strategy into an integrated sub-functional plan, clear portfolio priorities, performance outcomes and resource requirements.
- Determine strategic priorities and make material trade-offs across Mobile Voice, Data, APN, devices, propositions and Trade Marketing to optimise customer, commercial and investment outcomes.
- Directly influence Products & Solutions strategy and policy by recommending material changes to the Managing Executive based on Mobile market performance, risks and opportunities.
- Establish Mobile portfolio governance, decision rights and performance disciplines aligned to the functional product, pricing, risk and investment frameworks set by the Managing Executive.
Portfolio and Product Lifecycle Management
- Own the consolidated Mobile roadmap and prioritise propositions and capabilities based on strategic fit, customer value, commercial return, delivery capacity and risk.
- Approve product launches, material changes, migrations and retirements within delegated authority and escalate strategically material or cross-functional decisions to the Managing Executive.
- Sponsor Mobile business cases, approve proposals within delegated financial thresholds and recommend material investments to the Managing Executive and relevant governance forums.
- Allocate approved investment and delivery capacity across Mobile portfolios and resolve competing portfolio priorities within the approved plan.
- Direct cross-functional readiness and hold portfolio owners accountable for the successful design, launch, in-life optimisation and retirement of products and propositions.
- Hold Portfolio Managers accountable for portfolio roadmaps, business cases, lifecycle performance, customer outcomes and delivery against approved commercial commitments.
- Stop, defer or redirect initiatives within delegated authority where performance, customer value, risk or strategic alignment is below expectation.
- Lead consolidated performance and lifecycle reviews covering revenue, margin, market share, pricing, adoption, customer experience, delivery risk and portfolio health.
Integrated Go-to-Market Leadership
- Own the integrated Mobile go-to-market strategy within the overarching Products & Solutions commercial and channel direction set by the Managing Executive.
- Set Mobile priorities and outcome requirements across direct, indirect, digital, SME, enterprise and public-sector routes to market.
- Determine launch sequencing, target segments, channel requirements, commercial activation and adoption priorities for the Mobile portfolio.
- Orchestrate delivery across Sales, Marketing, Digital, Finance, Commercial, Operations, Technology and CVM, resolving cross-functional dependencies and trade-offs.
- Hold participating functions accountable for agreed Mobile outcomes through the relevant governance and performance forums.
- Lead executive-level interventions for strategically material launches, customer opportunities and partner initiatives.
- Monitor adoption, penetration, customer uptake and return on activation investment, and redirect approved go-to-market resources where performance is below plan.
Commercial & Financial Performance
- Hold consolidated accountability for delivery of the approved Mobile P&L, including revenue, margin, profitability, market share and customer outcomes.
- Balance short-term revenue, acquisition, retention and margin outcomes with long-term customer value, portfolio health and sustainable growth.
- Set Mobile pricing direction within the commercial and pricing framework approved by the Managing Executive.
- Approve pricing, propositions and commercial interventions within delegated thresholds and escalate material exceptions or decisions affecting the wider Products & Solutions portfolio.
- Determine corrective commercial actions where consolidated Mobile performance is off plan and direct implementation across the relevant portfolios and functions.
- Own the Mobile Trade Marketing capability and set its priorities, activation plan and performance outcomes in support of the integrated Mobile strategy.
- Own the Mobile device strategy within the approved Products & Solutions commercial framework and determine portfolio actions to improve growth, efficiency and customer value.
- Exercise delegated authority over the Mobile acquisition and retention budget in partnership with Finance and Commercial, including allocation, performance monitoring and corrective action within the approved envelope.
- Lead consolidated Mobile performance reviews and present results, risks, corrective actions and strategic recommendations to the Managing Executive and relevant leadership forums.
Planning, Investment and Budget Accountability
- Own the annual and medium-term Mobile sub-functional plan, budget proposal and investment priorities for approval within the Products & Solutions planning process.
- Hold full accountability for the Mobile budget and investment envelope once approved, including delivery of financial commitments and adherence to governance and controls.
- Allocate and realocate approved resources and investment across Mobile portfolios within delegated authority, based on strategic priority, performance and return.
- Approve business cases, expenditure and payments within delegated thresholds and escalate decisions outside the approved mandate.
- Maintain forecasts, monitor expenditure and investment returns, address material variances and direct corrective action across Mobile portfolios.
- Identify and mitigate financial, commercial and delivery risks, maintain effective controls and recommend material changes to the Managing Executive where wider functional trade-offs are required.
Channel Activation and Revenue Growth
- Set annual Mobile channel and commercial objectives with Sales leadership, aligned to the approved Mobile plan and overarching Products & Solutions priorities.
- Remain accountable for consolidated Mobile revenue, margin and profitability outcomes while Sales retains accountability for sales execution and customer relationships.
- Mobilise revenue-generating initiatives and routes to market across segments and channels and resolve barriers to commercial delivery.
- Review channel, sales cadence and pipeline performance and direct portfolio, proposition or activation interventions where outcomes are below plan.
- Partner with Sales on strategically material deals and with key partners on product innovation, commercialisation and revenue growth opportunities.
- Ensure that product, commercial and service-delivery performance supports agreed customer experience and Net Promoter Score outcomes.
- Evaluate price, proposition and channel performance and approve optimisation actions within delegated authority.
Cross-functional and Stakeholder Leadership
- Build and negotiate strategic partnerships and alliances that strengthen the Mobile portfolio, market position and customer value proposition.
- Chair Mobile portfolio governance and align senior stakeholders around priorities, investment choices, delivery commitments, risks and corrective actions.
- Influence and negotiate with senior internal and external stakeholders to secure the resources, decisions and commitments required to deliver the Mobile strategy.
- Orchestrate cross-functional delivery across Sales, Finance, Commercial, Technology, Operations, Marketing, Digital, CVM, partners and channels without relying solely on direct reporting authority.
- Represent Mobile Products & Solutions in senior customer, partner, supplier and internal leadership forums within the mandate delegated by the Managing Executive.
- Escalate decisions that materially affect the wider Products & Solutions strategy, aggregate P&L, cross-portfolio investment envelope or functional policy to the Managing Executive.
Delivering through People
- Lead an integrated Mobile product organisation through Portfolio Managers, Product Managers and Trade Marketing, with clear accountability for consolidated Mobile outcomes.
- Define decision rights, performance accountabilities and operating disciplines across Mobile portfolios and hold Portfolio Managers accountable for delivery through their teams.
- Determine capability, succession and resource-deployment priorities required to sustain the Mobile strategy and future portfolio requirements.
- Build leadership depth and future-fit product, commercial and portfolio capability through development, coaching, knowledge sharing and targeted talent actions.
- Create a high-performance and inclusive culture through clear objectives, differentiated performance management, regular coaching and consequence management.
- Embed the Spirit of Vodacom and relevant culture behaviours across the Mobile organisation and cross-functional delivery community.
- Initiate and manage employee-relations processes with HR support where required.
- Resolve grievances and people risks within delegated authority and escalate where required.
- Recognise performance and reinforce accountability, collaboration and ownership across the Mobile organisation.
The ideal candidate for this role will have:
- Bachelor's Degree/Equivalent.
- Postgraduate qualifications/MBA (Desirable).
- 8+ years’ technology, product or commercial management experience in ICT or related environments, with demonstrated experience in:
- Leading a material national product portfolio and multidisciplinary teams through managers or senior portfolio leaders
- Portfolio strategy, product lifecycle management, proposition development and investment prioritisation
- Commercial management, P&L delivery, pricing and go-to-market leadership
- Mobile product, device, channel and customer lifecycle management
- Cross-functional leadership across strategy, finance, commercial, marketing, technology, operations and people management
- 5+ years’ management experience, including accountability for managers, senior professionals or complex matrix delivery
Core competencies, knowledge and experience:
- Strategic and systems thinking, with the ability to convert market and technology developments into medium-term portfolio choices.
- Strong commercial judgement and experience in Mobile propositions, pricing, customer lifecycle and enterprise solution environments.
- Deep understanding of enterprise customers, market dynamics, competitors, technology trends and key decision-makers.
- Ability to translate customer and business strategy into differentiated Mobile propositions, roadmaps and commercial priorities.
- Advanced understanding of portfolio P&L, investment appraisal, pricing, margin, acquisition and retention economics.
- Proven ability to lead through influence and orchestrate complex delivery in a multinational matrix organisation.
- Track record of delivering profitable growth and making portfolio, resource and commercial trade-offs across multiple customer segments.
- Governance and decision-making: Applies sound judgement in ambiguous conditions, makes decisions within delegated authority and escalates matters with wider functional impact.
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: 04 November 2026.
The base location for this role is Midrand, Vodacom 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.