It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!
To lead the analytics and data science function, delivering advanced analytical insights, predictive models, and other
AI/ML solutions that drive commercial impact, operational efficiency, and customer engagement for Pick n Pay.
This role is accountable for:
Building and managing a high-performing team of analysts and data scientists.
Overseeing the analytics and data science roadmap.
Implementing a demand process for analytics and data science requests.
Ensuring the effective embedding of insights into decision-making across the organisation.
The Senior Manager works closely with business stakeholders to identify opportunities, scope analytical projects, and measure value delivered.
- Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related field.
- Preferred: Master’s or PhD in a quantitative discipline; certifications in AI/ML or advanced analytics tools (e.g. Python, R).
- Minimum: 8+ years in analytics or data science, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
- Preferred:
- Retail/FMCG analytics experience
- Proven delivery of predictive and prescriptive analytics solutions at scale
- Experience managing hybrid teams and multiple concurrent projects
- Strong commercial acumen
- Proficiency in analytics tools and technologies including Snowflake, Microsoft SQL Server, Python, Power BI, BigQuery, Redshift or comparable platforms.
- Working knowledge of statistical modelling, machine learning, and advanced analytics foundations such as regression, decision trees, random forests, gradient boosting, clustering, feature engineering, cross-validation
- Git basics – code review and collaboration
- Experience turning raw data into actionable insights through advanced modelling.
Key Responsibilities- Define and execute the analytics & data science strategy, aligned to enterprise data objectives and business priorities.
- Lead the development, deployment, and maintenance of predictive models (price elasticity and optimization, promo effectiveness, demand forecasting), customer segmentation and recommendation systems to enable proactive decision making across the organization.
- Lead experimentation practices such as A/B testing, control group design and causal inference to validate
impact before scaling solutions - Ensure ethical, transparent, and privacy-compliant use of AI/ML techniques.
- Partner with business units to embed insights into decision-making and measure impact on KPIs.
- Collaborate with Data Engineering and Reporting teams to ensure timely access to quality data for analysis and model development
- Define and oversee end-to-end data science project lifecycles — from problem framing to deployment.
- Review methodologies, model designs, and analysis approaches for technical soundness
- Ensure reproducibility, proper documentation, and adherence to best practices
- Plan, prioritize, communicate, and coordinate projects and resources
- Promote data and AI literacy and analytical capability across the organization.
- Stay abreast of emerging analytics and AI/ML trends, technologies, and best practices, and apply them where relevant.
- Manage external partnerships and vendor relationships for advanced analytics tools and platforms.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a skilled team of analysts and data scientists.
Competencies
- Cognitive: Strategic thinking, Analytical capability, Problem solving, Judgement & decision-making.
- Personal: Drive, Curiosity, Resilience, Accountability.
- Interpersonal: Stakeholder engagement, Collaboration, Influence.
- Communication: Data storytelling, Executive presentation, Negotiation.
- Functional: Advanced analytics, Data science, Machine learning, AI, Statistical modelling, Data visualisation, Experiment design.
- Leadership: Team leadership, Capability building, Change management.
If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!
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