Job Description

Product Owner - Real Estate (Property Technology)Location: Centurion (Hybrid)Company overview:Our client is an intelligent solutions company with strong, industry-specific expertise and core capabilities in data management, GIS, analytics and software development. They specialise in delivering integrated, online knowledge solutions, batch and real-time data quality solutions, and a broad range of geo-spatial and analytic projects to a range of property, auto, business to consumer, government and financial services clients.They hire exceptional people and provide them with the environment where they can excel. Their non-corporate culture encourages flexibility, collaboration and innovation.They pride themselves on their core values of 'Encourage Participation', 'Respond to changing needs' and 'Win together' which are reflected in each development, project, product or service they undertake to deliver.Role overview:As a Product Owner for the organisation, you play a crucial role in driving the development and enhancement of our real estate technology platform within the real estate sector. You will act as the bridge between the business stakeholders, development team, and end-users, ensuring that the product aligns with business objectives and user needs. This role requires a deep understanding of the real estate industry and associated role players, technology trends, and exceptional communication and organisational skills.Key Responsibilities:Product Vision and Strategy:

• Develop and communicate a clear product vision and strategy that aligns with the overall business goals & strategies.
• Stay informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitor products to ensure our solutions remain competitive and innovative.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Collaborate with key stakeholders, including business leaders, key anchor tenant customers, and development teams, to gather and prioritise product requirements.
• Act as the primary point of contact between stakeholders and the development team, ensuring a shared understanding of product goals.

Roadmap Planning:

• Create and maintain a comprehensive product roadmap that outlines the timeline for feature releases and product enhancements.
• Prioritise features based on business value, customer impact, and development feasibility.

User Stories and Requirements:

• Define in collaboration with the Sales lead and other relevant colleagues, detailed user stories and acceptance criteria to guide the development team in building high-quality features.
• Embed the use of customer usage and information tools (PowerBI reports, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Hotjar) in understanding user needs and making data-driven decisions.
• Work closely with UX/UI designers to create intuitive and user-friendly interfaces.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including developers, designers, and QA, to ensure successful product delivery.
• Conduct regular sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives to optimise development processes.

Product Testing and Quality Assurance:

• Work closely with the team to ensure rigorous testing of product features and functionalities.
• Ensure alignment on testing outcomes requirements, depth and rigour of testing that results in approval.
• Conduct user acceptance testing to validate that the product meets user expectations.

Product Launch and Adoption:

• Plan and execute product launches, including communication strategies, detailed training materials, and customer support processes. Work closely with UX/UI and Marketing to produce and release adequate multichannel collateral to this effect.
• Monitor product adoption and user feedback to identify opportunities for improvement, leveraging Support, Training and technical monitoring infrastructure and channels.

Performance Analysis:

• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly analyse product performance against these metrics.
• Use data-driven insights to make informed decisions and identify areas for optimization.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Degree/Diploma in relevant field
• Role-related certification in Agile and Product Ownership

Experience required:

• B2B product PO experience required
• 3+ years' experience as a product owner

Experience Advantageous:

• Managed a product/ products through all stages of the product lifecycle
• Experience with measurement tools relating to software product management (e.g. Hotjar, Google Analytics, PowerBI reports, HubSpot, others)
• Experience with business client connection & research tools, such as shadowing, focus groups,
• Experience with experimentation techniques, AB-testing, prototyping
• Experience producing Product Strategy, Roadmaps, Business cases
• Experience running teams with Agile Methodology, SCRUM, KANBAN

Required skills and knowledge:

• Deep understanding of real estate processes preferably from a South Africa market context, general market dynamics, and varied real estate niche customer needs.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Agile/Scrum knowledge and experience working in an Agile development environment.
• Familiarity with project management tools and product management software.

In addition, a successful Product Owner in the PropTech industry should possess a range of skills to effectively navigate the complexities of the real estate technology landscape. Here are some additional skills that would be beneficial:

• Domain Knowledge: Real Estate Acumen: A deep understanding of the real estate industry, including property sales and related processes, is crucial for making informed decisions and prioritising features that address industry-specific challenges.
• Communication Skills: Stakeholder Management: Ability to effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders, including business executives, developers, designers, and end-users. Strong interpersonal skills are essential for building and maintaining positive relationships.
• Strategic Thinking: Visionary Leadership: The ability to think strategically and provide visionary leadership for the product. This involves aligning the product roadmap with the long-term goals of the business and anticipating future market trends.
• User-Centric Mindset: User Empathy: An understanding of user needs and the ability to empathise with end-users to ensure that the product meets their expectations. This includes gathering feedback, conducting user testing, and incorporating user insights into the product development process.

Salary is up to R1million per annumShould you meet the above requirements, kindly email your updated CV to deidre@zealhr.co.za with the name of the position as your reference. You can also apply directly through the job portal.

Zeal HR