Head of Loyalty

Main Purpose

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Contribution

• Lead the development and implementation of WFS's Customer Loyalty strategy, ensuring alignment with broader business objectives and customer needs.
  
• Collaborate with other business units to sponsor and deliver loyalty solutions that meet customer needs and expectations.
  
• Drive the evolution of loyalty program through data-informed decision making and customer insights
  
• Establish frameworks for measuring and evaluating loyalty program effectiveness
  
• Collaborate with the Customer Insights and Advanced Analytics team to develop predictive models and customer segmentation strategies
  
• Partner with Woolworths to ensure seamless integration of loyalty initiatives across both businesses
  
  

Revenue and Commercial Leadership Contribution

• Own the P&L responsibility for the loyalty program, including revenue generation, cost management, and ROI optimization
  
• Develop and implement commercial frameworks and metrics to evaluate, measure and optimise loyalty initiatives
  
• Lead the development of value case (business cases) for new loyalty programs and enhancements
  
• Assess value propositions and new loyalty offerings against Loyalty Strategy and commercial framework and pursue commercial opportunities that reside within the threshold.
  
• Drive innovation in loyalty offerings that create measurable business value including profitable customer behaviour changes.
  
• Establish and monitor KPIs for loyalty program performance
  
  

Data-driven Campaign / Project Management

• Leverage advanced analytics to drive customer segmentation and personalization strategies
  
• Oversee the development of customer lifetime value models and behavioural analysis
  
• Manage foreseeable risks by adequately capacitating the campaign/project teams to drive efficient project and programme delivery and identify and manage potential risks.
  
• Review campaign/project plans and ensure that adequate planning and execution mechanisms are in place for delivery, communication, stakeholder engagement, monitoring of impacts and calculating ROI (return on investment)
  
• Direct the creation of loyalty-focused reporting and dashboards
  
• Guide the development of predictive models for customer engagement and churn
  
• Ensure data-driven decision making across all loyalty initiatives
  

Programme Management and Innovation

• Lead the design and implementation of new loyalty programs and features
  
• Oversee the integration of loyalty programs with existing product offerings
  
• Drive digital transformation initiatives within the loyalty space
  
• Manage vendor relationships and technology partnerships
  
• Ensure operational excellence in program delivery and execution
  
  

Partner and Stakeholder Management

• Lead the integration of new Loyalty Programme across the WFS and Woolworths landscape to deliver the strategy and the required capabilities, as well as to initiate new engagement opportunities and strengthen existing synergies.
  
• Establish relationships with key stakeholders to enable decisions regarding solutions that are practical and viable from a commercial perspective.
  
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders including Woolworths, ABSA, and other partners
  
• Present loyalty program performance and strategies to executive leadership
  
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver integrated loyalty solutions
  
• Manage relationships with external vendors and service providers
  
• Collaborate with marketing, product, and technology teams
  

• Lead and develop a team of loyalty professionals, analysts, and program managers
  
• Foster a culture of innovation and customer-centricity
  
• Drive talent development and succession planning
  
• Establish clear objectives and performance metrics for team members
  
• Promote collaboration across departments and functions.
  

• Understanding of financial levers and customer behaviors that enables a profitable Loyalty Programme.
  
• Leverage financial acumen on business commercials and loyalty to make informed decisions, prioritize effectively, and align our loyalty strategy with the organization's financial goals.
  
• Support identification of common metrics and KPIs used to measure Loyalty Program performance
  

Requirements

Technical Skills:

• Loyalty management expertise: Advanced understanding of loyalty program mechanics and best practices
  
• Experience with personalised customer journeys & lean start-up / agile methodology
  
• Strategic thinking.
  
• Demonstrates a passion for & deep understanding of customer and technology.
  
• Customer research and Insights driven.
  
• Planning & organizing.
  
• Data & Commercial analysis.
  
• Understanding of machine learning and predictive modeling concepts
  
• Experience with CRM systems and marketing automation platforms
  
• Strong communication & diplomacy.
  
• Relevant degree/diploma.
  
• 8-10 years proven loyalty industry experience and /or product ownership experience.
  
  

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic thinking and business/commercial acumen
  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
  
• Excellence in stakeholder management and communication
  
• Innovation and creative thinking
  
• Team leadership and development
  
• Commercial and financial acumen
  
  

Requirements

Experience

• 8-10 years of experience in loyalty program management, customer analytics, or related field
  
• Minimum 5 years in a senior leadership role
  
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful loyalty strategies
  
• Experience in financial services or retail industry
  
• Strong background in customer analytics and data-driven decision making
  

Education

• Master's degree preferred in Business Administration, Marketing, Analytics, or related field
  
• Bachelor's degree required in Business, Marketing, Statistics, or related field
  
• Equivalent experience in Loyalty capabilities