Item Coding Team Lead

Item Coding Team Lead Join to apply for the Item Coding Team Lead role at Circana. Based in South Africa, you will lead an Item Coding team for Circana APAC (Australia). Your team is responsible for adding new FMCG products from channels such as supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations into the system (Dictionary). The primary goal is to ensure that the highest‑selling products are added to the Dictionary and placed in the correct product group. By enforcing objective coding rules and keeping them up‑to‑date, the Dictionary Coding team delivers new products with high quality. The role demands impeccable planning, active communication and the execution of all item coding tasks on time and to the quality standard defined in the contract/SLA. You will demonstrate strong project‑management, systems thinking, problem‑solving, mentorship and leadership capabilities. Job Responsibilities Take full accountability for all Item Coding process areas, leading the teams to achieve company, department, team and personal objectives. Ensure the quality and integrity of the Circana item dictionary, existing and new BAU & Build processes and deliverables. Plan capacity and workload, ensuring all deliverables are provided to schedule and to the agreed quality levels as defined in the SLA or Project Plan. Manage and participate in projects to design and implement new products, services and processes. Scope the client’s product dimension architecture requirements and integrate best‑practice solutions into the Circana item dictionary. Execute client expansion/integration projects on time and within budget, adhering to specified best‑practice frameworks. Design and monitor metrics to assess the quality of deliverables and output versus plan, and implement process improvements. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders. Maintain strong internal cross‑departmental relationships with local and APAC colleagues. Act as the SPOC for other business functions, providing input to client proposals & meetings as appropriate. Continuously strive to increase the efficiency, quality and cost of services delivered, proactively identifying opportunities to optimise across all item coding processes. Set stretching operational targets that enable the company to meet its EBITDA targets, with performance reviewed monthly. Recruit, train and develop personnel, ensuring effective development plans that are regularly reviewed and evaluated. Support the Department leader with management of the department and implementation of strategic initiatives, cost management, recruitment, etc. Measures of Success Demonstrate strong dimension architecture, project management and process improvement skills. Ensure satisfied clients with consistent, on‑time, high‑quality BAU, implementation & change delivery. Gain support (time & resources) to solve client satisfaction and delivery issues. Develop and/or adopt best practices, implementation & change frameworks for client setups and CCR management. Use systems for managing BAU, initiatives and teams, driving data‑based decisions through KPI reporting. Develop people to prosper in their careers at Circana and beyond through new skills and challenges. Remove barriers to collaboration while balancing the interests of multiple stakeholders. Build trust with local & global colleagues through long‑term working relationships. Requirements Ability to start work at 7:00 am to enable team meetings and handovers with APAC teams. Highly self‑motivated, accountable and committed people leader and coach who can engender a high‑performance culture. Graduate calibre with 5+ years of work experience in a similar role. 2+ years of management experience in Operations or Client Service functions. Experience in project management and managing complex and conflicting client requirements. Track record of leading teams and fostering strong working relationships and influence across teams and departments. Continuous improvement experience (e.g., automation, process improvement, etc.). Circana Behaviors Stay Curious: Being hungry to learn and grow, always asking the big questions. Seek Clarity: Embracing complexity to create clarity and inspire action. Own the Outcome: Being accountable for decisions and taking ownership of our choices. Center on the Client: Relentlessly adding value for our customers. Be a Challenger: Never complacent, always striving for continuous improvement. Champion Inclusivity: Fostering trust in relationships engaging with empathy, respect and integrity. Commit to each other: Contributing to making Circana a great place to work for everyone. Location Cape Town, South Africa Seniority level Mid‑Senior level Employment type Full‑time Job function Information Technology Industries Market Research #J-18808-Ljbffr