Product Specialist
Let's Write Africa's Story Together!
Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.
Job Description
Symmetry is a business in build mode, evolving, growing, and redefining what investment solutions should look like. The Product Specialist is responsible for supporting the management, governance implementation, maintenance and ongoing evolution of Symmetry's investment products and solutions throughout their lifecycle. Product ownership and product design reside with the relevant Capability Owners. The Product Specialist works alongside Capability Owners to translate product strategy and investment propositions into well-governed, commercially sustainable and operationally executable products.Symmetry operates as an open-architecture investment business, bringing together specialist investment capabilities. This role sits at the intersection of investment, product, operations, finance, distribution, governance and commercial management - acting as the connective tissue between Symmetry's investment capabilities and the products delivered to clients.
This role is not positioned as an administrative Product Specialist. It is a commercially and investment-oriented product professional responsible for coordinating the product lifecycle, developing insight into product economics and market positioning, and supporting Capability Owners in maintaining a scalable, competitive and well-governed solutions.
Responsibilities
New Product Development and Implementation
Coordinate concept documentation, feasibility and target market assessments, business cases cross functional inputs across Investment, Operations, Finance, Distribution, Risk and Compliance. Coordinate implementation planning and monitor readiness through to launch and post implementation review.
Product Management & Lifecycle Ownership
Maintain a holistic view of Symmetry's existing product range and coordinate ongoing product reviews. Maintain a clear understanding of product purpose and target market, investment outcomes, client demand, commercial sustainability, operational performance and governance requirement and coordinate appropriate actions with Capability Owners and relevant business functions.
Product Architecture and Solution Management
Support the Head of Product and Capability Owners in maintaining Symmetry's overall product architecture. Map products to capabilities, identify product overlap and unnecessary complexity, assess rationalisation opportunities and support the development of a coherent modular and scalable product universe.
Product Documentation and Product Data
Maintain and coordinate the controlled source of truth for product information and governance artefacts. Maintain product and fund specifications, investment objectives, benchmarks, SAAs, mandates and fee structures, governance documentation, the Product Register and Product Change Register, ensuring information is accurate, current and appropriately version controlled.
Product Governance & Lifecycle Coordination
Coordinate the end-to-end product governance framework. Prepare submissions for governance forums, maintain approval documentation and registers, ensure material changes have defined owner, rationale, assessment and approval, and escalate governance risks.
Product Monitoring and Health Checks and Market Relevance
Coordinate periodic product reviews and maintain a holistic view of product health check. Monitor investment outcomes, AUM and flows, client demand, commercial sustainability, operational performance, competitive positioning and market developments. Use these insights to identify emerging issues, product enhancement opportunities and potential product gaps for consideration by Capability Owners. Commercial and Pricing Analysis
Analyse AUM, flows, fee structures, TER, product margins and building-block economics, profitability and break-even requirements. Support pricing reviews, fee rationalisation opportunities to improve product economics, scalability and client value.
Business Case and Product Change Management
Support Capability Owners in converting commercial or investment ideas into structured decision documents covering strategic rationale, target market, competitive positioning, financials, risks and implementation. Coordinate product changes in accordance with the Product Governance Standard, ensuring changes are appropriately classified, documented and assessed, and monitor approved changes through implementation and post-implementation validation. Routine investment decisions within an approved mandate are not treated as product changes unless they materially alter the product proposition or regulatory obligations.
Product Rationalisation
Support Capability Owners in assessing products that may require enhancement, repositioning, consolidation or closure. Coordinate the supporting investment, commercial, client, operational and regulatory analysis and track agreed actions through the appropriate governance process.
Stakeholder Coordination & Execution
Act as a central coordination point for product-related activity across Capability Owners, Investment, Operations, Finance, Distribution, Marketing, Risk and Compliance. Maintain clear ownership, dependencies, actions and timelines and drive product initiatives through to completion.
These responsibilities offer an overview and a general outline of the role and are not exhaustive.
Qualifications and Experience required
BCom / BBusSc in Finance, Investments, Economics, Mathematics, Data Science or related
Postgraduate qualification in Finance, Investments or Business advantageous
CFA / CFP / CIPM/ CA(SA) or similar professional qualification advantageous
Advanced Excel and financial modelling capability
Strong analytical and data interpretation skills
Excellent attention to detail - product documentation and pricing accuracy is critical
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Skills
Action Planning, Adaptive Thinking, Analytical Thinking, Business Case Development, Business Requirements Analysis, Client Needs Analysis, Current State Assessment, Customer-Focused, Data Compilation, Developing Creative Solutions, Evaluating Information, Futures Thinking, Presenting Solutions, Project Resource Management, Solution AnalysisCompetencies
Action OrientedBusiness InsightCultivates InnovationDrives EngagementDrives ResultsEnsures AccountabilityManages AmbiguityManages ComplexityEducation
NQF Level 7 - Degree, Advance Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate or equivalentClosing Date
09 September 2026 , 23:59The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.
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