Head of Advertising Operations

Takealot Group is seeking an exceptional Head of Advertising Operations to lead and scale our established retail media operations. Reporting directly to the Group Executive: Retail Media, you'll oversee a team of advertising professionals and drive operational excellence across our growing retail media network.
This is a pivotal leadership role where you'll combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution to optimize our advertising platform, implement cutting-edge AI capabilities, and build a high-performing team that delivers measurable results for our brand partners.

Role reports to: Group Executive: Advertising

Your responsibilities will include:

Operational Excellence & Optimization

• Drive operational efficiency across all advertising campaigns, workflows, and processes to maximize output and minimize bottlenecks
  
  
• Optimize our existing retail media platform to improve campaign performance, reporting accuracy, and advertiser satisfaction
  
  
•  Establish and monitor KPIs that measure operational health, team productivity, and campaign effectiveness
  
  
• Build and refine SOPs, playbooks, and frameworks that enable the team to scale without sacrificing quality
  
  
• Identify opportunities for automation and process improvement across the advertising operations lifecycle AI Implementation & Innovation

• Lead the strategy and implementation of AI-driven solutions to enhance campaign optimization, audience targeting, and performance prediction
  
  
• Partner with product and engineering teams to integrate AI/ML capabilities into our advertising workflows
  
  
• Champion a culture of experimentation and innovation, testing new AI tools and methodologies
  
  
•  Stay ahead of industry trends in AdTech AI applications and translate insights into actionable initiatives

People Leadership & Team Development

• Inspire, coach, and develop a team of professionals across two levels: Campaign Specialists (junior) and Performance Campaign Managers (senior)
• Create clear career progression pathways and invest in continuous learning and skill development
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture where team members feel valued, challenged, and empowered
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and provide constructive feedback that drives growth
• Recruit, onboard, and retain top talent as the team scales
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Embed a data-first mindset across all advertising operations and campaign management activities
• Leverage analytics platforms (including Osmos and other tools) to derive insights that inform strategy and optimization
• Build dashboards and reporting frameworks that provide visibility into campaign performance, operational metrics, and business outcomes
• Train and upskill the team on data analysis, interpretation, and storytelling

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales, Product, Analytics, and Technology teams to align advertising operations with broader business objectives
• Act as the voice of operations in product roadmap discussions and platform enhancement initiatives
• Collaborate with the Group Executive: Retail Media to shape the strategic direction of the retail media network

Minimum Required Qualification

• Bachelor’s Degree in Analytics, Business Administration or similar

Minimum Required Competencies:

• Minimum 8 - 10 years of progressive experience in advertising operations,campaign management, or related roles

• Proven leadership experience managing large teams of people, with demonstrated ability to develop talent and build high-performing cultures

• Deep expertise in Advertising Technology (AdTech) or Marketing Technology (MarTech) ecosystems 

• Strong track record of driving operational efficiency and process optimization in fast-paced, data-intensive environments

• Experience implementing or working with AI/ML tool, ideally in advertising, marketing, or analytics contexts (highly desirable)

• Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to make data-driven decisions and translate complex data into actionable insights

Attributes:

• Outstanding people management skills with a genuine passion for coaching and developing others
• Strategic thinker who can also roll up their sleeves and execute tactically when needed
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Problem-solving mindset with a bias for action
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity and navigate complexity
• Collaborative team player who builds trust across functions

The Environment: 

• takealot.com employees are entrepreneurial and dynamic, smart, customer- centric, fun and have the shared ambition of takealot.com being the leading e- commerce company in Africa. 
• We have fun, work hard, take ownership, work in teams to create solutions, and are always open to direct feedback/new ideas on where we can improve. 
• We are short on ego and high on output. 
• We are doers and not only thinkers, its all in the execution after all. 
• We love what we do and what we are creating.
• We seek to employ an Extra Ordinary Mind who is Smart, has Integrity, and is Hardworking.

If you meet the above you are an Extraordinary Mind so come and join us! 
Takealot Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applicants from the previously disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities, to apply.

View all current vacancies at takealot.com →

1. Read the full job description and requirements on this page carefully before applying — tailor your application to what the employer actually asks for.
2. Update your CV and save it as a PDF. Make sure your contact details, most recent experience and qualifications are easy to find.
3. Click the apply button on this page to complete your application on takealot.com's own careers site. The employer manages the shortlisting process directly.
4. Have certified copies of your ID and qualifications ready. Many South African employers request them once you are shortlisted.
5. Applications close on 30 August 2026. Submit well before the deadline — late applications are normally not considered.
6. Keep a record of what you submitted and when. If you have not heard back within a few weeks of the closing date, it is acceptable to follow up politely.

If takealot.com shortlists you for the Head of Advertising Operations position, preparation makes the difference. Work through these steps:

• Research takealot.com before the interview — look for their official website, social profiles and any recent news. Interviewers expect you to know why you want to work there specifically.
• Go through the job description above and prepare a specific example from your own experience for each of the main duties. Most interview questions will be drawn from what the advert emphasises.
• Structure your answers with the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result. Concrete stories with measurable outcomes are far stronger than general claims about your abilities.
• Prepare two or three thoughtful questions to ask the panel — about the team, how success is measured in the role, or growth opportunities. It signals genuine interest.
• Plan your logistics early. Confirm whether the interview is in person in Cape Town or online, and arrive or log in at least ten minutes early.