Job Description

TYPE: Permanent

ENTITY: AMANDLA NPO

LOCATION: Johannesburg and/or Cape Town(South Africa)

START DATE: As soon as possible

BENEFITS: 25 Annual Leave days, Medical Aid subsidy

THE ORGANISATION

AMANDLA is a globally award-winning social enterprise working at the intersection of

youth development, system innovation, and social entrepreneurship

. We design and scale Safe-Hubs - dynamic precincts that bring together partners, services, and opportunities to tackle the root causes of poverty and inequality facing young people in South Africa and beyond.

With

11 operational Safe-Hubs and several more in development

, AMANDLA reaches hundreds of thousands of young people, families, and community members across the country every year. We are rapidly expanding our model - both physically and digitally - through new sites and partnerships in South Africa and globally (USA, Germany, India & Cote d'Ivoire).

Each Safe-Hub is a

multi-product ecosystem

, including education, employability, psychosocial, and local economic development programmes. At the heart of this ecosystem sits the

Youth Cafe -

a physical and digital access point for young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET). The Youth Cafe connects them to individualized support, referral pathways, and opportunities for growth, training, and work.

AMANDLA offers a collaborative, agile, and high-impact working environment where staff are expected to

think systemically, act entrepreneurially

, and co-create solutions that are grounded in community realities.

JOB SCOPE

The

Product Manager: Youth Employability Programmes (Youth Cafe)

plays a pivotal role in designing and evolving one of AMANDLA's

core products

within the Safe-Hub ecosystem.

The

Youth Cafe

is both a

physical and digital access point

for young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET). It provides

individualised, supported pathways

to psychosocial services, skills development, and work opportunities. But it is also more than a service--it functions as a

central referral node

, connecting young people to the broader suite of AMANDLA's Safe-Hub products and services. As such, it is a cornerstone of our

ecosystem logic

, bridging multiple pathways and amplifying impact across domains.

This role is responsible for developing, iterating, and scaling the Youth Cafe as a

structured, modular, and impact-driven product

. The Product Manager will lead the development of all sub-components--including theory of change, content, MEL integration, and digital enablement--ensuring fidelity, usability, and responsiveness to user realities.

Working in

close partnership with AMANDLA's Operations team

, the Product Manager supports implementation fidelity, product contextualisation, and feedback loops, without owning day-to-day delivery. This role requires someone who thrives in the

space between concept and execution

--comfortable with both theory and iteration, and able to lead

with thought leadership as well as hands-on systems design

.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Strategy & Design

Lead the structured development and ongoing refinement of the Youth Cafe's:

Theory of Change

(in collaboration with MEL & Impact)

Theory of Action

Product design and principles

Ensure alignment with AMANDLA's broader Safe-Hub ecosystem and product architecture Translate high-level strategy into modular, testable product components that can scale

2. Programme & Content Development

Design and evolve the Youth Cafe's core programme pillars, including: Youth Mobilisation Registration and Baseline Profiling Psychosocial and Vocational Support Opportunity Matching & Referrals Loop Back & Give Back (alumni pathways) Co-develop implementation resources: participant toolkits, SOPs, training modules, and partnership blueprints Ensure products reflect youth-centered design, research insights, and lived experience from the ground

3. Digital Integration

Collaborate with Digital and MEL teams to embed the Youth Cafe into AMANDLA's evolving digital platform: Build pathways for digital registration, onboarding, and referrals Shape user experience on the Youth Cafe Portal Ensure data architecture supports fidelity and outcome tracking

4. MEL & Evidence Integration

Define product-level

fidelity and outcome indicators

in partnership with MEL & Impact Embed user feedback and site-based insights into continuous improvement processes Drive a culture of

data-driven iteration

, with learning cycles built into product roadmap

5. Cross-functional Collaboration & Scaling

Partner with the

Operations Department

to ensure site-level implementation reflects product standards Design contextualisation frameworks to adapt the Youth Cafe across rural and urban sites Lead or participate in product sprints, cross-departmental prioritisation processes, and onboarding for new roll-outs

6. Sector Positioning & Thought Leadership

Represent AMANDLA's Youth Cafe product in external working groups, research collaborations, and learning exchanges Stay abreast of emerging trends in youth development, employability innovation, and digital access models Contribute to the articulation of AMANDLA's evolving theory and positioning in the youth systems space

CORE COMPETENCIES, ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS and PREFERENCES

Educational:

Bachelor's Degree (minimum), Master's Degree(advantageous) in field relevant to the role; and/or Relevant professional qualifications in data analysis, systems thinking, and product development (preferred)

Experience and Skills:

Minimum

5+ years' experience in product development, programme design, or service innovation in the youth employability or development sector Strong grounding in human-centred design, systems thinking, and/or agile methodologies Demonstrated ability to design and iterate structured product components (TOC, SOPs, toolkits, feedback loops) Experience working in cross-functional teams, especially with Ops, MEL, and Digital Fluency in data-driven iteration, with working knowledge of tools like Power BI, Excel, and digital case management platforms (e.g. CommCare, Salesforce) Excellent written and verbal communication skills Proven ability to work independently and manage multiple workstreams

Desirable

Experience in scaling products or programmes across multiple sites or geographies Prior work in or with a social enterprise, systems change initiative, or ecosystem-based intervention Exposure to youth digital inclusion, digital platforms, or referral systems

Personal Attributes:

Strategic thinker with a builder's mindset Comfortable moving between big-picture framing and hands-on development Collaborative, responsive, and able to lead through influence Deep empathy for youth realities, especially those not in employment, education or training (NEET) Bias for action, learning, and data-informed problem solving Passionate about using innovation to shift systems and create opportunity
Job Type: Full-time

Experience:

product development programme design, or service innovation : 5 years (Preferred)
Work Location: In person

Application Deadline: 2025/08/06