Mr D - Paid Media Lead

Takealot.com, South Africa’s leading online retailer, is looking for a highly talented Paid Media Lead to join our team.

We are a young, dynamic, hyper-growth company looking for smart, creative, hard-working people with integrity to join us!

Think you’ve been challenged before? Think again!

• Scale: Over 4 million happy shoppers shop online on takealot.com and 2.7 million on Mr D. Show them what you can do.
• Learn: We work with the best of the best. Work alongside leaders and upskill in record time.
• Grow: Expand your career in the fast-growing Takealot Group: Takealot.com and Mr D. We like to promote from within: Here's your chance.

Who’s who in the space

The position reports to the Head of Customer Growth.

Purpose of the role:

The Paid Media Lead will oversee and execute strategies designed to drive high-quality traffic to the app and increase orders placed through the app, including first-time buyers. Operating within a fast-paced on-demand delivery app environment that connects users to restaurants, grocery stores, retailers, and more, this role focuses on achieving measurable results tied directly to traffic, orders, revenue, and market share. 

The ideal candidate will be data-driven, innovation-oriented, and skilled at managing large-scale paid media efforts across various channels, aligning all traffic generation initiatives with business goals.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1. Paid Media Strategy Development: 

• Create and oversee a cohesive paid media strategy that aligns with the broader marketing and business objectives, focusing on both user acquisition and retention. 

1. App Traffic Growth: 

• Drive initiatives to increase app traffic that translates into order placements, including targeting first-time buyers and reactivating lapsed users. 

1. Campaign Execution:

• Plan, execute, and optimize multi-channel paid acquisition campaigns across search, social, display, programmatic, and other platforms to drive revenue and order targets. 

1. Cost Efficiency Management: 

• Manage and optimize effective Cost Per Order (CPO) while ensuring channel efficiency and return on investment (ROI). 

1. Market Share Expansion: 

• Utilize paid media strategies to expand the app's market share and secure its competitive positioning across different markets/regions. 

1. Cross-Functional Collaboration: 

• Work closely with internal teams such as creative, analytics, CRM, and product teams to coordinate and improve campaign effectiveness. 

1. Audience Targeting and Segmentation: 

• Leverage data to identify and refine key customer segments, ensuring personalized and relevant ad experiences to maximize conversion rates. 

1. Agency and Vendor Management: 

• Lead partnerships with external agencies or vendors to ensure the delivery of high-performing paid advertising campaigns. 

1. Performance Analytics: 

• Develop and maintain reporting systems to monitor campaign performance, traffic metrics, market share data, and achievement of revenue/order growth targets. 

1. Innovation and Trends:

• Stay ahead of digital advertising trends, tools, and platforms to ensure the company leverages state-of-the-art technologies and tactics.

Qualifications & Experience:

• A tertiary degree is required preferably within Marketing, Statistics, Mathematics or Computer Science
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in managing large-scale paid media campaigns, ideally within an on-demand, e-commerce, or app-focused environment.
• Strategic paid media campaign development and execution across multiple channels including search, social, display, and programmatic platforms to drive app traffic and order growth. 
• Data-driven performance optimization with strong analytical skills to monitor campaign metrics, optimize cost-per-order efficiency, and achieve ROI objectives. 
• Leadership and cross-functional collaboration experience to manage teams and work effectively with creative, analytics, CRM, and product teams. 
• Deep technical expertise in digital advertising platforms such as Google Ads, Meta Ads, and attribution models within app-focused or e-commerce environments.
• Innovation-focused approach to stay ahead of digital advertising trends and leverage emerging technologies while maintaining cost efficiency and revenue targets.

 The skills we need:

1. Technical Expertise: 

• Deep understanding of digital advertising platforms (Google Ads, Meta Ads, programmatic channels, etc.) and attribution models. 

1. Data-Driven Decision-Making: 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to interpret campaign performance data and derive optimizations that boost performance. 

1. Leadership Skills: 

• Experience managing and motivating a team, with the ability to work cross-functionally and inspire 
• collaboration. 

1. Attention to Detail: 

• High level of precision and care when designing and monitoring campaigns to ensure quality and 
• compliance. 

1. Innovative Thinking: 

• Ability to think creatively and adapt to rapidly changing environments while staying ROI-focused. 

1. Industry Insight: 

• Demonstrable knowledge of trends, challenges, and opportunities in the on-demand app/delivery space

Let’s talk about life @ Takealot Group

• The power is in your hands: We offer a market-related Total Remuneration Package that allows full flexibility according to your needs. Go on, be the master of your own destiny.
• No doors: We aren’t fans of stuffy offices or siloed work environments. See someone you like? High five, collab, and make something great.
• Remote working: Love water cooler chats and working from home? Takealot.com offers a hybrid working model for the best of both worlds.
• Mentorship programme: We aren’t kidding when we say the people with the best people win. Now’s your chance to be one of the best by learning from the best.
• Naspers Tech Community & Online Learning: Share ideas and grow with global industry leaders who are all just a Slack message away. Love to learn? Up-skill with free access to courses on MyAcademy, Udacity, Coursera, and more.
• Good times: Get to know the other extraordinary minds at takealot.com during regular social events and out-of-office activities (think hikes, think mini-golf, think good times).
• Staff discount. Millions of products across 28 departments. What more could you ask for?
• Birthday leave: Cake Day all the way. Enjoy your day off - you deserve it. 
• Right tools, right job: Mac or Windows, two monitors or one. Whatever your preference, you’ll work on the latest tech of the latest tech.
• Help when you need it most: Confidential counselling, legal support and financial guidance, for free, anytime, anywhere.
• Free parking: No more 5km fun runs to your desk (unless you want to).

Like what you see? 

If you meet the above, you are an Extraordinary Mind. Apply today!!

Takealot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants from previously disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities will be given preference.

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 19 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 Mr D - Paid Media Lead 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.