Senior Product Manager – Parts Data at Partao (South Africa)Senior Product Manager – Parts Data

We're looking for a Product Manager with a deep understanding of data architecture, a sharp technical mind, and a passion for leveraging AI to structure, standardize, and surface complex information. This role sits at the heart of our data platform and will shape how the heavy machinery-parts world connects. This is a fully remote role open to candidates globally. Strong English proficiency is essential, and the role pays approximately €1800 - €2400 per month depending on experience.

Define Data Models

• Design flexible, scalable data schemas to represent agricultural parts, equipment, and compatibility (fitment) relationships
• Work closely with data engineers to refine taxonomies and part hierarchies
• Ensure models support both human usability and AI-readability Drive Data Normalization Algorithms
• Design rule-based and ML-enhanced systems for cleaning and standardizing messy supplier and OEM data
• Prioritize approaches that improve matching accuracy and part deduplication
• Define KPIs and test frameworks to measure normalization effectiveness Leverage AI and Automation
• Partner with ML engineers to identify where AI can improve categorization, entity extraction, and compatibility inference
• Guide AI product strategy—from training dataset definition to UX for AI-powered features
• Stay current with generative and traditional AI techniques relevant to structured data Define Interfaces
• Specify APIs and internal tooling interfaces to power product search, part selection, and fitment validation workflows
• Collaborate with frontend and backend teams to ensure seamless integration and performance
• Champion developer experience and documentation standards

• 4+ years in product management, ideally in a data-heavy domain (e.g., eCommerce, B2B marketplaces, catalog platforms, or supply chain tech)
• Experience working on schema definition, data pipelines, or data platforms
• Proven ability to partner cross-functionally with engineers, data scientists, and operations teams
• Familiarity with data normalization, entity resolution, or catalog management problems
• Understanding of how to evaluate and integrate AI/ML systems into product workflows
• A builder’s mindset: willing to dive deep, write specs, draw schemas, and iterate quickly
• Excellent written communication and a high bar for clarity and detail
• University degree, ideally in a science, technical or business domain

Bonus Points

• Experience with agricultural equipment, industrial parts, or automotive catalogs
• Exposure to LLMs, embeddings, or vector search applied to structured data
• Prior work in remote-first or distributed teams
• Proficiency in at least one additional European language (e.g., German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish)

Why Join Us?

• Shape the data backbone of a fast-scaling B2B platform
• Work with real-world data that matters to customers every day
• Join a small, sharp, and globally distributed team
• Own critical decisions and make an impact from Day 1

• Opportunity to be a thought leader with a wide span of control in a fast-growing startup with experienced mentors
• A challenging and rewarding environment where you can directly impact the future of the company and the industry