Senior Director - Operations

Role Mandate

The Senior Director, Operations is the enterprise operating owner for a diversified UK and US client portfolio delivered from South Africa. The role carries end-to-end accountability for service delivery, client confidence, financial performance, growth, people, risk and transformation across multiple delivery locations, accounts and service channels.

This is a portfolio leadership role, not a single-account or single-site assignment. The successful candidate will have previously led complex multi-location and multi-client operations with annual revenue responsibility exceeding US$20 million, supported by a large workforce and senior operational leadership team.

Strategic Context

South Africa has scaled rapidly as a strategic delivery market. The next phase requires an experienced executive operator who can institutionalise a consistent operating model, protect current performance, strengthen commercial returns and convert delivery credibility into sustainable client growth.

Key Accountabilities

1. Portfolio Leadership and Operating Model

• Provide end-to-end leadership across multiple UK and UD client portfolios, delivery locations, operating shifts and service channels.


• Translate enterprise strategy into a clear portfolio operating plan, governance cadence and account-level priorities.


• Apply the Deliver, Drive, Delight, Develop and Transform framework to balance performance, profitability, client value, people and innovation.


• Create clear accountability across Operations and partner functions, ensuring local and global teams operate as one integrated delivery system.

2. Operational Performance and Service Excellence

• Own portfolio performance against contracted SLA's, quality, customer experience, productivity, sales and compliance outcomes.


• Establish early-warning mechanisms, fact-based performance reviews and decisive recovery plans for underperforming accounts.


• Drive consistency across voice, email, chat, back-office, social media, sales and technical-support operations.

3. Executive Client Leadership and Growth

• Act as the senior operational sponsor and escalation point for strategic UK and US clients.


• Lead EBR's, QBR's and executive governance with a clear narrative on performance, value creation, risk and future opportunity.


• Build trusted client relationships that protect retention and create expansion, cross-sell and renewal opportunities.


• Partner with Growth, Solution and Commercial teams to shape compelling, operationally executable propositions.

4. Financial and Commercial Stewardship

• Own the operational P&L for a portfolio generating more the US$20 million in annual revenue, with accountability for revenue, gross margin, EBITDA and cash discipline.


• Maintain accurate forecasting and explain performance through clear revenue, pricing, volume, productivity and cost bridges.


• Identify and recover revenue leakage, protect contractual economics and ensure operational delivery remains aligned with pricing assumptions. 


• Improve margins through workforce efficiency, management leverage, automation, process redesign and disciplined cost governance.

5. Workforce, Capacity and Organisational Readiness

• Partner with Workforce Management, Talent Acquisition and Learning to translate client demand into executable staffing and capability plans. 


• Oversee capacity, occupancy, shrinkage, adherence, overtime and seasonal demand across multiple locations and time zones.


• Ensure operational readiness for growth, including leadership capacity, training throughout, facilities, technology and support-function coverage.

6. Leadership and Culture

• Lead, coach and hold accountable Directors, Senior Operations Manages and cross-functional leader across the portfolio.


• Build a strong succession pipeline and ensure leadership depth at every critical level of the operation


• Create a high-performance culture grounded in ownership, transparency, collaboration, employee engagement and continuous improvement.


• Reduce regrettable attrition by addressing leadership quality, employee experience, career progression and workforce stability.

7. Transformation, Analytics and Innovation

• Own a prioritised transformation roadmap spanning AI, automation, analytics, Lean and process redesign.


• Ensure transformation initiatives are supported by robust business cases, accountable sponsors and Finance-validated benefits.


• Use operational data, Voice of Customer insights and predictive indicators to improve decision-making and client outcomes.


• Position South Africa as a capability and transformation partner, not simply a capacity provider.

8. Governance, Risk and Control

• Maintain strong operational governance, audit readiness and compliance with client, regulatory, information-security and data-privacy requirements.


• Ensure robust business continuity, disaster recovery, risk mitigation and escalation disciplines across all delivery locations.


• Provide concise, accurate executive reporting that makes performance, risk, decisions and accountable actions visible. 

Measures of Success

• Consistent portfolio attainment of client SLAs, quality and customer-experience commitments.


• Revenue, gross margin and EBITDA performance against plan, supported by accurate forecasting and disciplined cost control.


• Improved client health, retention, referenceability and organic growth across the portfolio.


• Measurable improvement in productivity, shrinkage, management efficiency, attrition and employee engagement.


• Successful launches and expansions delivered on time, within budget and with stable early-life performance.


• Finance-validated transformation benefits and sustained adoption of new ways of working.


• A credible succession bench and stronger leadership capability across locations and accounts.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management or a related discipline; MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification preferred.


• At least 15 years of experience in BPO, customer experience or outsourced operations, including a minimum of eight years in senior operational leadership.


• Demonstrable experience leading multiple delivery locations and a diversified portfolio of client accounts; single-site or single-account leadership alone will not be sufficient.


• Proven accountability for an annual revenue portfolio exceeding US$20 million, including direct ownership of P&L, gross margin, EBITDA and forecasting.


• Experience leading large-scale operations of at least 1,000 FTE across multiple accounts; exposure to portfolios of 1,500+ FTE is highly advantageous.


• Strong understanding of UK and US client expectations, operating models, time zones and executive governance requirements.


• A track record of stabilising performance, leading complex turnarounds, executing large ramps and converting delivery credibility into growth.


• Executive-level client engagement and the ability to influence senior internal and external stakeholders across a matrix organisation.


• Strong commercial judgment, analytical capability and experience using data to drive decisions and challenge assumptions.


• Lean, Six Sigma or comparable continuous-improvement certification is advantageous, together with practical experience deploying automation and AI-enabled solutions.

Leadership Profile

• Enterprise thinker who can connect client outcomes, people, operations, economics and transformation.


• Decisive and accountable operator who remains composed in complex, high-pressure environments.


• Commercially astute client partner with credibility at executive level.


• Visible people leader who builds trust, develops successors and creates clarity across a distributed organisation.


• Change leader who can simplify complexity and translate strategy into disciplined execution.

Work Environment

The role operates within a fast-paced, highly commercial 24/7 BPO environment supporting UK and US time zones. It requires executive flexibility, regular presence across delivery locations, and availability during critical client, performance, launch and escalation periods.

Key Points

Salary: Market Related

Benefits: Medical Aid and Pension

Location: Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town

Contracted Hours: 40 hours per week

Working Hours: Core business hours

Contract Duration: Permanent