Role Purpose:
The Head of Operations provides leadership, management and vision that are necessary to ensure that your reporting areas have the proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to effectively grow their departments and to ensure financial strength and operating efficiency. They manage all aspects of the operational site of the in line with approved plans, budgets, and schedules to achieve specified productivity, performance, and financial objectives. In addition, they are responsible for performing key accounts management function for onshore clients and promote the Sigma services to prospective clients.
Requirements:
- Minimum: Senior certificate (NQF4) or equivalent
- Preferred: Bachelor's Business Degree
- Advantageous: MBA Degree
- Valid code B driver’s license and own transport.
- Passed credit and criminal checks.
- S.A Citizen or valid work permit for S.A.
- Work under pressure
- Available to travel both domestically and internationally.
- Able to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in a complex, multiple entity, constantly changing environment.
Experience & Competencies:
- At least seven years’ management experience in BPO customer sales and/ service contact centre environments of 150 (or more) employees.
- Quantifiable experience in managing onshore campaigns within the SA Domestic market.
- Understand business ethics and values.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Sound understanding of strategic business objectives.
- Ability to think strategically and execute operationally.
- Presenting, explaining and information translation.
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Understands and values the commercial impact of decisions.
- Ability to build consensus and relationships among managers, partners, and employees.
- Excellent understanding of the customer contact centre industry and associated technological solutions.
- Ability to understand and adapt to new technological developments.
Key Outputs:
Financial Management
- Determine and compile the annual departmental budget in collaboration with the COO.
- Implement, control, and manage the departmental resources and procedures within approved budget guidelines
- Compile and present budget reports regarding expenditure to keep the Senior Leadership appropriately informed of the site’s budget position.
- Reconcile fuel, travel, and other departmental expenses.
- Manage utilization of staff in line with the budgeted manning.
- Manage costs to operate within budget and initiate cost saving measures.
Business Process Management
Governance
- Adhere to Company policies and departmental procedures.
- Adhere to Company structure and reporting lines.
- Adhere to Company business ethics and values.
Strategy
- Implement continuous improvement strategies on all work processes and policies to improve service and quality standards.
- Develop and implement a business plan for the customer contact centre to achieve the organization's' strategic objectives.
- Investigate long-term contractual arrangements with vendors and service providers to ensure continued suitability.
- Develop and maintain an appropriate network of contacts.
Operational
- Present the Company at public functions, events, or external meetings.
- Manage site performance across multiple campaigns in line with Sigma policies and procedures to meet performance targets.
- Maintain an effective working relationship with clients and undertake all communication on the issues specific to the offshore contact centre operations.
- Negotiate economically sound service level agreements.
- Meet with clients/ client relationship management regularly to discuss the company’s performance and pro-actively address and action performance shortfalls.
- Assist the COO and Executive with client contract proposals.
- Identify and remove performance barriers to meet performance targets.
- Ensure effective computer hardware, software and telecommunications systems are maintained.
- Keep the business abreast of feedback, trends, risks, issues, and opportunities.
HR Management
Ensure sound and productive employee relations, good morale, and productive work culture.
Coach, develop and motivate direct reports.
Manage the recruitment, training, scheduling, and performance of employees.
General:
- Manage operational effectiveness across the site
- Building sustainable relationships with service providers and clients to ensure site delivery
- Work with internal stakeholders to assess risk and reduce incidents of technical disruption that could seriously impact the delivery of the operation
- Act as an escalation point for any disruption onsite
- To perform all such duties and exercise all such powers in relation to the business of the Company as may from time to time be vested in or assigned to, despite the fact that such duties and powers may not normally be performed by you.
Learning and Growth (Staffing)
- Develop own competencies required for daily functioning.
- Provide input into own and subordinate Personal Development Plan(s).
- Advance employee motivation and organize learning and development interventions as appropriate.
Client and Vendor Management
- Ensure to always maintain client satisfaction.
- Ensure to meet quality standards for client service provided.
- Maintains effective working relationship with clients and undertake all communication professionally and factually.
- Manage the resolution of customer/ client problems and complaints.
- Maintain up to date knowledge of developments in clients’ markets, products, and services.
About Sigma Connected, part of the Digicall Group
Sigma Connected is a multi-award-winning Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) provider that specializes in outsourced (white-label) contact centre services, business process outsourcing, training and consultancy services, collections, complaints handling, customer services and vulnerable customer support services.
Founded in 2011, Sigma employs over 4,000 people and is expanding its operations from state-of-the-art contact centres in the UK, Australia, and South Africa.
At Sigma Connected, we believe in serving people and changing lives. Through a diverse and inclusive service offering and partner network, we believe that whatever our clients need, we have a solution for them. Our business is to be there for our clients when it matters most.
Sigma is part of the Digicall Group which is a South African owned and based company providing a range of services in diverse segments such as insurance claims administration, claims assessment and adjudication, supply chain management and tailor-made bespoke solutions which meet customer demands in a responsible, cost-effective and sustainable way.
Diversity and Inclusion
Sigma Financial Group is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.
We have a range of inclusive employment policies, employee engagement forums, an employee continuous improvement project, wellbeing facilities, mental health first aiders and an employee assistance programme to support all our people irrespective of background.
We are proud to be a disability confident committed employer and a member of the mental health charter.
Our aspiration is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel valued and able to give their best.
Core Values:
Sigma has created four core values that the business and all employees stand by, they help drive our behaviours and what our brand stands for.
#Always Learning – because the more we learn the more we achieve
#Always Adapting – because flexibility creates opportunity
#Always Together – because we are part of our community, not apart from our community
#Always Better – because we do more