Operational Director

Job Title:

Operational Director

Job Description

The Operational Director is responsible for providing strategic leadership across a portfolio of client accounts within the contact centre operation, ensuring the delivery of exceptional customer experiences, achievement of contractual commitments, and sustainable commercial growth

The role is accountable for driving operational excellence, client satisfaction, financial performance, people leadership, and continuous improvement across multiple programs and business units. As a key member of the leadership team, the Operational Director will develop client partnerships, influence strategic decision-making, and ensure the operation delivers against revenue, profitability, quality, workforce, and customer experience objectives.

The successful candidate will be a commercially astute leader with extensive contact centre experience, a proven track record of managing large-scale operations, and the ability to lead high-performing teams in a fast-paced, client-centric environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Business Performance

• Provide strategic direction and operational leadership across a portfolio of client accounts and business units.
• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with organizational objectives, client expectations, and growth plans.
• Drive operational excellence through effective governance, risk management, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Lead transformation and innovation programs that enhance service delivery, customer experience, productivity, and profitability.
• Ensure operational scalability and readiness to support business growth and new client implementations.

2. Client Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the senior operational point of contact for assigned clients and stakeholders.
• Build trusted executive-level relationships that support client retention, growth, and long-term partnership success.
• Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), governance meetings, and strategic planning discussions with client stakeholders.
• Ensure delivery against all contractual SLAs, KPIs, compliance requirements, and customer experience metrics.
• Identify opportunities for account growth, upselling, and service expansion in partnership with Business Development teams.
• Proactively manage escalations, ensuring timely resolution and stakeholder communication.

3. Financial & Commercial Management

• Own the P&L performance of assigned business units and client accounts.
• Drive revenue growth, margin improvement, productivity, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, capacity planning, and financial reviews.
• Monitor operational efficiency metrics, shrinkage, utilization, and resource allocation to maximize profitability.
• Partner with Finance, Workforce Management, and Client Services teams to ensure sound commercial decision-making.
• Identify operational risks and implement mitigating actions to protect financial performance.

4. Operational Excellence & Service Delivery

• Ensure consistent achievement of service delivery targets across all programs.
• Drive performance against operational metrics, including:
  • Service Level
  • Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS)
  • Quality Assurance
  • Productivity
  • Revenue and Sales Performance
  • Retention
  • Attendance and Adherence
• Champion continuous improvement methodologies to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Ensure operational processes, controls, and governance frameworks are consistently applied.

5. Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Senior Operations Managers, Operations Managers, and support leaders.
• Build leadership capability through coaching, succession planning, mentoring, and talent development initiatives.
• Establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, ownership, and performance excellence.
• Drive employee engagement, retention, and leadership effectiveness across the operation.
• Ensure robust performance management practices are consistently applied across all levels.

6. Workforce Planning & Resource Management

• Partner with Workforce Management to ensure effective capacity planning and resource optimization.
• Review headcount requirements, workforce forecasts, and recruitment plans to support business demands.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to ensure timely hiring and workforce readiness.
• Ensure workforce strategies support both operational performance and commercial objectives.

7. Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure adherence to all company policies, client contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and industry standards.
• Drive compliance with data privacy, information security, and operational risk controls.
• Lead business continuity and contingency planning initiatives across the operation.
• Maintain strong governance processes and ensure operational risks are identified and effectively managed.

8. Employee Experience & Culture

• Foster an inclusive, high-performance environment aligned with company values.
• Promote employee wellbeing, engagement, diversity, and retention initiatives.
• Partner with People Soluitions to effectively manage employee relations matters and organizational change.
• Lead initiatives that enhance culture, employee satisfaction, and employer brand reputation.

Qualifications

Essential

• Grade 12 / Matric.
• Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, Commerce, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 8-10 years' experience within a BPO, customer management, or contact centre environment.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in a senior operational leadership role (Senior Operations Manager, Head of Operations, Associate Director, or equivalent).
• Proven experience managing multiple client accounts, large-scale operations, and senior client relationships.
• Demonstrated experience leading sales, customer service, retention, collections, or customer experience operations.
• Strong experience managing operational budgets, forecasting, and P&L accountability.
• Track record of delivering client satisfaction, operational performance, and business growth.

Preferred

• Postgraduate qualification in Business Management, Leadership, or Operations.
• Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or Continuous Improvement certification.
• Experience within international BPO environments supporting UK, US, Australian, or international clients.

Skills & Competencies

Leadership

• Strategic and commercial mindset.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to inspire large, multi-layered teams.
• Proven change management and transformation leadership capability.

Operational Excellence

• Advanced operational and performance management expertise.
• Strong knowledge of contact centre metrics, workforce planning, and service delivery principles.
• Ability to drive operational efficiencies while maintaining customer experience standards.

Commercial Acumen

• Strong financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management capability.
• Ability to identify opportunities for growth, cost optimization, and margin improvement.

Client Management

• Executive-level stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills.
• Exceptional presentation, negotiation, and influencing abilities.

Technical

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and reporting platforms.
• Experience with CRM, Workforce Management, Quality Assurance, and contact centre technologies.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capability.

Work Environment

• Office-based role with regular engagement across multiple operational sites.
• Occasional travel within South Africa may be required.
• Flexibility to support client requirements across multiple time zones where applicable.
• Must maintain the highest levels of confidentiality, professionalism, and compliance in relation to client and company information.

Concentrix is an equal opportunity employer.

Concentrix is a Disability Confident and equal opportunity employer. Concentrix evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Location:

ZAF Cape Town - 18 Main Rd, Claremont, Cape Town, 7708

Language Requirements:

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