Chief Operating Officer

Surgo PTY; Durban; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 750 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency in Durban is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead call centre operations and drive excellent service delivery. The role demands a proven executive with at least 10 years of operational leadership experience, strategic thinking ability, and strong team management skills. The position offers market-related compensation and benefits, fostering diversity and inclusion in hiring practices.

Benefits

Market-related CTC

Annual KPI performance bonus

Medical aid

Provident fund

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of proven executive-level operational leadership.
• Demonstrated success in high-volume customer service operations.
• Extensive experience managing dispersed teams internationally.

Responsibilities

• Develop short- and long-term operational strategies.
• Collaborate with CEO and senior executives for growth initiatives.
• Monitor daily business performance and provide updates to stakeholders.

Skills

Business acumen

Strategic thinking

Results-driven mindset

Effective delegation

Analytical decision making

Excellent communication

Leadership presence

Education

Advanced degree in Business Administration or related field

Job description

Our client based in Durban is seeking a dynamic, commercially astute Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead and optimise call centre operations and drive world‑class service delivery at scale.

Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute short‑ and long‑term operational strategies in alignment with the overall business vision.
• Collaborate closely with the CEO and other senior executives to shape and support business‑strategy growth initiatives and client delivery frameworks.
• Oversee the end‑to‑end operational performance of local and international CX campaigns, ensuring service excellence, efficiency and scalability.
• Build and maintain robust business‑continuity plans to manage operational risk.
• Drive digitisation, automation and intelligent workforce management across the operations environment.
• Develop and implement strategies to enhance productivity, efficiency and service quality while optimising costs and resources.

Operational Management

• Identify opportunities for process optimisation, automation and standardisation to streamline operations and improve overall performance metrics.

Performance and Quality Assurance

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) across all operational teams to ensure delivery of SLAs and client expectations.
• Use real‑time data and dashboards to enable transparent, proactive decision‑making.
• Develop and maintain operational scorecards and ensure performance visibility at all levels of the organisation.
• Monitor daily business performance, providing regular updates to stakeholders and establishing corrective measures as needed.
• Develop highly visible and transparent operational reporting processes (using technology where possible) to highlight daily performance and allow immediate response and corrective measures.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead and develop a high‑performing team capable of delivering on strategic and operational objectives.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous improvement and customer‑centricity.
• Drive talent development initiatives, succession planning and employee engagement across all levels.
• Represent Operations at executive forums, board meetings and client briefings.
• Build relationships with relevant industry stakeholders such as BPESA.
• Prepare detailed executive operational updates for the monthly Executive Committee meetings, working closely with other CX executives to provide accurate forecasting and reports.

Stakeholder & Client Engagement

Represent the COO role in client and stakeholder forums, ensuring clear communication of operational objectives and performance.

Desired Experience & Qualifications

Qualifications

• Proven commercial results in a CX environment.
• Advanced degree in Business Administration, Operations, Finance or a related field (required).
• Executive leadership development and certifications would be advantageous.

Experience

• At least 10 years of proven executive‑level operational leadership within a BPO or CX environment.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, high‑volume customer service or call centre operations.
• Extensive experience managing dispersed teams and international operations is strongly preferred.
• Track record of delivering measurable commercial and operational improvements.

Skills

• Excellent business acumen and ability to effectively manage and supervise a multidisciplinary team.
• Strategic thinker, open to new perspectives and innovative approaches.
• Results‑driven mindset with a demonstrable understanding of financial and management accounting results and considerations.
• Effective delegation and pragmatic execution capability.
• High commercial acumen with deep understanding of financial metrics, levers and risk drivers.
• Analytical and data‑driven decision maker with experience in operational reporting and forecasting.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to engage confidently from frontline to boardroom.
• Solutions‑focused, agile and decisive under pressure.
• Strong leadership presence, capable of inspiring, challenging and driving accountability.

Salary & Benefits

• Market‑related CTC plus annual KPI performance bonus.
• Medical aid, provident fund.

Diversity & Inclusion

Surgo (Pty) Ltd is committed to building a diverse workforce and encourages people with disabilities and candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

Employment Details

Employment Type: Full‑time