Client Operational Manager

Perch Connect; KwaZulu-Natal; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Perch Connect in Durban seeks a Senior Operational Leader to drive client services across our Durban operation, aligning with UK Consumer Duty and governance standards. You will lead operational delivery, quality, and regulatory compliance while engaging confidently with UK financial services clients and hosting on-site visits.

You will report to the Group COO and shape growth, scale operations, and implement best practices in training and leadership to sustain performance across all clients.

Qualifications

• 10+ years’ experience in contact centre or BPO leadership in regulated sectors.
• Proven experience engaging with UK clients and presenting in governance forums (MBRs/QBRs).
• Strong knowledge of quality assurance, compliance controls, and regulatory expectations.
• Experience operating within offshore or outsourced environments is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all operational delivery across all clients.
• Drive performance across compliant collections and regulated customer contact environments.
• Embed accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.
• Ensure governance, reporting, and risk management frameworks are in place.
• Host UK client visits and contribute to MBRs/QBRs.
• Develop frontline managers and leadership capability.
• Scale operational capability in line with growth plans.
• Champion training and coaching.

Skills

Leadership

Client engagement

Regulated environment

Governance & reporting

Data-driven decisions

Change & transformation

Job description

Purpose of the Job:

We are seeking a Senior Operational Leader with strong client services capability to lead our Durban operation and drive continuous improvement across all clients.

This individual will be responsible for operational performance, quality, regulatory compliance (including alignment to UK Consumer Duty expectations), and overall service excellence. The role requires a commercially aware operator who can engage confidently with UK financial services clients, support Monthly Business Reviews (MBRs), and host client visits on-site in Durban.

The successful candidate will report directly to the Group COO and will play a key role in shaping the next phase of growth and maturity

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead and oversee all operational delivery across all clients.
• Lead and oversee all operational delivery across all clients.
• Drive performance across compliant collections and regulated customer contact environments.
• Embed a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.
• Ensure robust governance, reporting, and risk management frameworks are in place.

Quality & Consumer Duty

• Strengthen QA frameworks to ensure alignment with UK regulatory standards, including Consumer Duty principles (fair outcomes, vulnerability awareness, and customer understanding).
• Improve quality assurance scoring, calibration standards, and feedback loops.
• Ensure customer interactions meet both compliance and customer outcome expectations.
• Work closely with compliance stakeholders to maintain audit readiness.

Compliant Collections & Performance Optimisation

• Enhance compliant collections strategies, balancing performance with customer outcomes.
• Improve key operational KPIs including:
• Right Party Contact (RPC)
• Conversion rates
• Promise to Pay (PTP) performance
• Collections yield
• Vulnerability identification and handling

Drive contact centre efficiency metrics including:

• Service levels
• AHT
• Shrinkage
• Occupancy
• Attrition and engagement

Client Services & Stakeholder Management

• Act as senior operational point of contact for all clients.

Support and contribute to Monthly Business Reviews (MBRs) and QBRs.

• Present performance updates, improvement plans, and strategic initiatives.
• Host UK clients visiting the Durban operation, demonstrating governance, culture, and operational maturity.
• Build trusted, transparent relationships with client stakeholders.
• Continuous Improvement & Growth
• Identify operational improvement opportunities across people, process, technology, and controls.
• Support mobilisation of new clients and service lines.
• Work with the Group COO to scale operational capability in line with growth plans.
• Champion best practice in training, coaching, and leadership capability

Success Measures

• Consistent achievement or outperformance of client operational KPIs, including collections yield, RPC rates, PTP performance, service levels, and quality scores.
• Demonstrable improvement in QA performance, Consumer Duty alignment, vulnerability identification, and overall customer outcomes.
• High levels of client satisfaction, evidenced through positive feedback in MBRs/QBRs and strong client retention.
• Stable and well-governed operation with strong employee engagement, controlled attrition, and effective leadership capability across operational teams.
• Successful hosting of client visits and audits, demonstrating operational maturity, strong governance, and regulatory readiness.
• Continuous operational improvement through measurable enhancements in efficiency, productivity, and compliance standards.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Senior operational leadership in contact centre environments, with the ability to lead large teams and build high-performing management structures.
• Strong client engagement capability, including presenting operational performance, managing senior stakeholders, and leading service review meetings.
• Deep understanding of regulated customer contact, particularly within financial services, credit, utilities, or debt collection environments.
• Operational performance management, including experience managing collections performance, service levels, quality frameworks, and productivity metrics.
• Regulatory and governance awareness, including understanding of FCA expectations, Consumer Duty principles, and vulnerability handling.
• Data-driven decision-making, with the ability to interpret operational MI, identify root causes, and implement improvement plans.
• Change and transformation capability, including embedding new processes, improving operational frameworks, and scaling operations.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills, with the ability to develop frontline managers and operational leaders.

Experience and Qualifications

• 10+ years’ experience in contact centre or BPO operational leadership roles, ideally within regulated financial services, utilities, or credit environments.
• Proven experience managing compliant collections or regulated customer contact operations.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with UK clients (preferred) and presenting in formal performance governance forums (MBRs/QBRs).
• Experience leading large operational teams (Team Leaders, Operations Managers, QA, and support functions).
• Strong understanding of quality assurance frameworks, compliance controls, and regulatory expectations within customer contact environments.
• Experience operating within offshore or outsourced service environments is highly desirable.

Working Hours

• Mon-Fri: 8am-4.30pm (UK Time) i.e. 9am-5.30pm/10am-6.30pm (SA Time)
• Saturday: As required based on commitments/deadlines