Head of Inbound Operations Centre

Network Finance; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 1,400,000 - 1,900,000; Full time

Job summary

Network Finance is seeking a strategic, hands-on leader to own and transform an inbound operation from a fragmented support function into a centralized, data-driven business channel. You will build governance, drive multi-channel customer experiences, and align with executives to deliver measurable improvements.

In this role you will shape workforce planning, quality assurance, and performance management while guiding a senior team through large-scale operational change and cost optimisation.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large multi-channel inbound operations.
• Track record of transforming operations with governance and data analytics.
• Exposure to regulated environments and executive engagement.

Responsibilities

• Establish a centralised Inbound Operations Centre from inception.
• Design and embed operating procedures, governance and performance standards.
• Drive service delivery, customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Lead a large-scale inbound operation with SLAs, quality and outcomes.
• Develop and mentor a high-performing management team.
• Oversee forecasting, scheduling and workforce management.
• Ensure compliance and implement continuous improvement initiatives.
• Present performance and business cases to executive leadership.

Skills

Inbound Ops

Leadership

Stakeholder Mgmt

Process Improvement

Data-Driven

Strategic Thinking

Executive Communication

Education

Bachelors in Business Admin

Postgrad qualification

Tools

Contact Center Tech

Job description

As the successful candidate, you will take ownership of the entire inbound operation, transforming it from a fragmented support function into a deliberate, data-driven business channel. You will lead the design, implementation, optimisation and governance of a multi-channel inbound environment, ensuring consistent service delivery, workforce planning, quality management and performance measurement across the operation.

What You'll Be Responsible For:

Operational Leadership:

• Establish and lead a centralised Inbound Operations Centre from inception.
• Create and embed operating procedures, governance frameworks and performance standards.
• Drive service delivery, customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Lead a large-scale inbound operation with accountability for service levels, abandonment rates, quality and customer outcomes.
• Develop and mentor a high-performing management team.

Inbound Strategy & Transformation

• Design and implement a single, streamlined entry point for inbound interactions.
• Drive optimisation of customer journeys and routing strategies.
• Lead the evolution of self-service, digital and voice-based channels.
• Partner with technical teams to enhance routing, telephony and customer interaction processes.
• Identify and recover lost customer engagement opportunities across the inbound channel.

Workforce Planning & Resource Optimisation

• Oversee forecasting, scheduling and workforce management practices.
• Ensure optimal resource allocation across inbound and outbound operations.
• Develop evidence-based capacity plans and operating models.
• Drive productivity, efficiency and cost optimisation initiatives.

Customer Experience, Compliance & Quality

• Establish and maintain a robust quality assurance framework.
• Ensure regulatory and operational compliance across all customer contact channels.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives based on operational insights and performance trends.
• Utilise analytics and customer feedback to improve service delivery and customer outcomes.

Executive Stakeholder Engagement

• Present operational performance, risks, opportunities and business cases to executive leadership.
• Engage confidently with senior internal stakeholders and external clients.
• Build strong relationships across Operations, Technology, Finance, Human Resources, Compliance and Customer Services.
• Act as the executive voice of inbound performance and operational excellence.

What We're Looking For:

Experience

• 8+ years of contact centre operations experience.
• Minimum 3 years' experience at Senior Management, Head of Department or equivalent leadership level.
• Proven experience managing large-scale multi-channel inbound operations.
• Experience within collections, financial services or a highly-regulated environment.
• Track record of leading large operational transformation projects and building functions or capabilities from the ground up.
• Exposure to workforce management, capacity planning and operational governance.
• Experience engaging with executive and client stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Information Systems or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualification advantageous.
• Certifications in workforce management, Lean Six Sigma, customer experience, project management or change management would be highly beneficial.

Technical Expertise

• Multi-channel contact centre operations.
• Workforce planning and forecasting.
• Routing, telephony and contact centre technologies.
• Operational analytics and performance management.
• Quality assurance frameworks.
• Process improvement and operational transformation.
• Customer journey optimisation.
• Regulatory compliance within customer operations environments.

The Ideal Candidate:

We are seeking a strategic and commercially minded leader who can see the bigger picture while remaining deeply connected to operational detail. You will be someone who naturally drives execution, challenges the status quo, builds strong relationships and inspires teams to achieve exceptional results.

You'll bring:

• Strong commercial acumen.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills.
• High energy and a bias for action.
• A collaborative leadership style.
• Outstanding communication and influencing ability.
• The capability to translate strategy into operational delivery

Why This Opportunity?

This role offers the rare chance to build and shape a critical business function from the ground up, creating a lasting impact on customer experience, operational performance and commercial outcomes. It is ideally suited to a hands-on operational leader who enjoys driving transformation, building high-performing teams and delivering measurable business value.