Head of Operations / Outsourcing / Shared Services

She Recruits; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 1 200 000 - 1 700 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm seeks a Head of Operations to lead a large-scale outsourcing operation. The role involves overseeing service delivery for multiple clients, managing a team of approximately 65 employees, and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks. The ideal candidate will possess a degree in a relevant field, have significant experience in BPO or Shared Services operations, and demonstrate strong leadership and client service skills. This position is based in South Africa and offers opportunities for continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years' experience in BPO, Outsourcing or Shared Services operational management within financial services.
• Minimum 3 years in a senior management role leading managers and large teams.
• Strong understanding of trust, corporate services and/or pension administration.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a proactive, high-quality service to clients, ensuring strong relationships and continuous improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop Team Leaders and Supervisors to drive accountability, engagement and high performance.
• Ensure full compliance with regulatory, legal and governance frameworks.

Skills

Leadership

Operational management

Change management

Client-centric mindset

Advanced Excel

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Business Administration, Management, Law, Finance, Accounting, or Compliance

Job description

Overview

Head of Operations – Outsourcing / Shared Services

Location: Grand Baie, Mauritius

We are seeking a highly experienced Head of Operations to lead a large-scale outsourcing operation within a professional services environment. This role sits within the Outsourcing Business Unit, managing complex, high-volume service delivery for multiple clients. You will lead 6 Team Leaders and a total team of approximately 65 employees, with full accountability for service delivery, performance, compliance, client satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Qualifications, skills & experience

• Degree in Business Administration, Management, Law, Finance, Accounting, or Compliance (STEP or ICSA certification advantageous)
• 5–7 years’ experience in BPO, Outsourcing or Shared Services operational management within financial services
• Minimum 3 years in a senior management role leading managers and large teams
• Solid understanding of trust, corporate services and/or pension administration
• Proven experience managing large teams, SLAs, operational risk, and client service delivery
• Strong people leadership with the ability to inspire, coach, and manage leaders
• Strategic and analytical thinking with sound decision-making capability
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven change management and influencing skills
• Client-centric mindset with a strong focus on service delivery
• Strong stakeholder management, negotiation and influencing skills
• Advanced Excel and data analysis capability

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Service Delivery

• Deliver a proactive, high-quality service to clients, ensuring strong relationships, clear communication and continuous improvement.
• Oversee administration, case processing and queue management across multiple customer groups to consistently meet or exceed SLAs.
• Ensure effective change control processes are in place to support client-specific requirements while maintaining global standardized processes.

People & Performance Management

• Lead, coach, and develop Team Leaders and Supervisors to drive accountability, engagement and high performance.
• Embed a strong performance culture through coaching, feedback, recognition and corrective action where required.
• Reduce attrition and improve employee engagement, measured through retention KPIs and ESAT results.
• Support talent acquisition, workforce planning and career development initiatives.

Compliance, Risk & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with regulatory, legal and governance frameworks.
• Maintain robust risk management and quality assurance controls across all operational processes.

Continuous Improvement & Change

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using customer feedback, operational data, and process analysis.
• Lead operational change across processes, systems, technologies and structures to improve efficiency and service quality.
• Leverage digital tools and technology to enhance productivity and operational effectiveness.

Financial & Commercial Oversight

• Partner on budgeting, forecasting and cost optimisation.
• Monitor financial performance and identify opportunities for efficiency and resource optimisation.

Reporting & Stakeholder Management

• Track and report on KPIs, operational performance, risks and improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally and manage vendor relationships to ensure operational alignment and cost efficiency.

This role is ideal for a senior operations leader from a BPO, Shared Services or Outsourced Financial Services environment who thrives in structured, SLA-driven operations and enjoys leading through others at scale.