Hybrid Customer Support Operations Manager — Growth & Performance

Staff Solutions; South Africa; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Insurance

Income Protection

Critical Illness cover

Funeral Assistance

Provident fund

Medical aid subsidy

Sage Academy leave

Annual leave 15 days (fixed term) / 20

Sick leave 30 days in 3 year cycle

Job summary

Sage is seeking an Operations Manager to lead Customer Support operations across products and channels in South Africa. You will translate strategy into practical plans, coach Team Managers and optimize performance and customer outcomes.

The role requires collaboration with Product, Finance, People and other stakeholders to improve service levels and efficiency. The position is based in Johannesburg with a hybrid pattern—3 days in the office.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience within Customer Support, Customer Services, contact centre operations or a comparable service environment.
• Experience leading through Team Managers or other people leaders.
• Strong understanding of customer experience, operational performance management and service delivery measures.
• Experience in workforce planning, capacity management, forecasting or resource optimisation.
• Ability to interpret operational data, identify root causes and translate insights into measurable action.
• Proven experience in coaching, performance management, talent development and succession planning.
• Strong stakeholder management, written communication, verbal communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to lead change, manage competing priorities and maintain operational stability.
• Sound judgement, integrity and the ability to hold leaders and teams accountable for agreed outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead Customer Support Team Managers and their teams to achieve agreed customer, colleague and operational outcomes.
• Translate Customer Support strategy, annual objectives and product priorities into clear operational plans, measures and accountabilities.
• Drive performance against key measures including TNPS, CSAT, First Contact Resolution, service levels, quality, productivity, case turnaround time and backlog management.
• Uses operational data, customer feedback and root-cause analysis to identify performance risks, recurring demand and improvement opportunities.
• Ensures effective workforce planning, forecasting, scheduling, capacity management and resource deployment in partnership with Workforce Management.
• Builds leadership capability through structured coaching, performance management, succession planning and development of Team Managers.
• Creates a high-performance culture that promotes accountability, colleague engagement, inclusion, recognition and continuous learning.
• Champions customer‑centred support practices that make interactions right, easy and personal while reducing repeat contact and customer effort.
• Provides leadership on customer escalations, service recovery and customer‑impacting operational issues.
• Leads continuous improvement, process simplification, digital adoption, automation and AI‑enabled support initiatives where these improve customer and colleague outcomes.
• Partners with Product, Digital, Finance, People, Learning and Development, Quality, Workforce Management and Operational Excellence to deliver cross‑functional priorities. Supports budget planning and identifies opportunities to improve productivity and cost‑to‑serve without compromising customer outcomes.
• Ensures adherence to the Customer Support Playbook, standard operating procedures, internal controls, company policies and applicable legal requirements.
• Provides clear operational reporting, customer insight, risks and recommendations to senior leadership and other relevant stakeholders.
• Ensures mandatory training and agreed people processes are completed within required timelines.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Customer experience

Workforce planning

Data analysis

Coaching

Stakeholder management

Change management

Integrity

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent NQF6

Job description

Sage is seeking an Operations Manager to lead Customer Support operations across products and channels in South Africa. You will translate strategy into practical plans, coach Team Managers and optimize performance and customer outcomes.

The role requires collaboration with Product, Finance, People and other stakeholders to improve service levels and efficiency. The position is based in Johannesburg with a hybrid pattern—3 days in the office.