Technical Operations Manager

Lulalend; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 800 000 - 1 000 000; Full time

Job summary

A financial technology company based in Cape Town, SA is seeking a Technical Operations Manager to lead technical support and helpdesk teams. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience in service delivery, with a strong leadership background in technical support and vendor management. This role involves optimizing processes, ensuring compliance, and maintaining high-quality service levels in a hybrid work environment. ITIL certifications and cloud experience are advantageous.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in technical support or service delivery.
• 3-5+ years in a leadership or vendor management role.
• Experience in FinTech or regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and mentor the Technical Support Manager and Helpdesk Manager.
• Oversee incident, problem, and change management lifecycles.
• Build relationships with critical vendors and partners.

Skills

Leadership

Vendor Management

Technical Support

Incident Management

ITIL Practices

Education

Diploma or Degree in IT

Tools

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Entra

Intune

Google Apps/Workspace

Atlassian

Job description

Cape Town, ZA - Hybrid (Remote and In Person)

As the Technical Operations Manager at Lula, you are responsible for the holistic success of IT service delivery. You will provide strategic leadership to the Technical Support and Helpdesk teams, ensuring they are empowered to deliver a first-class customer experience through reliable tools and efficient support. Beyond internal team management, you oversee the performance of critical vendors to ensure alignment with organizational goals and adherence to strict SLAs. Your role is critical in maintaining the stability, security, and scalability of the platform our customers use every day.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Internal Team Leadership & Strategy

• Supervise and mentor the Technical Support Manager and Helpdesk Manager, setting clear goals and conducting regular performance reviews.
• Partner with the CIO to develop and implement strategies for improving technical support processes and service delivery.
• Conduct regular training sessions to keep team leaders up-to-date with product knowledge, leadership practices, and technical skills.
• Ensure teams are properly equipped with the tools and information necessary to provide prompt and effective responses to inquiries.

Service Management (ITSM) Oversight

• Oversee the full lifecycle of incident, problem, and change management to minimize business disruption.
• Act as the ultimate escalation point for complex cases and major incidents, leading resolution efforts and root cause analysis.
• Review and communicate change requests to minimize risks, ensuring proper testing and rollback plans are in place.
• Identify opportunities for process optimization and efficiency within the support teams and service request fulfillment processes.

Vendor and Partner Management

• Build and foster strong relationships with critical vendors and partners to ensure alignment with Lula's goals.
• Monitor vendor and partner adherence to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and validate compliance with contractual obligations.
• Address vendor and partner service delivery failures and work to implement corrective actions and strategies for improvement.

Infrastructure, Security & Compliance

• Oversee technical support to ensure Lula maintains an up-to-date, secure, and reliable office network.
• Facilitate role assignments and access to systems to ensure regulatory compliance and best practices are met.
• Oversee the IT asset management (ITAM) tool, ensuring records are accurate in collaboration with the Finance department.
• Maintain a risk register for all internal and vendor and partner related activities, updating it regularly to mitigate potential disruptions.
• Prepare detailed reports on team metrics, vendor performance, and SLA compliance for the CIO and senior management.
• Monitor service costs and review vendor invoices based on performance to ensure they align with the agreed budget.
• Use data analytics to predict potential risks and identify cost‑saving opportunities without compromising quality.

THE EXPERIENCE WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• Diploma or Degree in IT or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of experience in technical support or service delivery, with 3-5+ years in a leadership or vendor management role.
• FinTech, Financial Services or experience in a regulated environment
• ITIL certifications are highly advantageous.
• Microsoft Azure is our primary cloud provider with our applications developed on the Microsoft stack
• Microsoft Entra and Intune
• Google Apps/Workspace
• Atlassian
• ITIL-based service management practices and tools