Senior Operations Manager

Johannesburg, South Africa Posted on 13/01/2026

• Salary Market related salary plus annual bonus
• Remuneration Term Per Month
• Date Opened 13/01/2026
• State/Province Gauteng
• City/Town Johannesburg
• Country South Africa

A financial services group operating across debt capital and insurance-related businesses is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to take full ownership of its premium finance operations. This role is responsible for ensuring all operational processes are executed seamlessly, compliantly and efficiently, supporting service excellence, partner confidence and sustainable growth.

Working within an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment, the Operations Manager will oversee end-to-end operational delivery, continuously improve processes, and ensure the business scales effectively while maintaining high standards of control, accuracy and customer experience.

• Actively manage daily operational workflows, from client onboarding and loan disbursement to collections and settlements.
• Execute, document, and continuously refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.
• Identify bottlenecks and develop process improvement initiatives to enhance turnaround times and client experience.
• Maintain and update process documentation, including regular testing of admin workflows.
• Ensure accurate execution of key administrative tasks (including reconciliations, invoicing checks, and cancellation calculations) by personally handling or assisting where required to maintain operational accuracy and service continuity.
• Manage and contribute to endorsement and invoicing processes, ensuring all calculations and agreements are correct.
• Manage, review and oversee process for invoicing, reconciliations, amort schedules, invoice vs agreement checks etc are executed correctly Complete oversight of finance and CRM platforms (e.g., Finance Master and ).
• Sign off on cancellation calculations.
• Facilitate and oversee cross training of all admin staff (2 critical processes per person per quarter).
• Manage leave coverage plans across the operations team to ensure that service levels are maintained at 100%.
• Assist with workload of operations staff when the staff are on leave.
• Execute and oversee compliance with FICA requirements, including verification of customer identification and maintenance of audit trails.
• Conduct quarterly audit sample checks and compile reports for management.
• Implement FICA oversight, including verification of customer identification, monitoring for suspicious transactions, and maintaining FICA documentation.
• Liaise with external auditors, regulatory bodies, and insurers regarding compliance matters (where required).
• Maintain accurate records and implement audit trails for all transactions.
• Conduct regular operational risk assessments and remedial action plans.
• Pull audit samples every quarter - Report back to Management on findings.
• Lead annual FICA refresher training for staff and ensure proper documentation is maintained.
• Act as a direct point of contact for brokers, insurers, and clients regarding operational queries and escalations.
• Manage broker/client onboarding, ensuring documentation, agreements, and queries are properly handled.
• Personally send client welcome letters and follow up to ensure smooth handovers.
• Reconcile client and broker accounts and resolve discrepancies promptly.
• Collaborate with the administration team to reconcile any account queries.
• Handle escalations and service recovery when operational issues arise.
• Supervise and mentor all operational staff.
• Lead daily huddle meetings, review team workload, and allocate tasks based on priorities.
• Conduct monthly KPI reviews for all admin staff and provide performance feedback.
• Conduct training and upskilling programs to ensure staff remain competent in compliance and product knowledge.
• Foster a culture of accountability, service excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Own day-to-day functionality and optimisation of , Finance Master, and related CRM tools.
• Participate directly in testing and rollout of new system features and automation initiatives.
• Identify and implement process automation opportunities, coordinating with IT and management for integration and sign-off.
• Troubleshoot issues in real time, ensuring operational continuity.
• Drive system efficiencies and user adoption across the team.
• Support executive leadership in translating strategic goals into operational plans.
• Lead operational projects (e.g., Endorsement Project, FICA Project, Insurer Library Project).
• Execute project tasks directly (data collection, reporting, coordination).
• Track performance metrics (operational & efficiency metrics) and report progress to management, recommending process optimisations where applicable.

• Proven experience in an operations manager role with at least 3 years of experience
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial and excel data
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of the operations function
• Strong ability to handle clients and is comfortable in engaging with clients on complex aspects
• Self-motivated, energetic and proactive
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Particularly the ability to speak to clients on the phone
• Ability to cope with urgent and sudden changes in workload