Head Of Shared Services - Operations at Britam

Job purpose

The role holder will be responsible for overseeing the operational strategy of the shared services center by ensuring operational processes and service standards are aligned to the Business Units and Commercial Organization while enhancing overall customer service and experience across the various customer touch points.  The role will report to the Group Chief Operating Officer.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee and ensure speed and efficiency of service delivery at front office and back-office functions at the branches, including premium collection, customer service all product lines;
• Oversee standardization of processes and services within the entire Britam Group;
• Responsible for creating and maintaining appropriate levels of operational focus, integrity and control strategies within a Britam branches;
• Define, monitor and ensure adherence to service standards by Shared service –Operations function;
• Liaise with operations managers – regional subsidiaries for standardization of processes and customer experience;
• Ensure service provided to customers is standardized and customer service representatives are well versed with all product lines;
• Ensure all branches adhere to processes, procedures and set productivity targets (efficiency, accuracy, etc) laid down by Businesses and Commercial Unit;
• Continuous review and streamline new and existing reports to maximize efficiency and productivity;
• Manage Sales workforce back-end support function and ensure efficiency of the team;
• Follow through any operational internal audit/ Risk queries or issues raised with regard to branches and centralized functions to ensure their quick resolution. 
• Acts as a functional liaison for operational activities between Commercial organization and all operational support departments;
• Working in liaison with the various lines of business enabler functions e.g. IT, HR, Finance, admin, risk and compliance, internal audit, brand and marketing etc to provide standardised product and process across the operations department to deliver on service management; and
• Deliver on performance requirements as defined in the departments’ strategy map, balanced scorecard and Personal Scorecard.

Knowledge, experience and qualifications required

• Relevant Bachelor’s Degree;  MBA is an added advantage.
• 6-9 years’ experience in a similar position; 4-5 of which should be in a managerial capacity in a busy environment. Commercial and general management experience in a company of approximately similar size.
• Proven experience as an Operations Manager within a Financial Services Industry (Banking and Finance/ Insurance). 
• Extensive experience in ensuring operational risks are identified and managed.
• Significant experience in process mapping and restructuring to obtain optimal operations with a focus on cost containment. 
• A deep understanding of leveraging technology and processes to standardise operations, reducing turn-around times on all key business processes. 
• A demonstrated track record in optimising operations to enhance the overall customer experience at all customer contact points.

 Essential Competencies

• Deciding and Initiating Action: Ensures key departmental objectives are met, takes responsibility for decisions, actions, projects and people while focussing on achievement of departmental results; takes initiative and works under own direction; initiates and generates activity; makes quick, clear decisions with limited information available which may include tough choices or considered risks; decisions and actions takes into account possible impact on all parts of the business.
• Leading and Supervising: Provides the department with a clear direction based on the overall strategic intent of the organisation; motivates and empowers others with a clear sense of purpose; creates a positive departmental climate that fosters learning and development; acknowledge high potential talent; sets and articulates the vision and values through own personal behaviour.
• Persuading and Influencing: Gains clear agreement and commitment from others by persuading, convincing and negotiating to the benefit of the department, promotes the organisational strategy during departmental conversations; makes effective use of political processes to influence and persuade others; promotes ideas on behalf of the department; makes a strong personal impact on others; takes care to manage the department’s impression and brand on others.
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts: Works strategically to realise organisational goals within the department; sets and develops departmental strategies; identifies and develops positive and compelling visions of the department's future potential; takes account of a wide range of issues across, and related to, the organisation; encourage others to take a strategic and long term view in terms of the department's future; communicates the organisational strategy, vision and objectives effectively across all levels in the department.
• Entrepreneurial and Commercial Thinking: Keeps up to date with competitor information and market trends; identifies business opportunities for the department; maintains awareness of developments, changes, trends and possible risks in the department's structure and politics; demonstrates financial awareness; ensure costs are monitored and controlled and thinks in terms of profit, loss and added value.
• Planning and Organising: Sets clearly defined departmental objectives; plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing circumstances; identifies and organises resources needed to accomplish tasks; manages time effectively; monitors departmental performance against deadlines and milestones.