Service Delivery Manager

Our client in BPO Industry, requires the services of a Operations Manager / Service Delivery Manager to join their team. The Service Delivery Manager will lead the Durban / South Africa operations team responsible for Finance & Accounting Outsourcing (FAO), payroll support and related GBS services.

Key performance areas

• Develop operational capability in Durban to support the company’s FAO sales strategy for GBS and the UK/Ireland market, including delivery models suitable for SMEs, mid-market clients, accountancy firms, franchise groups, and PEO-related services.
• Lead the South Africa delivery team for FAO, payroll support, and related GBS services, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant execution of client processes.
• Support the ramp-up of payroll services for worksite employees, including payroll processing support, employee data handling, benefits and pensions administration, tax-related coordination, issue resolution, and client service routines.
• Act as a domain-aware operational partner to sales, implementation, and client teams by translating client requirements into workable delivery models, staffing plans, SOPs, controls, and performance measures.
• Work with GBS leadership, sales, SMO, quality, HR, IT, and client stakeholders to support new opportunity assessment, transition planning, onboarding, and stabilisation of new services.
• Ensure strong governance over payroll, finance, and employee-related processes, including data privacy, information security, audit readiness, segregation of duties, quality controls and exception management.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop team leaders, payroll specialists, and finance operations staff, building a scalable talent pipeline able to support future FAO and payroll growth.
• Track and improve operational KPIs, including accuracy, turnaround time, SLA attainment, case ageing, first-time-right performance, productivity, training readiness, attrition and client satisfaction.
• Prepare and present performance reports, ramp plans, risk logs, capacity forecasts, and improvement actions to senior management and client stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with company rules and regulations, which shall include but are not limited to the Employee Code of Discipline, the policies on Quality Management System (QMS), Information Security Management System (ISMS), Environment Health & Safety (EHS), and Environmental Management System (EMS); Data Privacy Act (DPA); and other duties and responsibilities prescribed for all company employees.
• Ensure compliance with all Non-Conformity Corrective Action Preventive Action Concessions (NCAPACs) and all other audit findings within the prescribed period.
• Report security incidents and/or any identified security weaknesses.
• Perform other tasks that may be assigned from time to time.
• Drive continuous improvement using Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, automation, and workflow optimisation approaches, with particular focus on reducing manual effort and strengthening controls in finance and payroll processes.
• Oversee operational readiness requirements, including staffing, training, systems access, telephony/voice capability, hardware, software, workspace, business continuity, and escalation arrangements.

The successful candidate must have

• Matric with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, Payroll Management, Operations Management or a related qualification
• Must have at least 5 years’ experience in an operations management role in a BPO, GBS, shared services, FAO, payroll services, HR operations, PEO / ASO services or a related professional services environment
• Formal payroll qualification, accounting qualification, bookkeeping qualification, HR services qualification, or equivalent practical payroll / finance operations training is strongly preferred
• Professional certifications such as SAPA, CIPP, ACCA, AAT, CPA, CIMA, bookkeeping certification, payroll administration certification, Lean Six Sigma, or project / service management certification are advantageous.
• Experience supporting client payroll operations where the service provider processes payroll or payroll-related work on behalf of multiple client companies or worksite employee populations
• Hands-on experience managing teams that support payroll processing, payroll administration, employee data changes, deductions, benefits, pensions / retirement contributions, payroll queries, payroll review and payroll issue resolution
• Practical FAO experience across one or more core finance towers, including Procure-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash, Record-to-Report, general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliations, tax support, treasury support, cash applications or management reporting.
• Experience supporting service transition, ramp-up, knowledge transfer, SOP creation, quality control, training calibration, operational stabilisation and client governance for new payroll or finance services.
• Experience with UK, Ireland, US or multinational clients is preferred, particularly where delivery requires strong spoken English, client interaction, cross-cultural communication and sensitivity to payroll accuracy.
• Excellent computer literacy (MS Office – Outlook, Word & Excel Advanced)
• Payroll, accounting, finance operations, HR services, Lean, Six Sigma, project management or operations management certification preferred but not mandatory.
• Training or practical knowledge in payroll compliance, payroll controls, employee data privacy, information security, financial controls, quality management and audit readiness is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of payroll systems and finance systems such as Sage, VIP, PaySpace, ERP / general ledger platforms, client payroll applications, Excel-based payroll trackers, workflow tools, ticketing systems and reporting dashboards is advantageous.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills
• Must have a driver’s licence and own reliable transport

Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted.

If you do send an email to the recruiter directly: please state the position you are applying for

To be discussed during the interview process.

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Recruiter: Wallindi Schirnig

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