Lead Client Manager

SUMMARY:
Our client is looking for a Lead Client Manager to oversee day-to-day service delivery and relationship management for assigned client accounts at their Cape Town offices.

POSITION INFO:
Lead Client Manager Role Summary Our client is looking for a Lead Client Manager oversees day-to-day service delivery and relationship management for assigned client accounts (onboarding → steady state) while jointly co-managing the Client Management team. Serves as a senior escalation point and coach for Client Managers, ensures live operational stability during shift hours, coordinates cross-departmental responses, and drives continuous improvement through data, quality assurance and coaching. The role mixes hands-on client delivery with leadership accountabilities to keep the team proactive, compliant and delivery-focused. Key Responsibilities 1. Client Delivery & Relationship Management These responsibilities focus on owning the client lifecycle and fostering long-term strategic relationships. Act as the primary client contact across all channels (email, WhatsApp, meetings). Build and maintain long-term trusting client relationships. Proactively identify upsides\/risks and present mitigation or growth proposals. Own onboarding delivery from contract handover to steady state, ensuring completeness. Provide concise performance\/status updates and present in client review sessions. 2. Live Operations & Incident Management These duties ensure service stability and effective, documented crisis response. Monitor live operations during working\/overlap hours. Proactively flag operational risks and coordinate fixes with other departments. Manage incident logging, escalation, and client-facing reports ( Level 1-3 ). Ensure evidence, clear Root Cause Analysis (RCA) , and timely client updates during incidents. Ensure complaints are handled to SLA : L1\/L2 within 24 hours and L3 within 48 hours. Coordinate cross-departmental responses and draft\/approve incident and client update communications. 3. Data, Systems, & Reporting These responsibilities ensure data integrity and the transformation of data into actionable insights. Maintain high system hygiene : ensure data accuracy (passenger, route, booking) in Clickup and internal trackers. Review and sign-off on weekly\/monthly client reports (CSV, Per Pax, Outlier, Efficiency). Surface trends and actionable insights from reports. Provide weekly summary reporting on client performance and team status to senior stakeholders. 4. Quality, Templates, & Protocols These duties ensure standardization and quality control across all external and internal documentation. Own quality assurance (QC review) for client-facing communications (emails, tickets, incident reports). Maintain and update transport and client protocols (owning version control). Maintain standard templates (incident reports, handover, meeting agenda, escalation emails). 5. Team Leadership & Co-Management These responsibilities involve the direct management, coaching, and strategic direction of the Client Management (CM) team. Manage the CM team: covering resource & cover planning, coaching, probation reviews, and performance conversations. Drive adherence to operational processes and tooling (e.g., ClickUp ), ensuring task tracking and follow-through. Facilitate weekly leadership meetings , escalate systemic issues, and present proposed solutions. Promote a culture of open communication, continuous improvement, and psychological safety. Ensure CMs are trained on core systems and updated protocols, and maintain a training calendar. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Overall performance weighting Quantitative Operational & Client KPIs: 75% Behavioural, Planning & Management Metrics: 25% Overall grading: A ≥ 90; B 80-89; C 70-79; D Additional Managerial & Operational Metrics (recommended - tracked but not in core weight) Team Coverage \/ Rota compliance - % shifts covered without service loss (target ≥ 98%). Tool Adoption (ClickUp usage) - % tasks updated with status\/owner (target ≥ 95%). QA pass rate - % of sampled client emails\/tickets that pass QA (target ≥ 95%). Training completion - % of the team completing mandatory training (target 100% within scheduled window). Meeting action closure - % of action items closed within agreed time (target ≥ 90%) Schedule Monday - Friday 09:00 - 17:00 (core). Role requires overlap with operational shifts, occasional extended hours, and rotational weekend\/on-call coverage as required. A change in working hours will be subject to a written agreement from both parties. Ideal Skills & Competencies Excellent client relationship and written\/verbal communication skills. Calm, structured problem solving in live operations. High attention to detail and strong data hygiene. Cross-functional coordination with Ops, Logistics, Drivers and Product. Proficiency with web platforms, spreadsheets and ClickUp or equivalent. Prior experience in transport, logistics, BPO or operations; experience in shift-based environments advantageous. Coaching and people management experience.