Operations Manager | Centurion, Gauteng | Permanent

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

Drive operational excellence in a purpose-driven financial institution. Lead insurance operations that directly support South Africa’s agricultural sustainability.

Our client, a specialist agricultural financial services provider, is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead and optimise insurance operations across life and non-life product lines. This role is responsible for developing and executing functional business plans, strengthening claims management capability, and ensuring operational systems, processes and reporting frameworks support strategic objectives.

The successful incumbent will oversee policy administration systems, regulatory reporting, automation initiatives, claims optimisation, and stakeholder engagement. This is a senior leadership role requiring strong insurance operations expertise, system acumen, and a commitment to customer-centric service delivery.

Our client is a long-established specialist financial services institution serving the agricultural sector. With a national footprint and a mandate to enable sustainable agri-business growth, the organisation provides tailored financial and insurance solutions to commercial and emerging farmers across South Africa.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and execute operational business plans across life and non-life insurance portfolios
• Lead policy administration systems implementation, optimisation and governance
• Drive automation, continuous improvement and process innovation initiatives
• Oversee debit order collections, premium allocation, refunds and reconciliations
• Manage regulatory reporting including Conduct of Business Returns and liquidity reporting
• Oversee Sasria portfolio administration and rate integration
• Optimise end-to-end workflows and reporting using tools such as Power BI and Qlikview
• Lead and enhance the full claims management lifecycle across all product classes
• Analyse claims trends, identify risk patterns and collaborate with underwriting teams
• Ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks and PFMA procurement requirements
• Drive bancassurance and direct channel optimisation, including lead conversion processes
• Implement stakeholder management frameworks and maintain service level governance
• Lead departmental performance, financial oversight and capacity planning

What You Bring

• Honours degree in Finance, Business Management, Risk Management or Insurance
• 8–10 years’ experience in insurance operations and claims management
• 8–10 years’ experience working with insurance operating systems
• Strong knowledge of underwriting principles and quality assurance standards
• Proven ability to design and optimise operational systems and processes
• Advanced reporting and data analysis capability
• Strong stakeholder engagement and leadership skills

What Success Looks Like

• Efficient, automated and well-governed operational systems
• Improved claims turnaround times and reduced claims leakage
• Strong regulatory compliance and audit outcomes
• Data-driven insights supporting underwriting and strategic decision-making
• Enhanced customer satisfaction across channels
• High-performing, accountable and service-driven operational team