Director of Operational Financial Services

 

📍 Cape Town - Office Based

 

 

Are you a commercially astute senior leader who can lead leaders, shape strategy and drive performance across complex Financial Services operations? 

 

At Sigma, we're looking for an exceptional Director of Operational Financial Services to lead our Financial Services portfolio, developing Heads of Department and driving outstanding operational, people, client and commercial performance. 

 

Shape performance across multiple campaigns, strengthen client partnerships and drive sustainable commercial success. 

 

As our Director of Operational Financial Services, you'll lead through Heads of Department, setting clear strategic direction and holding teams accountable for outstanding operational, people, client and commercial outcomes. 

 

You'll: 

• Have full accountability for the operational, cultural and strategic leadership of Financial Services & Collections campaigns across all delivery locations, ensuring exceptional client outcomes, colleague engagement, compliance and commercial performance. 

• Lead, coach and develop Heads of Department, creating clarity, strengthening leadership capability and holding leaders accountable for agreed operational and people outcomes. 

• Own performance across the Financial Services portfolio, including client KPIs, CSAT/NPS, productivity, efficiency, quality, performance management, absence, attrition and engagement. 

• Create a high-accountability leadership culture, ensuring performance management, one-to-ones, commitments and goals, attendance management, colleague development, recognition and succession planning are consistently delivered. 

• Ensure underperformance and conduct concerns are addressed promptly, fairly and consistently, with appropriate People support. 

• Oversee portfolio financial performance, including budget management, cost control, revenue delivery and profitability, taking corrective action where required. 

• Act as the senior escalation point across Financial Services & Collections campaigns for complex operational, client, people, commercial, regulatory and delivery matters, ensuring clear ownership and sustainable resolution. 

• Represent Financial Services in client engagements, strategic reviews and executive steering forums, supporting escalation management, retention and partnership growth. 

• Ensure regulatory, contractual and internal governance requirements are met across People, IT, information security, health and safety, risk and client controls. 

• Chair portfolio reviews, audit and compliance forums, risk registers, people-performance reviews and continuous improvement boards. 

• Use data and insight to provide clear recommendations to senior leadership on performance, risks and opportunities. 

• Drive plans that improve operational efficiency, customer outcomes, colleague experience and profitability across Financial Services campaigns. 

• Support workforce planning, transformation and change so the portfolio remains future-ready, scalable and appropriately resourced. 

 

You're a credible, people-focused senior leader who combines commercial judgement with strategic thinking, operational discipline and the confidence to challenge and hold senior leaders accountable. 

 

• Substantial senior leadership experience at least 5 years as a Head of Department or proven Director experience within complex Financial Services operations, with accountability across multiple campaigns, clients or delivery locations. 

• A proven record of leading Heads of Department or equivalent senior leaders and creating accountability for operational, commercial, client and people outcomes. 

• Strong Financial Services regulatory, conduct risk, governance and customer outcome knowledge, with experience operating in high-risk or highly controlled environments. 

• Strong debt and collections experience covering arrears management, recovery strategies, contact/dialler approaches, debt segmentation, payment arrangements and regulatory customer treatment expectations.

• Excellent commercial and financial acumen across budgeting, forecasting, revenue, productivity, cost control and profitability. 

• Enterprise-level strategic thinking and sound judgement, with the ability to translate complex information into clear priorities, decisions and action. 

• Executive-level presence and credibility with senior internal stakeholders and clients, alongside strong relationship and complex escalation management capability. 

• A track record of leading change and continuous improvement, strengthening leadership capability and building sustainable succession pipelines. 

• Experience building succession pipelines, identifying leadership capability gaps and strengthening current and future leadership capacity. 

• A calm, resilient and visible leadership style, with the ability to lead confidently through uncertainty, competing priorities and reputational risk. 

• A relevant tertiary or professional Financial Services qualification, or equivalent senior leadership experience. An operations or leadership qualification is advantageous. 

 

 

This isn't just another operational leadership position. 

 

Lead an entire Financial Services portfolio, influence executive decisions, strengthen client confidence and develop senior leaders while making a significant commercial impact. 

 

If you're ready to lead at portfolio level, create clarity and accountability, and build sustainable success across multiple operations, we'd love to hear from you. 

 

Join the Sigma Family. 

 

 

For four consecutive years, Sigma has been recognised by the Sunday Times Best Places to Work, voted for by our people. We believe in #ImproveEverythingAlways and create an environment where ambitious leaders can thrive, grow and make a real impact.