National Customer Experience Manager

Positioned within an established financial services organisation, this high-output role is critical for driving customer-centric strategies across multiple business units. Operating from the Illovo office, the successful incumbent will lead the transformation of client journeys to optimise satisfaction, loyalty and long-term retention across all stakeholder groups. This full-time position requires a strategic thinker who can seamlessly translate complex data analytics into actionable service improvements. Occasional national travel to Durban and Cape Town offices may be required. To start as soon as possible. Responsibilities: Strategic CX Development & Alignment: Conceptualise, launch, and execute a comprehensive customer experience strategy across all organisational business units, ensuring full alignment with overarching corporate objectives. Customer-Centric Value Creation: Design and drive targeted service excellence initiatives to continuously enhance the touchpoint experience for members, employers, trustees, and market intermediaries. Data Analytics & Actionable Insights: Analyse customer feedback datasets, voice-of-the-client surveys, complaints registries, and operational performance metrics to extract root-cause trends and map concrete opportunities for process improvements. Metric Reporting & Governance: Monitor, evaluate, and present key customer experience indicators—including Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), member retention rates, and multi-channel service level agreements (SLAs)—to senior management and executive stakeholders. Service Delivery Optimisation: Oversee and continuously refine operational service delivery across core member servicing, contact centre environments, back-office administration, and corporate client relationship management (CRM) functions. Journey Mapping & Lifecycle Enhancements: Architect and lead end-to-end customer journey mapping initiatives across the entire member lifecycle, proactively implementing targeted process enhancements to elevate the overall client experience. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with decentralized operational, sales, marketing, compliance, and service excellence teams to secure a seamless, unified, and consistent brand experience at every interface. Project & Continuous Improvement Management: Spearhead and manage complex customer experience projects, continuous improvement methodologies, and change management initiatives from conception to execution. Platform Oversight & Escalation Resolution: Maintain accountability for customer feedback systems and survey platforms, ensuring the formal tracking, investigation, and successful resolution of escalated member and employer complaints. Regulatory Compliance & TCF Alignment: Audit and refine all customer experience frameworks to ensure absolute compliance with industry legislation, statutory rules, and Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles. Team Development & Capability Building: Train, mentor, coach, and upskill decentralized customer experience teams to build a high-output, agile, and strategic organizational culture. Retention & Outcome Driving: Champion strategic engagement campaigns designed specifically to improve member retention metrics and support better long-term retirement outcomes. Ad-hoc Operational Support: Execute specialised ad-hoc queries, research tasks, and operational assignments as directed by executive leadership to support changing business dynamics. Requirements Experience: Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in a customer experience, customer insights, service excellence, or related management role. Industry: Essential experience within the insurance or financial services sector. Education: Compulsory undergraduate degree in Data Analytics or Marketing. Core Skills: Advanced analytical capability, strong knowledge of customer satisfaction methodologies, and professional report-writing and presentation skills. Frameworks: Comprehensive understanding of service design principles, customer journey mapping, and CX frameworks. Preferred Qualifications Post-graduate qualification in a relevant field or specialised certifications in Customer Experience Management (CXPA/CCXP). Experience navigating evolving AI innovations within customer service design. Required Software Skills Advanced Microsoft Excel and MS Office Suite. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. Customer feedback and survey platforms (e.g., Qualtrics or similar). Data reporting and analytics tools.