Operations Manager: Client Services Support – Department of Enrolment and Student Administration needed at University of Pretoria/Universiteit van Pretoria

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Management, planning and decision making:

• Manage and optimise resources, including financial, human, and technological resources, to ensure operational effectiveness and efficiency;
• Develop and implement strategic and operational plans and initiatives to support organisational objectives and adapt to changing environments and client needs;
• Conduct regular analysis and reporting to track performance, identify trends, and inform decision-making processes to drive positive outcomes;
• Manage any service disruptions and adapt to sudden changes in the environment to minimise the impact on operations and clients, upholding the University’s reputation;
• Identify security threats, and in collaboration with Security Services, make timely decisions regarding safety and security measures such as evacuation, ensuring the well-being of personnel, students, and clients in the SSC building;
• Identify and rectify operational issues, ensuring adherence to University policies and regulations;
• Cultivate and manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders;

Human Resources management:

• Ensure compliance with HR policies and procedures during recruitment, selection, and personnel management;
• Lead, manage, and motivate the User Support Team, providing guidance, support, and mentorship to foster collaboration and accountability;
• Recruit, appoint and schedule personnel complement (including full-time staff, temporary workers, and interns) to maintain service continuity;
• Manage and maintain a performance management system to develop and enhance the performance of individuals, teams, and the division, thus contributing to the performance of the division;
• Provide guidance to staff to enhance their individual output and quality criteria, and establish and maintain formal procedures to ensure that individual staff members are utilised optimally;
• Communicate the formulated UP policies with the staff, contract appointments and consultants, and ensure their adherence to them;
• Manage the complete process of the recruitment, selection, and placement of staff;
• Provide learning and development opportunities to staff members, according to organisational and individual needs, through the development of a personnel development programme and according to succession planning principles;
• Attend to grievances according to prescribed Grievance Procedure guidelines;

Financial management:

• Compile divisional personnel, capital, and operational budgets on an annual basis;
• Manage divisional funds according to University policy;
• Manage annual budgets and control income and expenditure through monthly reports;
• Manage and guide contractual agreements with service providers;
• Ensure all payments made for the SSC to issue academic records are correctly allocated to the appropriate cost centre, and follow up with the Department of Finance on any misallocated payments to prevent loss of funds;
• Collaborate with the Finance Department to manage and authorise refunds related to study applications fees;

Service excellence and monitoring:

• Provide excellent service across all divisional interaction channels, including walk-in, telephone, and email inquiries at the Call Centre and General Enquiries centre;
• Conduct quality assurance by monitoring and reviewing call recordings and email communications to assess service quality and adherence to University policies;
• Implement quality assurance standards and procedures to maintain high service levels across both phone and email interactions;
• Collaborate with other departments to address cross-functional issues and improve overall service delivery;
• Promote the University’s brand reputation by developing and executing strategies within the division to provide customer service experiences, and maintaining quality service standards in alignment with organisational objectives;
• Implement University regulations, policies, and departmental processes to ensure that client interactions are managed according to these guidelines;
• Oversee the User Support Unit that attends to requests for password resets from students, personnel, and alumni, following University and ITS policies and business rules;
• Ensure that the User Support Unit issues official university documents in compliance with University policies, rules, and regulations, including adherence to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA);
• Measure and report on client satisfaction levels by collecting and analysing customer feedback through surveys and direct interactions, providing feedback to relevant stakeholders to continually improve service delivery;
• Conduct routine inspections in the SSC Foyer and Call Centre to adhere to UP branding protocols as well as Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards;

Projects:

• Manage special SSC projects in collaboration with the management and project team, plan and set objectives, timelines, and resource requirements;
• Allocate personnel, equipment, and materials to ensure project or event success;
• Monitor project progress, identify gaps and develop strategies to mitigate them, ensuring smooth project execution;

Technology and systems:

• Ensure optimal functionality of all systems within the division’s portfolio and those supported for clients;
• Collaborate with Information Technology Services and other departments to integrate new technologies that enhance service delivery;
• Address system-related issues as per timelines, ensuring consultants are trained in first-level troubleshooting;
• Ensure compliance with data security and privacy by collaborating with ITS, and providing personnel training on best practices;

Administration:

• Oversee and manage the receipt and removal of hold for enrolment contracts;
• Manage escalations for academic records of financially unsuitable students to be sent to third parties;
• Verify compliance with University policies, procedures and POPIA legal requirements before releasing the records;
• Manage financial holds on student records;
• Collaborate with the communications office to ensure the timely updating of information on the UP website, UP letters, social media platforms, and publications;
• Continuously monitor and enhance administrative processes as required to ensure efficiency and effectiveness;

Access control and parking:

• Ensure consultants have a comprehensive understanding of access-related policies, business rules, client categories, and security protocols;
• Manage the issuing of access cards, procurement process for access cards, card holders, consumables, and parking discs and stickers, recognising the significant financial investment involved;
• Manage stock levels of access cards, parking discs and related items across all campuses, ensuring an adequate supply;
• Monitor usage to prevent wastage or loss.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Relevant Bachelors/BTech degree; WITH

A total of three years’ experience in the following roles/environments, one of which must at least be in management:

• Administration;
• A Client Service environment, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM);
• The handling of enquiries through multi-media channels, e.g. email, web, telephone, walk-in and written;
• Supervision in a Client Service environment which includes coaching, training and evaluation of consultants;
• Human resources management;

OR

• A National Diploma; WITH

A total of five years’ experience in the following roles/environments, two of which must at least be in management: 

• Administration;
• A Client Service environment, including Customer Relationship Management (CRM);
• The handling of enquiries through multi-media channels, e.g. email, web, telephone, walk-in and written;
• Supervision in a Client Service environment which includes coaching, training and evaluation of consultants;
• Human resources management.