Manager: Center of Excellence (COE) at Santam Insurance

What will you do

• Develop and execute the Service Delivery Strategies for Centre of Expertise Business in line with the overall PLCC Contact Centre Strategy, to assist the business in attaining its growth and profit targets for Personal Insurance.

What will make you successful in the role

• Formulating and implementing strategies for COES Personal Business in line with the overall contact centre operations strategy, across Underwriting channels (Johannesburg)
• Ensuring daily service and quality levels are maintained. This includes inter alia the BAU activities of performance management, individual and team productivity, quality assurance, rework, retention of business queues and violations management.
• Leading and managing the escalation channel and retention teams including all associated activities
• Collaborating closely with the PLCC Manco leaders/team to ensure service levels and operational efficiencies are achieved for the PLCC.
• Collaborating closely with all stakeholders in Broker Services, Governance teams and  to ensure needs and requirements are met, and the strategies to grow the Business are fully supported.
• Actively managing the relationship with Brokers/Intermediaries on an ongoing basis to ensure gaps in service delivery are observed and corrected.  This includes being available for brokers on matters which are escalated to management.
• Doing proactive and reactive underwriting for intermediaries across South Africa, thus a contact centre with a national footprint.
• Apply underwriting expertise to existing business for different profile intermediaries, including small to medium and large brokerages, also allowing for an urban and rural context.  
• Adhering to a set of SOPs (high complexity) which is the framework within which the Centre of Expertise activities are delivered.
• Engaging with a range of stakeholders both internally (regional managers/relationship managers/senior management) and externally (Intermediaries//Advisors)
• Exposure to Genex for the management and support on VOX results
• Engage in underwriting rules and process to ensure alignment for ease of business
• Develop and manage underwriting rules with the relevant stakeholders based on business needs
• Develop new solutions and innovations to ensure optimal underwriting performance 
• Engage relevant stakeholder around the maintenance and relevance of sections within the guideline
• Management of mandates to the allocated user roles

Relationships to be managed by the role

• Subordinates - Following a leadership approach to ensure a motivated and engaged workforce, with a focus on creating effective teams.
• Internal stakeholders

Networking, consulting, joint projects, collaboration with:

• Broker Services
• Heads
• Regional Managers 
• COE/CU Technical Managers
• HO Underwriting
• IT
• HR
• Legal
• Sanlam specialist areas, example WFM
• External stakeholders

Engaging with, providing service for:

• Intermediaries
• Admin Houses
• Personal clients
• Other external parties, example TransUnion

Qualifications and Experience

• B. Comm degree or equivalent relevant tertiary education, will be advantageous.
• Insurance related diploma: AIISA or FIISA or similar will be advantageous.
• Qualification such as Risk Management will be advantageous.
• 5 to 10 years of people and operational management experience across various financial industry types e.g.  Insurance (Life and Short Term), Banking, Investment Management. Pension Funds 
• 3-5 years contact center operational management experience.
• Full understanding of IT environment, practices, and methodologies (including Agile), and system stability/incident management processes
• Good understanding and working knowledge of workflow design and systems. 
• Knowledge of personal lines products in the short-term industry
• Financial management proficiency with a strong emphasis on budgeting and variance reporting
• Experience and proven track record leading cross functional teams.
• Proven track record in the ability to recruit and develop high performing staff and team leaders.
• Experience in running a multi shift or 24/7 contact center will be advantageous.
• Track record in the implementation of variable pay and pay for performance models will be advantageous. 

Knowledge and Skill

• Strong management skills, including performance management.
• Good communication skills (verbal and written) at all levels.
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong technical and analytical capability
• Negotiating skills and ability to influence others.
• Strong project management skills with a proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to set business goals and plans and make business decisions.
• Leadership ability to create vision and motivate and energise staff.
• Ability to maintain good relationships with brokers, and handling broker complaints effectively.
• Entrepreneurial with good business acumen
• Personal Insurance/ Contact Centre Subject Knowledge Expertise