Operations Manager – EAP & Corporate Wellness
From $365/yr
Company Wellness Solutions (CWS) is looking for a seasoned, commercially aware and highly execution-driven Operations Manager to lead the operational engine of our business. This is a role for someone who understands that strong operations are not simply about keeping teams busy. It is about ensuring that: clients receive what was promised, teams perform consistently, providers are managed properly, systems and controls work, money does not leak, problems are identified early, and every operational issue is driven through to closure. CWS provides Employee Assistance Programmes, corporate wellness services and workplace health solutions to organisations and their employees across South Africa, Africa and internationally. Our environment is fast-moving, service-driven and operationally complex. On any given day, our teams may coordinate counselling services, specialist consultations, employee wellness activations, client campaigns, provider networks, reporting, payments, and digital service delivery across multiple clients. We need an Operations Manager who can own that complexity. THE ROLE The Operations Manager will sit above CWS's operational teams and be accountable for the quality, efficiency, control and performance of day-to-day service delivery . You will work closely with the COO and CEO and are expected to bring strong operational judgement, challenge existing ways of working, and develop a more disciplined, scalable operating environment. This is not an administrative coordination role . You will be expected to lead managers, interrogate performance, solve systemic problems and take responsibility for operational outcomes. WHAT YOU WILL OWN Operational Leadership * Lead and oversee CWS operational teams and functional leads. * Translate executive priorities into clear operational plans, owners and deadlines. * Ensure teams understand priorities, service standards and accountability. * Hold managers and team leads accountable for delivery and follow-through. * Identify capacity, performance and workflow problems before they become client problems. * Establish clear operating rhythms, escalation routes and management controls. Service Delivery * Ensure CWS delivers contracted services accurately, consistently and within agreed timelines. * Monitor operational performance across EAP, wellness services, projects, activations and other service-delivery functions. * Ensure client requests and operational actions move from instruction through to complete closure. * Investigate recurring service failures and implement permanent corrective action rather than temporary fixes. * Maintain strong internal coordination between operational departments. EAP \& Provider Operations * Oversee the operational integrity of counselling and integrated-service delivery. * Monitor provider allocation, utilisation, service completion, documentation and payment readiness. * Ensure operational processes support quality service while maintaining appropriate financial and administrative controls. * Work with operational teams to align provider capacity with client demand. Events, Projects \& Activations * Maintain oversight of wellness events, campaigns and client activations. * Ensure projects are properly planned, costed, resourced and closed out. * Monitor provider sourcing, stock, logistics, project spend and execution quality. * Ensure post-project reconciliation, reporting and outstanding actions are completed. Financial \& Operational Controls * Understand where operational leakage can occur and build controls to prevent it. * Review operational inputs into provider payments and project expenditure. * Ensure services being paid for are supported by appropriate evidence and approvals. * Monitor project margins, unnecessary spend, duplicate costs and process weaknesses. * Partner with Finance and Accounts to resolve operational discrepancies quickly. * Ensure operational teams understand the financial consequences of poor execution. Quality, Risk \& Governance * Establish and monitor practical operational quality standards. * Drive root-cause analysis on recurring errors, complaints and operational failures. * Maintain appropriate controls, audit trails and supporting documentation. * Ensure operational processes remain aligned with CWS policies, client requirements and confidentiality obligations. * Escalate significant operational risks to the CEO and COO with clear recommendations and corrective actions. Systems \& Process Improvement * Ensure operational systems are actually being used correctly and consistently. * Improve workflows, dashboards, SOPs, templates and controls. * Identify processes that can be simplified, automated or redesigned. * Reduce unnecessary manual administration and duplication. * Use data to identify bottlenecks, capacity issues and performance trends. * Drive adoption of new systems and operational processes across teams. Reporting \& Business Intelligence * Build a clear operational view of the business for executive management. * Track meaningful operational KPIs rather than activity for activity's sake. * Produce concise management reporting covering performance, risks, capacity, service delivery and outstanding actions. * Use operational data to support decision-making and resource allocation. * Ensure problems are accompanied by proposed solutions. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR You are a strong operator . You are comfortable walking into a busy environment, understanding how the work actually flows and quickly identifying what is working, what is not and what needs to change. You can manage experienced people without micromanaging them, but you are equally comfortable getting into the details when something does not make sense. You do not accept: “I sent the email.” “I reminded them.” “I thought someone else was doing it.” “We've always done it this way.” For you, an action isn't complete until the required outcome has been achieved. You should be: * commercially minded; * highly organised; * confident and decisive; * comfortable challenging people professionally; * calm under pressure; * analytical; * strong with systems and process; * excellent at prioritisation; * capable of managing several operational functions simultaneously; * comfortable working directly with senior executives; * able to balance people leadership with strong controls and accountability. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE * 5+ years' operational experience , ideally with several years in a senior operations or multi-team management position. * Demonstrated experience managing multiple operational functions or teams . * Strong experience in service-delivery environments. * Proven ability to design and improve operational processes and controls. * Strong people-management and performance-management capability. * Experience managing budgets, operational costs or commercial performance. * Strong reporting, analytical and problem-solving capability. * Experience working with operational systems, workflow platforms and dashboards. * Demonstrated ability to manage escalations and complex stakeholder issues. * Excellent written and verbal communication. * Strong Microsoft 365 ability and general technology capability. HIGHLY ADVANTAGEOUS Experience in one or more of the following would be particularly valuable: * Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) * Corporate wellness * Healthcare or allied-health services * Provider-network management * Call-centre or service-centre operations * Professional services * Insurance/assistance services * Multi-site service delivery * Events and activations * Digital service platforms * Operational quality assurance * High-volume transactional environments A relevant qualification in Operations Management, Business Management, Project Management, Commerce or a related discipline would be advantageous. WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE Within your first few months, we should see: * clearer accountability across operational teams; * fewer unresolved actions; * stronger management information; * improved operational controls; * reduced leakage and rework; * more predictable service delivery; * better use of systems and dashboards; * stronger management of providers and projects; * faster identification and escalation of risk; * managers who are clearer about what they own; * and significantly greater executive confidence in the business's operational health. ABOUT CWS Company Wellness Solutions provides integrated Employee Assistance Programmes, employee wellness and workplace health solutions to organisations and their employees. Our services span mental health, financial wellbeing, legal support, nutrition, fitness, health services, workplace wellness initiatives, assessments and corporate wellness activations. CWS is growing and evolving rapidly. We are strengthening our systems, digital platforms, service model and internal operating structure to support the next phase of the business. We are therefore looking for someone who does not simply want to inherit an operations function . We want someone who wants to build a stronger one. To apply Apply through LinkedIn with your CV and qualifications. If you are an experienced operator who enjoys bringing structure to complexity, building strong teams and turning operational problems into sustainable systems, we would like to hear from you.