Senior Manager / Assistant Director (Operations and Service Excellence)

[What the role is]

The Senior Manager / Assistant Director (Operations and Service Excellence) plays a pivotal role in driving operational efficiency, service quality, and continuous improvement at SAA. You will lead end-to-end operations and service excellence initiatives, working across internal teams and external stakeholders to deliver seamless experiences for SAA's course participants, high-level visitors, guests, and alumni. This role requires a dynamic individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and brings both strategic thinking and hands-on execution.

[What you will be working on]

• Oversee the administration and optimisation of SAA's training and learning management systems to support effective course delivery and enhance digital learning workflows

• Conduct usability testing to identify pain points, translating insights into actionable product requirements and working with vendors to implement improvements that enhance the user experience across SAA's digital touchpoints

• Lead the requirements gathering, scoping of specifications, testing and implementation for new digital systems that support SAA’s future operations

• Serve as the primary point of contact for systems vendors, managing relationships, contracts, and deliverables while overseeing operational KPIs, service standards, and cross-functional change initiatives to ensure consistent service quality and on-time project delivery

• Apply design-thinking methodologies to surface user needs, identify operational gaps, conduct root cause analyses, and spearhead process improvement and workflow automation initiatives

• Work closely with internal stakeholders to lead change initiatives and align on operational and service priorities

• Project management across multiple workstreams, ensuring deliverables are met on time and within scope amid competing priorities

[What we are looking for]

• At least 5-10 years of relevant experience in training, operations, service management, or a related field

• Experience in an IHL, CET, or professional development training environment will be an advantage

• Strong project management skills with a proven ability to plan, execute, and deliver multiple complex initiatives concurrently in a fast-paced environment

• Experience with workflow automation tools and digitising manual processes to improve operational scalability

• Demonstrated experience in process improvement methodologies such as Lean or Six Sigma, with a track record of successfully implementing process reviews and eliminating operational inefficiencies

• Proficiency in design-thinking frameworks and service design methodologies, including customer journey mapping and problem solving

• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage, influence, and communicate effectively

• Experience in facilitating workshops, leading change management initiatives, and driving cross-functional collaboration

• Results-oriented with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, and a keen eye for detail

• A genuine passion for service excellence, customer-centricity, and continuous improvement