Role: COO
Location - KZN
Role Type; Permanent
We are currently supporting a telecommunications services business that is looking to appoint a Senior Operations Executive / Head of Operations / COO-level leader to take ownership of its operational performance and help shape the next phase of the organisation.
This is a hands-on executive opportunity for an experienced telecommunications operations leader who has personally managed complex field environments, geographically dispersed teams and the commercial demands of service delivery.
The Opportunity
The successful candidate will take overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the business, with a particular focus on a major telecommunications managed-services operation.
The mandate extends beyond traditional project management. You will be expected to bring together people, operations, customer delivery, commercial performance, financial discipline and governance to create a more efficient, accountable and scalable organisation.
You will have the opportunity to:
- Lead end-to-end telecommunications managed-services operations.
- Take ownership of operational delivery, customer satisfaction, profitability and compliance.
- Lead a substantial operational workforce across multiple technical and support disciplines.
- Manage key telecommunications customer relationships and associated service-delivery operations.
- Translate customer requirements, SLAs and KPIs into measurable operational plans.
- Establish stronger visibility around productivity, work orders, turnaround times, quality and revenue.
- Optimise the organisational structure and ensure resources are aligned with business requirements.
- Drive operational efficiency while maintaining service quality and customer commitments.
- Strengthen accountability across management, coordination and field teams.
- Improve the integration between Operations, Projects, Finance, HR, Fleet, Logistics, IT and EHS.
- Build the operational platform required to support future growth.
Commercial & Operational Ownership
A key element of the position is the ability to connect operational execution with commercial performance.
You will be expected to understand the economics of telecommunications managed services and ensure that operational decisions support sustainable profitability.
This will include:
- Managing operational budgets and revenue targets.
- Monitoring project and operational profitability.
- Improving productivity and resource utilisation.
- Controlling labour, fleet, fuel, logistics, tools and other operational expenditure.
- Identifying operational waste, underutilisation and revenue leakage.
- Working closely with Finance to understand revenue, direct costs and cash-flow requirements.
- Ensuring customer requirements are appropriately commercially approved before costs are incurred.
- Providing accurate weekly and monthly operational reporting.
- Maintaining strong cost and margin discipline across the operation.
What We’re Looking For
This opportunity would suit an individual who has developed a strong career within telecommunications operations, managed services, field services or network operations and is ready to take broader executive accountability.
We would be interested in individuals with:
- Senior operational leadership experience within telecommunications.
- Significant experience managing telecommunications field operations or managed services.
- Experience leading large, geographically dispersed technical teams.
- Strong understanding of telecommunications service-delivery environments.
- Experience managing operational budgets, margins, profitability or P&L.
- Experience leading a turnaround, restructuring, cost-optimisation or operational-improvement programme.
- Strong understanding of field-force management, fleet, logistics, EHS and operational compliance.
- Experience establishing operational governance, reporting and performance-management structures.
- The ability to manage senior customer relationships and operational escalations.
- A proven track record of translating strategy into measurable operational execution.
Experience across Africa, South Africa or the Middle East would be advantageous.
The Leadership Challenge
This role will suit someone who enjoys being close to the operation.
The successful candidate needs to be comfortable moving between strategic leadership and detailed operational execution — understanding the commercial position of the business while remaining close enough to the operation to identify and resolve performance issues.
Why This Opportunity?
This is not a role where you will simply inherit an established operating model and maintain the status quo.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the operating model, strengthen the leadership structure, improve operational and commercial performance, and build the platform for the company's next stage of growth.
All discussions will be handled in strict confidence.
