Service Delivery Manager – Finance & Accounting Outsourcing

About the role

The Service Delivery Manager will lead the Durban/South Africa operations team that delivers Finance & Accounting Outsourcing (FAO), payroll support and related Global Business Services (GBS) to clients in the UK/Ireland market. This senior role combines operational leadership, client governance and talent development.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and scale operational capability in Durban to support the FAO sales strategy for SMEs, mid‑market firms, accountancy practices and franchise groups.
• Lead the South Africa delivery team, ensuring accurate, timely and compliant execution of finance, payroll and employee‑related processes.
• Support the ramp‑up of payroll services for worksite employees, handling processing, benefits, tax coordination and issue resolution.
• Partner with sales, implementation and client teams to translate requirements into delivery models, staffing plans, SOPs and performance metrics.
• Collaborate with GBS leadership, quality, HR, IT and client stakeholders on opportunity assessment, transition planning and service stabilisation.
• Maintain strong governance over data privacy, information security, audit readiness, segregation of duties and quality controls.
• Recruit, train, coach and develop team leaders, payroll specialists and finance operations staff to build a scalable talent pipeline.
• Track and improve KPIs such as accuracy, turnaround time, SLA attainment, case ageing, productivity and client satisfaction.
• Prepare and present performance reports, risk logs, capacity forecasts and improvement actions to senior management and clients.

Required profile

• Proven experience leading delivery teams in a BPO or GBS environment, preferably within finance and payroll services.
• Strong understanding of compliance frameworks, data privacy regulations and audit processes.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement operational models, SOPs and performance measurement systems.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills across sales, implementation, HR, IT and client functions.
• Track record of recruiting, developing and retaining talent in a high‑growth setting.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape a growing service line in a dynamic BPO environment.
• Leadership role with direct impact on client satisfaction and business growth.
• Collaborative culture with strong support from regional and global leadership.