About Keen:
At Keen, we don't just deliver services — we embed ourselves into the heart of our clients' businesses. From digital marketing and creative to customer experience, we craft bold, high-performance digital experiences for global brands. Keen helps some of the most exciting U.S. and international brands scale smarter by embedding expert teams that drive results across marketing, creative, customer experience, and sales. We're not just another legacy BPO. We're a partner in growth — and that's where you come in.
About the Role:
We're hiring a Senior Operations Manager to lead Customer Services & Experience delivery for our global clients and business operations. You won't be handed a ready-made playbook — you'll be writing it. This role is for a true builder. You'll design processes, implement systems, and shape the culture of teams that deliver world-class service and results. You'll partner directly with clients, ensure daily execution is tight, and scale operations that can flex and evolve with business needs. If you thrive in building structured environments from scratch, think critically in high-pressure situations, and know how to rally a team around big goals — we want to meet you.
What You'll Do:
- Own daily operations for our 24/7/365 Customer Experience and Customer Service teams, ensuring top-tier performance
- Lead, mentor, and grow high-performing frontline and management teams
- Partner with clients as the senior point of contact, ensuring delivery exceeds expectations
- Monitor and report on KPIs, using data to guide strategy and execution
- Build and continuously improve internal processes to drive speed, efficiency, and consistency
- Ensure compliance with regulatory and client standards across all functions
- Collaborate with finance to manage budgets and forecasts
- Help manage our office presence and in-office culture from our Wembley (and future centers around Cape Town)
- Recruit, onboard, and coach team members for long-term growth and scalability
Requirements
What we're Looking For:
- 8+ years of experience in operations leadership (in BPO CX environments)
- Proven ability to lead large teams and build from scratch — not just maintain
- Deep understanding of CX systems, tools, and performance levers
- Excellent client management and stakeholder communication skills
- Strong analytical mindset — confident using data to drive decisions
- Experience being a true 'owner' with deep abilities across communication, collaboration, and growth & adaptability
- Experience with CRM platforms and workforce management tools (such as Zendesk)
- Experience working with teams of all sizes (we have teams as small as 1, and as large as 50+ Agents)
- Bonus if you've worked with international clients or have Six Sigma, Lean, or compliance certification
Benefits
What's in it for you:
- Competitive salary based on experience
- Build something meaningful with a fast-growing, values-driven company
- Opportunity to shape client outcomes and influence internal operations
- Leadership development, mentorship, and future growth opportunities
- Birthday leave + professional development budget
- A global team of operators, creatives, and strategists who work hard and are building the future of BPO
This is a full-time position, requiring flexibility in hours, but will primarily work from from 4 pm to 1 am SAST at our offices in Cape Town. The ability to commute to and from the office is required.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of experience in operations leadership in BPO CX environments
- Proven ability to lead large teams and build operations from scratch
- Deep understanding of CX systems, tools, and performance levers
- Excellent client management and stakeholder communication skills
- Strong analytical mindset; use data to drive decisions
- Experience with CRM platforms and workforce management tools (such as Zendesk)
- Experience working with teams ranging from 1 to 50+ agents
- Flexibility to work primarily 4pm to 1am SAST and ability to commute to Cape Town office
- Experience recruiting, onboarding, coaching, and mentoring frontline and management teams
- Six Sigma, Lean, or compliance certification
What We Do
KEEN is a values led, outdoor footwear brand with a mission to responsibly create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire outside adventure. Founded in 2003, KEEN ignited a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport sandal, launching the concept of Hybrid footwear into the market and setting KEEN on a path of driving consistent product innovation that exists today. As a company, we strive to live by our values, from the products we make to the actions we take, and by activating communities and individuals to protect and preserve the places where we work and play. We passionately endeavor to live fulfilling lives, challenge the status quo, do good, give back, and inspire others. Looking ahead, our vision is to be the most trusted outdoor footwear and lifestyle brand in the world. Discover more about KEEN at keenfootwear.com, facebook.com/keen and twitter.com/ke
