Chief Operating Officer

Brief Job Description:
The Chief Operating Officer is responsible and accountable for developing and implementing comprehensive logistics strategies—including real estate, international operations, warehousing, and logistics management—along with regional operational strategies. These initiatives will directly support the “South African Post Office of Tomorrow” strategy. The COO will also effectively communicate with and motivate the executive team and all employees to drive results, foster sustainable growth, and enhance the overall efficiency and performance of the South African Post Office.

Key Outputs:

• Manages the South African Post Office’s operations group by directing and coordinating activities in alignment with established goals, objectives, and organizational policies.
• Provide leadership to the organization, ensuring alignment with the South African Post Office business plan and overall strategic vision.
• Direct, administer, and coordinate the activities for South African Post Office to support its policies, goals, and objectives.
• Ensure the successful re-launch of the Logistics business, encompassing e-commerce retailers, small business sectors, courier and freight services, warehousing, and all customer segments.
• Drive South African Post Office's operational and financial performance by working closely with the CFO, CEO, and other key executive team members.
• Collaborate closely with the senior management team to develop, implement, and roll out plans for operational processes, internal infrastructure, reporting systems, and company policies—all aimed at fostering growth, profitability, and operational efficiency within the South African Post Office.
• Participate in the development of policies and strategic plans, providing ongoing strategic support to the executive team.
• Ensure that targets set forth in the strategic plan and licence agreement, which are within immediate scope, are achieved by regularly reviewing activity reports and financial statements to assess progress
• Negotiate with representatives from business, community, and civic groups to promote the South African Post Office’s business and service objectives and policies as established by the Group Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors.
• Develop and implement effective measurement tools to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of both internal and external processes.
• Establish and enforce operational procedures, rules, and standards concerning company policies, staff classification, financial disbursements, and accounting requirements.
• Represent and advocate for operations at group-level, local and international forums, stakeholder engagements, legislative sessions, and committee meetings.
• Identify key and critical challenges facing the company and develop appropriate strategies and interventions to successfully achieve business goals.
• Attend Board and committee meetings, and submit timely, accurate reports to the Board and respective committees.
• Support all transformational initiatives impacting the South African Post Office and its people.
• Provide support to the Board in matters relating to acquisitions and mergers.
• Negotiate and establish service level agreements (SLAs) with internal and external stakeholders to ensure optimal operational efficiency and synergy.
• Ensure that function-specific targets are met and manage the performance of executives reporting directly to the incumbent, ensuring their compliance with the established policies and objectives of the South African Post Office and their contribution to achieving organisational goals.
• Manage and foster excellent customer relationships with all relevant stakeholders to enhance engagement and satisfaction.
• Ensure the efficient management, compliance, and control of functions and resources in accordance with the PFMA, BCEA, fraud prevention and risk management principles, sound corporate governance, applicable national legislation, company policies, processes, and regulations

Qualifications:

• An applicable post graduate qualification, e.g. MBA, MBL (NQF Level 9)

Experience:

• Minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in operational experience; of which 5 years in leadership / executive management.

Knowledge and understanding of:

• Logistics, warehousing , IT and Operations
• Mail Operations, Retail & Technical Support functions
• Financial aspects, statutory legislation / reports under which the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee operates
• Extensive knowledge of Corporate Governance
• Proven track record in successfully running a large, labour intensive organisation
• Strategy development, deployment, planning and communications
• Project management (principles, practices, techniques and tools)
• Organisational development, management techniques and good business practices
• Value Chain Management
• Risk and Compliance management