Renewal & Retention Advisor Payroll

The Retention Agent plays a critical role in driving customer loyalty, maximizing renewal revenue, and protecting the existing customer base. This position is responsible for ensuring customer retention and contract renewals consistently meet and exceed business targets through proactive customer engagement, structured renewal management, and effective collaboration with internal stakeholders, Sage Business Partners, Distributors, and customers across digital communication channels.

The Retention Agent serves as the custodian of the Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) platform, maintaining a centralized repository of customer contracts, renewal dates, terms, pricing, and key contractual milestones from the point of initial sale through to renewal. By ensuring data accuracy, operational excellence, and seamless contract management, the role enables efficient tracking, forecasting, and execution of renewal opportunities across the Medium Product portfolio.

Success in this role requires strong relationship management, exceptional attention to detail, commercial awareness, and a customer-centric approach to ensure timely renewals, accurate quoting and invoicing, and sustainable revenue growth.

Location - 3 days per week out of our Johannesburg office.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Retention & Renewal Management

Drive proactive customer renewal activities to achieve and exceed retention and revenue targets.

Coordinate and schedule contract renewals based on contractual timelines, ensuring customers are renewed accurately and on time.

Facilitate advance quarterly renewal discussions with customers, Business Partners, and Distributors to identify opportunities, address concerns, and maintain forecasting accuracy.

Conduct comprehensive reviews of customer contracts, including renewal terms, performance commitments, pricing structures, and termination clauses, to support successful renewal outcomes.

Identify and mitigate renewal risks through early intervention and stakeholder engagement.

Contract Lifecycle & Data Management

Manage and maintain the Contract Lifecycle Management platform as the central source of truth for all customer contract information.

Ensure all contract details, renewal dates, amendments, correspondence, and supporting documentation are accurately captured and maintained.

Monitor data integrity across internal systems, ensuring accuracy of customer records, contract information, quotations, invoices, and forecasts.

Maintain detailed records throughout the renewal lifecycle to ensure transparency, accountability, and compliance.

Business Partner & Customer Relationship Management

Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with customers, Business Partners, Distributors, and technology partners.

Collaborate proactively with channel partners to discuss renewal quotations, gather customer feedback, and drive timely commercial decisions.

Deliver exceptional customer service through prompt, professional, and solution-focused responses across digital channels, email, and telephone interactions.

Act as a trusted advisor by educating customers on the value of Sage products and services and identifying opportunities to strengthen customer engagement.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

Manage customer due diligence requirements by partnering with customers and Business Partners to ensure all required documentation is obtained and submitted within required timeframes.

Meet and exceed productivity targets, including outbound and inbound customer engagement activities.

Accurately monitor, document, and report customer churn on a monthly basis across all product lines.

Adhere to all internal policies, procedures, and data governance requirements while maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence.

Continuously seek opportunities to improve processes, enhance efficiencies, and contribute to business success.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with internal teams across Sales, Customer Success, Finance, Operations, and Support functions to deliver a seamless customer experience.

Collaborate effectively across business units to resolve customer queries and renewal challenges in a timely manner.

Take ownership of ongoing learning and development to maintain current product knowledge and industry awareness.

Essential Requirements

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Strong emotional intelligence with the ability to build meaningful relationships, navigate complex conversations, and influence positive customer outcomes.

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-performance environment while managing multiple priorities.

Exceptional attention to detail with a strong focus on data accuracy, contract management, and operational excellence.

Strong analytical, technical, and administrative skills, including experience working with CRM and contract management systems.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage professionally across all stakeholder levels.

Highly developed active listening skills to understand customer needs and effectively address concerns.

Passion for customer success and delivering outstanding service experiences.

Advanced organizational and time-management abilities.

Strong understanding of Sage products and value propositions.

Preferred Requirements

Minimum of 5 years' experience in a customer retention, renewals, account management, customer success, sales support, or similar role.

Experience selling, implementing, supporting, or retaining customers across one or more Sage solutions.

Strong understanding of internal business systems and the ability to identify and recommend process improvements.

Experience working with Distributors, Channel Partners, and Business Partners within a partner-led sales environment.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Retention Agent is proactive, customer-focused, highly organized, and commercially driven. They build lasting relationships, anticipate renewal opportunities and risks, maintain exceptional data accuracy, and ensure customers continue to realize value from Sage solutions, ultimately driving sustainable revenue growth and long-term customer loyalty.

Company Benefits:

• Work away scheme for up to 10 weeks a year.
• Life Insurance: 2x annual salary covered with the option to flex up cover at own cost up to a maximum of 6X annual salary.
• Income Protection: 75% of the monthly risk salary is paid to the colleague in the event of long-term sickness, provided they are unable to perform their duties.
• Critical Illness cover: Provides colleague with lump sum payment at critical illness diagnosis.
• Funeral Assistance: A benefit payable upon the death of a colleague's spouse or children, or to a colleague's dependents in the event of the colleague's death.
• Provident fund: a retirement fund where colleagues have an option to increase contributions of 5% minimum to a maximum of 15% in 2.5% increments.
• Medical aid subsidy: Discovery and Bonitas are offered on selected plans, colleagues receive R2,760 pm.
• Sage Academy leave: On-going training and professional development + 5 paid days per year to engage in learning opportunities.
• 15 days annual leave for fixed term colleagues and 20 annual leave days for permanent colleagues. The annual leave entitlement for permanent colleagues will increases with seniority. 30 days sick leave in a 3 year cycle, 6 days of Family responsibility leave and Religious leave combined, and 5 or 10 days of sports leave based on representation.
• Paid 5 days yearly to volunteer through our Sage Foundation.
• Employee Assistance Program: free, 24/7 short-term counselling, practical support and coaching for you and your family.
• Flexible work patterns and hybrid working.