Head of Service Operations and Transformation – iStore Africa

We are looking for an experienced, strategically minded Head of Service Operations & Transformation to take ownership of our end-to-end service operation across Africa and lead the transformation of how we deliver repairs, after-sales support and customer service.

This is a senior Head of Department opportunity for an individual who combines Industrial Engineering expertise, operational leadership, commercial acumen and transformation capability with the ability to manage complex, multi-site operations across multiple African markets.

You will be responsible for building a scalable, efficient and commercially sustainable service operating model while ensuring that our operations consistently deliver an exceptional customer experience and meet Apple Authorised Service Provider standards.

As the Head of Service Operations & Transformation, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across the iStore Africa service network.

You will own the complete service journey – from customer collection and diagnostics through repair, parts management, logistics and cross-border movement to final delivery and customer recovery.

A key focus of the role will be to assess the existing operating model, identify inefficiencies and opportunities, redesign processes and implement scalable solutions that improve productivity, turnaround times, quality, cost, customer experience and commercial performance.

This is an opportunity to shape and scale a critical function across Africa while working with world-class technology brands and diverse teams and markets.

Key Responsibilities

Service Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute the service operations strategy in alignment with the broader iStore Africa and Core Group strategy.
• Provide strategic direction across all service locations and countries.
• Build a scalable operating model capable of supporting future regional growth.
• Establish clear performance standards, governance structures, KPIs and operating rhythms.
• Identify opportunities to improve capability, productivity, efficiency, customer experience and profitability.
• Provide executive leadership with clear insight into performance, risks, opportunities and strategic priorities.
• Act as the senior escalation point for significant operational, technical, customer, compliance and commercial matters.
• Review and optimise the complete end-to-end service and repair operation.
• Map, analyse, redesign and standardise processes across service locations.
• Identify bottlenecks, duplication, control gaps, inefficiencies and automation opportunities.
• Design scalable processes that can be consistently implemented across multiple markets.
• Improve capacity planning, workforce utilisation, workflow design and resource allocation.
• Lead continuous improvement and operational transformation initiatives.
• Use data and operational insights to drive measurable improvements in cost, turnaround time, quality and customer experience.

End-to-End Service Operations

• Own the complete repair lifecycle from collection through to final customer delivery.
• Drive consistent, high-quality repair execution across all locations.
• Oversee workshops, service desks, repair queues, technician productivity and repair quality.
• Manage collections, parts movement, logistics, courier networks and cross-border repairs.
• Drive same-day repair capability where workshop capacity and parts availability allow.
• Monitor demand and capacity across the network and implement corrective action where required.
• Ensure all service centres operate consistently against defined operational standards.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Own the service division's budget, forecasts, cost management and financial planning.
• Improve the financial and commercial contribution of the service function.
• Manage key cost drivers including parts, labour, logistics, repeat repairs, stock losses, write-offs and third-party service costs.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste and improve productivity and operational value.
• Develop business cases for new locations, technology, equipment, tooling, staffing and process improvements.
• Evaluate investments and measure return on operational initiatives.
• Manage external suppliers, service providers and logistics partners against agreed commercial and operational outcomes.
• Maintain Apple Authorised Service Provider compliance and audit readiness.
• Ensure consistent application of Apple policies, technical standards, procedures and controls.
• Ensure technicians maintain relevant Apple certifications, including ACMT and ACiT where applicable.
• Establish robust governance and control frameworks.
• Monitor repeat repairs, technical errors, audit findings, customer complaints and service failures.
• Lead root-cause analysis and ensure corrective actions are implemented and sustained.
• Maintain strong risk, safety, security and compliance controls across all service environments.

Customer Experience

• Define and deliver a premium after-sales experience aligned with the iStore and Apple brands.
• Ensure customers receive accurate, clear and timely communication throughout the repair journey.
• Establish consistent service and escalation standards across markets.
• Monitor customer satisfaction, complaints, service recovery and customer effort.
• Drive rapid resolution of complex customer escalations.
• Partner with Retail, Customer Experience, Marketing and regional teams to continuously improve the customer journey.
• Use customer feedback and operational data to identify improvement opportunities.

Stock, Parts & Asset Management

• Ensure effective stock and parts management across the service network.
• Improve parts forecasting, availability, replenishment and allocation.
• Ensure parts availability supports service-level and turnaround-time commitments.
• Oversee workshop assets, tools, equipment and security controls.
• Manage shrinkage, obsolete stock, lost parts, write-offs and inventory inaccuracies.
• Establish strong operational and financial controls.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Finance and regional teams to improve stock accuracy and availability.

Regional Growth & Expansion

• Lead operational readiness for new service locations across Africa.
• Assess demand, infrastructure, staffing, technical capability and operational risk in new markets.
• Ensure new workshops and service points meet required Apple standards from launch.
• Develop scalable processes, systems, structures and training models to support growth.
• Partner with country leaders and regional stakeholders on expansion initiatives.
• Balance operational consistency with local legislation, infrastructure and market requirements.
• Leverage technology and data to improve visibility and operational decision-making.
• Establish effective dashboards and reporting across service levels, productivity, cost, quality, stock and customer experience.
• Identify opportunities for automation and systems optimisation.
• Ensure consistent and accurate reporting across locations.
• Analyse trends and translate insights into operational action.
• Partner with IT and relevant stakeholders to improve service technology and systems.

Stakeholder & Partner Management

• Build strong relationships with Apple and strategic business partners.
• Represent the service function at senior leadership and regional planning forums.
• Work closely with Retail, Supply Chain, Finance, IT, HR, Customer Experience and regional leadership.
• Manage stakeholder expectations across multiple countries and functions.
• Provide clear and timely executive-level reporting.
• Manage third-party suppliers, logistics providers, contractors and service partners.
• Hold external partners accountable for agreed service and performance standards.

**People Leade