Customer Experience Manager

The role

The Santam Experience team is seeking an experience Customer Experience Manager to join the team based in either Cape Town or Johannesburg on a permanent basis.

The incumbent will provide enterprise-wide customer experience leadership by driving journey mapping, Voice of the Experience (VoX) programmes, customer analytics and insight-led interventions across all customer-facing business units. The role partners with senior leaders, operational teams and external service providers to improve customer outcomes, strengthen advocacy and ensure Santam consistently delivers on its customer promise.

What will you do?

The Santam Customer Experience Manager is responsible for designing, implementing and managing customer experience strategies that enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention and business performance across the Santam Group. The role translates customer insights, journey analytics, complaints data and Voice of Customer feedback into actionable improvement initiatives that reduce customer friction, improve service delivery and support Santam's strategic objectives.

What will make you successful in this role?

Customer Experience Strategy
•    Develop and implement Santam Group customer experience strategies aligned to business objectives.
•    Drive customer-centric initiatives that improve customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention.
•    Establish and maintain customer experience governance frameworks.
•    Develop customer advocacy strategies across all channels and customer touchpoints.
•    Define and implement customer experience measurement frameworks.

Customer Journey Management
•    Lead end-to-end customer journey mapping across Santam Group.
•    Identify customer pain points, service gaps and friction areas.
•    Design and optimise client journeys to improve customer outcomes.
•    Develop "What Good Looks Like" customer experience models.
•    Drive remediation initiatives to improve customer journeys and remove barriers to service excellence.

Voice of Customer and Insights
•    Drive the Voice of the Experience (VoX) strategy and execution.
•    Manage customer feedback programmes and survey platforms.
•    Consolidate insights from: 
o    NPS surveys
o    CSAT surveys
o    Customer Effort Surveys
o    Complaints data
o    Social media platforms
o    HelloPeter feedback
o    Journey analytics
o    Business performance metrics
•    Identify drivers of positive and negative customer experiences.
•    Translate customer insights into meaningful business recommendations.

Analytics and Reporting
•    Analyse customer experience data and trends.
•    Develop customer insight dashboards and management reports.
•    Produce monthly, quarterly, EXCO and Board-level customer experience reports.
•    Track and report on customer experience metrics and performance indicators.
•    Measure the impact of customer experience interventions and improvement initiatives.

Stakeholder Engagement and Consulting
•    Partner with CEOs, COOs, Executive Teams and Functional Heads across Santam Group.
•    Influence senior stakeholders to drive customer-centric decision-making.
•    Facilitate customer experience forums and governance structures.
•    Provide strategic recommendations based on customer insights and analysis.
•    Build and maintain strong relationships across all business units and external partners.

Customer Experience Improvement
•    Implement customer feedback loops and continuous improvement processes.
•    Track customer experience improvement initiatives from insight to implementation.
•    Conduct root cause analysis of complaints and service issues.
•    Drive customer-centric operational improvements.
•    Monitor customer experience trends and industry best practices.

Capability Building
•    Promote a customer-first culture across Santam Group.
•    Support capability development in customer experience methodologies.
•    Equip employees and leaders with customer insight and customer-centric thinking.
•    Facilitate adoption of customer experience best practices across the business.

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Key Performance Indicators
Customer Experience Metrics
•    Net Promoter Score (NPS)
•    Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
•    Customer Effort Score (CES)
•    Employee Satisfaction (ESAT)
•    Customer Insight (CSI)
•    Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) outcomes
•    HelloPeter Trust Index
•    Complaints per 1,000 claims
•    Upheld Ratio
•    Retention and loyalty measures

Journey Management
•    Number of customer journeys mapped and maintained
•    Percentage of identified friction points resolved
•    Journey improvement implementation success
•    Reduction in customer effort

•    Research quantitative and qualitative

Reporting and Insights
•    Timely delivery of executive reporting
•    Quality and accuracy of customer insights
•    Adoption of recommendations by business units
•    Measurable business improvements resulting from insight-led interventions

Stakeholder Management
•    Stakeholder satisfaction ratings
•    Cross-functional initiative delivery
•    Executive engagement and support

Qualification and experience

•    Matric
•    Bachelor's Degree in marketing, Business Management, Economics, Psychology, Research or Related Business Discipline
•    Preferred qualification/certification: MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification, Customer Experience certifications, Journey Mapping certification, Research and Analytics qualifications

•    Minimum 8 years' experience in Customer Experience Strategy, Research and Journey Mapping.
•    Minimum 10 years' experience in customer insights, analytics, reporting and stakeholder engagement.
•    Proven experience delivering customer experience initiatives at enterprise level.
•    Experience presenting insights to executive and board-level stakeholders.
•    Experience managing Voice of Customer programmes and customer analytics platforms.

Competencies

Core Competencies
•    Analytical Thinking 
•    Communication and Influence
•    Strategic Awareness
•    Decision Making 
•    Customer Insight and Focus 
•    Consulting Skills 
•    Planning and Organising 
•    Attention to Detail 

Leadership Competencies
•    Change Leadership 
•    Relationship Building and Networking 
•    Business Acumen 
•    Performance Focus 
•    Develop Ideas 

Technical Competencies
•    Customer Experience Strategy
•    Customer Journey Mapping
•    Voice of Customer Methodologies
•    Customer Research and Analytics
•    Survey Design and Management
•    Data Analysis and Insight Development
•    Customer Experience Reporting
•    Project Management
•    Stakeholder Management

Skills

Microsoft Suite Package such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint

Voice of Customer tools such as Smoke and D365 etc.

CRM 

SAS viya

Who are we

Santam is South Africa’s leading general insurer, with a market share of approximately 24% and over 108 years of industry expertise. We provide a comprehensive range of general insurance products and services to individual, commercial and corporate clients across South Africa, Namibia and selected emerging markets through a network of intermediaries, direct channels and strategic partnerships. Our diverse portfolio includes motor, property, liability, engineering, agricultural, guest house, tourism, leisure and entertainment, and reinsurance solutions. We also offer specialised agricultural insurance products, including crop, asset and weather insurance, as well as claims, brokerage and SOS services. Serving more than one million policyholders, our client base ranges from individuals to commercial enterprises, specialist business owners and institutions. Headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, Santam was founded in 1918 and listed on the JSE in 1964. The Group also holds secondary listings on the Namibian Stock Exchange and A2X Markets Exchange and is a subsidiary of the Sanlam Group, one of Africa’s largest financial services organisations.
Santam Syndicate 1918 is a wholly owned and capitalised entity of Santam, established as a key component of Santam’s international growth strategy. Based in London, the syndicate plays a strategic role in expanding and strengthening Santam’s global footprint through access to London market expertise, distribution networks, and Lloyd’s worldwide insurance and reinsurance licences. Managed and operated from London, Santam Syndicate 1918 is led by a highly experienced leadership team committed to underwriting excellence, disciplined decision-making, and operational accountability. We foster a collaborative and inclusive culture where underwriting, claims, actuarial and other specialist teams work closely together to deliver superior underwriting performance, sustainable growth, and exceptional outcomes for our clients and partners.