Customer Experience (CX) Specialist

Job Description

• This role acts as custodian of customer knowledge and the experience customers (and in time advisers) have across the Goals, Rewards and Digital portfolio. The incumbent is individually accountable for achieving results through own efforts in collaboration with cross-functional teams that span segments, propositions and group customer functions.
• Development and management of the Customer Knowledge Capability
• Conduct/source market/trend research as well as competitor analysis to develop the Goals,
• Rewards and Digital (the portfolio) customer knowledge capability. Sources include segment personas and CVP’s, group level IFS personas/CVP’s, reports from Group Knowledge and
• Insights, learnings from the outputs of Design research. (NB. CVP development will be done by proposition team/s; CX Specialist to provide input).
• Develop, implement, maintain and report on strategic and tactical research that contributes to market leading CX.
• Translate and synthesise customer insights for consumption by the portfolio.
• Create the mechanisms and forums to cascade learnings across the portfolio to shape propositions and customer experience.
• Develop the customer-led strategy narrative for Business Plan and strategy cascade. Ensure
• CX is considered across portfolio scorecards.
• Act as the ‘bridge’/connector between segment Customer Solutions teams and the portfolio for insights collection and application to ensure the portfolio has intimate knowledge of the user behind design.
• Act as the ‘bridge’/connector between the Customer COE and the portfolio for cascade of group frameworks (CX vision, guidelines, trust framework, customer journey mapping frameworks etc.).
• Advocate for the customers’ needs in the development and deployment of portfolio products and propositions through active participation in the Product Development Lifecycle. Work with the various delivery teams in the portfolio and in the broader ecosystem to design and deliver market-leading end to end customer experiences. This includes experiences related to channels, rewards partners, goals and customer service.
• Understand the requirements and rights of customers, with particular focus on the Consumer
• Protection Act, Market Conduct, POPI and PPR and ensure that adequate standards and processes are set within the portfolio to ensure compliance with these requirements.
• Act as custodian on customer-level reporting on these matters as required at group level.

Qualifications and Experience requirements: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in marketing, technology, business administration, or a related field. An Honours or Masters degree is a plus. 
• 3-5 years proven, relevant track record in CX design and delivery, preferably in financial services. 
• In-depth knowledge of CX development methodologies, tools and industry best practices. 
• Strong ability to lead with influence across cross-functional teams without direct reporting lines. 
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making. 
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and meet deadlines. Experience in operating in an Agile environment an advantage. Exceptional verbal and written communication/presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts to diverse stakeholders. Up-to-date knowledge of current and emerging digital trends, technologies, and user experience best practices in financial services.
• Leads the implementation of the customer experience strategy and continuously evaluates business practices and methods to improve customer interactions. Advocates for the consumers’ needs in the development and deployment of projects and strategies across the organisation. Responsible for the cross-functional engagement of executive leaders. Leads the implementation of strategies and tactics for various customer Life Cycle touch points across the value chain to ensure optimal customer experience.

Responsibilities

• Functional Strategy Formation
• Lead the development and implementation of strategy for an important area of responsibility within a function, anticipating complex issues, challenges, and opportunities and ensuring integration with wider functional strategy.
• Strategy Formation and Implementation
• Develop tactical plans for optimizing resources and assets being managed within a significant area or department.
• Customer Needs/Experience Research
• Lead the design and execution of approaches, tools, procedures, and initiatives (e.g., voice of the customer) that enable insight into customer segments, trends, needs, and expectations.
• Customer Experience Mapping
• Lead a range of stakeholders in the development of the ideal customer journey, incorporating concepts of reachability, convenience of service and purchase, personalization, ease of use, and flexibility.
• Customer Needs Clarification
• Consult with a range of customer representatives at different levels to identify the outcomes they require, introducing relevant internal specialists and utilizing their expertise to gather and analyze complex customer data, clarify medium- to long-term customer needs, and develop and agree to a specification of customer requirements.
• Business Planning
• Develop and propose annual business plans for a given area or department, ensuring alignment with strategy. Recommend financial and headcount budgets; propose business targets, for example, revenues or other key performance indicators (KPIs); and schedule key activities/projects, ensuring integration with other elements of the organization.
• Leadership and Direction
• Identify and communicate the actions needed to implement the function’s strategy and business plan within the business area or department; explain the relationship to the broader organization’s mission, vision, and values; motivate people to commit to these tenets and do extraordinary things to achieve local business goals.
• Budgeting
• Manage budget plans for a department. May involve development or delivery or both.
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Identify and manage stakeholders up to and including management level, finding out their needs, issues, and concerns and reacting to them by leading and coordinating the development of stakeholder engagement plans to support the communication of business information and decisions.
• Performance Management
• Manage and report on performance within the department or area of responsibility; set appropriate performance objectives for direct reports and hold individuals accountable for achieving them; take appropriate corrective action where necessary to ensure the achievement of annual business objectives.
• Organizational Capability Building
• Evaluate the capabilities of staff within the department to identify gaps and prioritize development activities. Implement the organization’s formal development frameworks within the area of responsibility. Coach and mentor others to support the development of the organization’s talent pool.
• Organization Structure
• Contribute to the definition of organization structure by recommending reporting lines, identifying interfaces between elements of the organization, and proposing roles and responsibilities, to align with the corporate structure and organization principles.
• Customer Experience Strategy
• Lead the implementation of the customer experience business plan, ensuring the right resources are in place to execute on the customer experience strategy across the various stages of the customer and product life cycle.

Skills

• Accountability, Action Planning, Adaptive Thinking, Agile Project Management, Current State Assessment, Customer Experience (CX), Customer Experience Design, Data Analysis, Data Compilation, Executing Plans, Identifying Customer Needs, Market Analysis, Market Research Analysis, Oral Communications, Presenting Solutions, Strategic Planning, Taking Initiative, Target Market Segmentation

Competencies

• Builds Effective Teams
• Business Insight
• Communicates Effectively
• Customer Focus
• Financial Acumen
• Manages Complexity
• Nimble Learning
• Optimizes Work Processes

Education

• NQF Level 9 – Masters

Closing Date

• 27 February 2025 , 23:59