Duties:
The incumbent will:

• Provide strategic leadership to the operations function, ensuring integrated, efficient and future-ready systems and processes.
• Translate the School’s strategy into operational frameworks, KPIs and delivery mechanisms.
• Lead operational components of the SBS relocation project, including change enablement, space planning, risk mitigation and stakeholder engagement.
• Drive digitally enabled innovation through dashboards, systems and data-driven decision-making tools.
• Oversee operational risk management and maintain the School’s Risk Register.
• Serve on ExCo and governance structures, advising on operational feasibility, resourcing and financial sustainability.
• Chair the Finance Committee (FinCo) and Operations Committee (OpCo).
• Lead the end-to-end budgeting cycle, including forecasting, scenario modelling, cost centre oversight, variance reporting, and the enforcement of financial discipline and commercial risk controls.
• Exercise strong commercial judgement in evaluating new initiatives, partnerships and investments, ensuring financial viability, risk mitigation and long-term sustainability.
• Ensure compliance with SU policies, audit requirements, governance frameworks, and best-practice controls.
• Strengthen the student and programme lifecycle processes from application to graduation.
• Lead and develop operational teams, building a high-performance culture grounded in collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Lead strategic projects such as digital transformation, process innovation and codification, including the standardisation, simplification and optimisation of end-to-end operational processes.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement through documented, scalable and auditable processes aligned with good governance and best practice.
• Provide strategic oversight of enterprise systems to ensure integration, data integrity, reporting accuracy and decision support across the School.

Director: Operations

Stellenbosch University
Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
Stellenbosch Business School

Director: Operations (Post Level 5)
(Bellville Park and Stellenbosch Campuses)
Ref. EBW04/038/0226

Stellenbosch Business School (SBS) at Stellenbosch University (SU) invites applications for the position of Director: Operations. This is a senior leadership role responsible for providing strategic, financial, operational and organisational leadership to ensure SBS delivers on its mandate in alignment with the School’s strategy, SU Vision 2040, and the broader priorities of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.. The Director: Operations will be the custodian of operational and commercial risk and will secure projects to continually enhance the reputation of the School with key stakeholders.

This role is central to the School’s success and will drive operational excellence, financial sustainability, governance, performance, and future-ready transformation — including the operational leadership of SBS’s transition to a new campus at Oude Libertas in Stellenbosch.