Sales and Credit Control - Operations Manager - SPARK Schools Support Office

About SPARK Schools SPARK Schools is a social impact disruptor and is leading change in the education space through its network of affordable private schools. The SPARK Schools network provides transformational education innovation through Africa’s first blended learning model, which elevates student achievement and provides the tools teachers need to serve their students effectively. The blended learning model, which combines classroom teaching and online instruction, allows teachers to anticipate student needs and equips schools to provide personalized education at an affordable cost. SPARK Schools is pioneering this transformative education model to ensure the accessibility of university and careers for all. SPARK Schools has a culture of collaboration, because getting South Africa to lead global education takes a team effort. We are innovators who strive for excellence through persistence and a sense of urgency to achieve SPARK Schools’ vision, mission and social transformational objectives. Our work environment is vibrant/cheerful, fast-paced/dynamic, engaging/stimulating, tech-enabled and data driven. SPARK Schools is a high growth, mission and values-driven, entrepreneurial organisation, operating 21 primary schools and 5 high schools and serving over 18,000 families in 2025. We are looking for dynamic people to join our team. SPARK values: Service, Persistence, Achievement, Responsibility, Kindness ABOUT THE ROLE Purpose of the role: The Operations Manager – Sales & Credit Control is responsible for optimizing the full enrollment pipeline and school fee collections process. This role ensures operational efficiency, enhances the customer experience, and supports financial sustainability. Leading cross-functional teams, the incumbent will drive scholar enrolment growth and ensure timely and effective collections, contributing directly to cash flow improvement and the broader strategic objectives of SPARK Schools. Reports to: Head of Sales & Credit Control Responsibilities: Own and drive the achievement of Sales, Collections, customer service, and operational performance targets. Develop and implement monthly operational plans and recovery strategies where performance falls below agreed targets. Analyse operational data, identify trends, performance gaps, and root causes, and translate insights into actionable business improvement initiatives. Monitor and optimise the end-to-end enrolment pipeline, ensuring effective lead management, pipeline health, conversion performance, and resource utilisation. Develop and implement strategies to improve collections performance, reduce arrears, and maximise cash flow through proactive engagement and structured interventions. Evaluate the effectiveness of sales and collections campaigns, measure return on investment, and use performance insights to optimise future initiatives. Identify operational risks that may impact enrolment, revenue, customer experience, or service…