JOB PURPOSE

The Digital Communications Manager is responsible for the strategy, execution, and optimisation of all digital communications supporting collection outcomes. This role ensures that SMS, email, and other approved channels are used effectively, cost-efficiently, and compliantly, minimising financial loss from failed, undelivered, or redundant communications.

The role includes hands-on execution of campaigns where automation is not yet implemented, and monitoring of automated campaigns to ensure they run correctly, achieve intended outcomes, and deliver value.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Matric with relevant tertiary qualification in Digital Communications, Business Management, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in collections with at least 5 years’ experience in digital campaign management in a collections or financial services environment.
• Experience managing SMS, email, and automated digital communication platforms.
• Demonstrated experience in performance monitoring, ROI optimisation, and cost management
• Experience working with collections CRM systems and data segmentation
• At least 2+ years’ MS Office Suite working experience with advanced level in MS Excel.
• Understanding of debt collection regulations and compliance requirements such as the Debt Collection Act (DCA), National Credit Act (NCA), and Protectional of Personal Information Act (POPIA), as well as Debi Check process.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

• Digital Collections Strategy & Cost Management
• Develop and own the end-to-end digital communications strategy for collections, aligning with account lifecycle, segmentation, and collections priorities.
• Ensure that digital campaigns are cost-effective, optimising spend relative to performance outcomes.
• Identify and prevent financial loss due to failed, undelivered, or mis-targeted communications.

Campaign Design, Execution & Monitoring

• Manual Execution: Where automation is not implemented, design, configure, and execute digital campaigns (SMS, email, other approved channels) personally.
• Automated Execution Monitoring: Where campaigns are automated, monitor execution daily to ensure they run as planned, data is correctly processed, and outcomes meet targets.
• Implement and monitor controls to prevent duplicate, failed, or non-compliant messaging.
• Adjust campaigns as needed based on performance, operational priorities, or compliance requirements.
• Maintain accountability for end-to-end campaign delivery and associated financial outcomes.

Performance Optimisation & Reporting

• Track key metrics: delivery rates, open/read rates, responses, payments received, and capital collected.
• Analyse failures, delays, or underperformance, and implement corrective actions to reduce wasted spend and improve ROI.
• Provide MIS reporting on cost, performance, and execution outcomes to stakeholders.
• Recommend improvements in strategy, templates, segmentation, and scheduling.

Compliance, Risk & Governance

• Ensure all digital communications comply with the NCA, POPIA, and internal policies.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation for campaigns, approvals, and performance outcomes.
• Proactively identify and mitigate financial, reputational, and compliance risks.
• Stakeholder & Vendor Management
• Collaborate with Finance to reconcile digital costs and maximise campaign efficiency.
• Liaise with service providers to ensure delivery success, cost efficiency, and issue resolution.
• Communicate campaign outcomes, risks, and recommendations to Operations, Management, and Compliance.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED

• Ability to manage multiple campaigns and deadlines
• Campaign execution, monitoring, and optimisation capability (manual and automated)
• Solid digital channel knowledge (email, SMS, social, web)
• Proficiency in digital analytics and performance reporting
• MS Office proficiency
• Strong analytical, reporting, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong business and financial acumen
• Strong commercial and customer-centric mindset
• Strong organisational, planning and time management skills
• Demonstrate strong values of curiosity, collaboration, entrepreneurial spirit, passion for winning and trustworthiness