PURPOSE OF JOB
A management role responsible for governing and delivering immigration service excellence in South Africa. The position requires an experienced immigration professional to oversee all immigration processes for employees or clients, ensuring full compliance with local and international laws and deep expertise in visa categories, documentation procedures, and regulatory requirements.
The Immigration Manager works closely with HR, legal teams, government authorities, and external partners to enable seamless mobility and legal work authorization. They will develop and enhance policies and processes that support the growth and quality of the South African immigration service, while providing strong, inspirational leadership to the immigration team.
PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES
You will take the lead in driving Santa Fe's Immigration services quality, productivity and operational processes, including use of Service Delivery Models and Technology:
Focal point for the South African Immigration and business teams for operations and delivery, including KPIs.
Provide and maintain definition of operating model and overarching process, including maintaining Perfect SOPs.
Active involvement in financial planning cycles and setting strategic direction of South African Immigration service line.
Manage financial performance and P&L, data integrity and KPIs to ensure efficiencies.
Drive continuous review of processes, productivity and efficiency improvements.
Attend seminars and events to promote Santa Fe’s immigration services.
Support market activities to grow the business, acting as the face of Santa Fe Immigration.
Support RfP and sales activity, including presenting at orals, as required.
Collaborate with Group Immigration Head to develop and implement new services to maintain market competitiveness.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of immigration laws, policies, and regulatory changes in relevant jurisdictions.
Manage end-to-end immigration processes including work permits, visas, residency applications, extensions, and renewals.
South African Immigration escalation point.
Lead on specific client accounts, in particular coordination of outbound business. Monthly commercial to deliver review with each country. Liaise with relevant team members to resolve any concerns with client performance.
Review South African CSATS and ensure low scores are remediated.
Drive and share best practice across the Immigration team.
Implement immigration operating technology in South Africa to meet/exceed market standards.
Ad hoc project work.
Responsible for South African Immigration hiring.
Provide performance review and objectives guidance to South African immigration team.
Conduct immigration meetings to review results, KPIs, etc.
Be an inspirational leader to drive Santa Fe culture throughout the immigration team.
You will specifically collaborate with others to:
Present at industry events.
Collaborate with Group LoB Heads in writing immigration white papers and
participating in Santa Fe thought leadership creation.
Work closely with the Commercial team in addition to the Marketing team to provide regular content and alerts.
Deputise for Manager as required.
KEY COMPETENCIES Essential
Leadership and People Management: Management of Imms team including team leads and senior consultants, assume responsibility for the actions/decisions taken by team members; ability to train a diverse team; and have leadership responsibility
Creativity and Problem-Solving exercised within the general framework of recognised procedures and practices
Contacts and Relationships: Dealing with a range of matters requiring support, persuasion, advocacy and sensitivity, within the application of operational guidelines; exercising interpersonal skills, in order to meet clients’ basic needs, motivational skills in relation to other members of employees, exercising advisory, guiding, negotiating or persuasive skills.
Communication: Able to present orally and in writing information that can be complex or sensitive with a range of audiences including employees, stakeholders, customers, suppliers; be persuasive, motivational, negotiating or reassuring
Decision Making: Able to make decisions within clearly defined rules and procedures, chosen from a range of established alternatives; encouraged to influence change and make recommendations to Immigration procedures and services; Market analysis and understanding with ability to interpret local legislations; Decisions may have material effect on the local immigration line of business.
Resources (Physical and financial): Being accountable for invoicing accuracy and timeliness; involved in handling and processing considerable amounts of information where care, accuracy and security are important.
Knowledge and Skills: Able to undertake work of a variety of advanced tasks which requires detailed and high level of knowledge and skills in Immigration; Regulatory Compliance & Policy understanding required.
Desirable
Experience working with multinational organizations.
Familiarity with immigration management software and HRIS systems.
Multilingual skills are a plus.
Certification in global mobility or immigration law (e.g., GMS, SHRM, paralegal certification).
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE and QUALIFICATIONS (minimum requirements for the job)
At least five years of Immigration experience
Capability to adapt to different client (internal and external) needs with an advisory mindset.
Fluency in oral and written English.
Work Location: In person
