Website Nova Pioneer
Nova Pioneer Education Group is a Pan-African independent school network offering preschool through secondary education for students from ages 3 through 19. We prepare the next generation of leaders and innovators through world-class teaching methods with an emphasis on 21st century skills. We e… read morestablished Nova Pioneer because we believe education should prepare young people to create their future, not just work in it. Nova Pioneer is a launchpad where ambitious young Africans can begin to shape a better future for the continent and the world. We began by asking ourselves the question, "What capabilities will young people need to succeed in and shape the future that they will encounter, and what approaches to education will best develop those capabilities?” All of our founders have extensive backgrounds in education at top institutions across the globe, having studied at universities such as Harvard and Stanford and led education programs for McKinsey and Co., the African Leadership Academy, and top school networks in the US (Excel Academies). Yet at Nova Pioneer we believe that you never stop learning. So we visited and studied leading schools spanning from Singapore to Peru, and the United States to the United Kingdom. We connected with leaders of the cutting-edge education research, and leading thinkers on 21st Century Learning such as Sir Ken Robinson and teachers and atelieristas from Reggio Emilia, the leading global early education model, to name a few. We launched our first school in South Africa in 2014, with the aim of incorporating the best education models in the world, while keeping it as affordable as possible. We’ve since expanded within South Africa, and to Kenya as well – with our first Kenyan school launching in 2015. In all of our schools, we bring in and train top educators to deliver educational excellence in an environment that nurtures our students to uncover their potential and blaze trails in the world beyond our school walls.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Accounts receivable/ Parent Fee Support (PFS) Manager is responsible for overseeing the effective – collection, and support processes related to the debtors book across the organisation in both South Africa and Kenya.
The role ensures that collection targets are met while maintaining a positive and supportive experience for families. This position works closely with school leadership, finance, admissions, and other internal stakeholders to strengthen billing accuracy, improve payment culture, mitigate credit risk, and maintain high levels of parent satisfaction.
The role also provides leadership to the Parent Fees Support team across both regions, ensuring strong operational performance, service excellence, and continuous improvement of processes and systems
You will be responsible for :
School Fee Collections Management
Lead and oversee the collection of billed school fees, including outstanding balances, ensuring collection targets are consistently met or exceeded.
Manage the collections process within agreed timelines by coordinating, directing, and prioritising the activities of team members.
Monitor collection performance and develop corrective strategies when collections fall behind targets.
Identify risk areas early and implement proactive interventions to mitigate potential delinquency
Subject matter expert for legal issues regarding debt collection operations and management and related engagement with external legal experts and school associations (ISASA) on these matters
Debt Collection Agencies and Credit Bureaus
Oversee processes related to bad debt recovery, including coordination with external debt collection agencies where required.
Engage, manage and monitor performance of debt collection agencies and related processes
Engage, manage and monitor performance of credit bureaus used for enrolment related credit checks
Parent Satisfaction and Service Excellence
Ensure effective and respectful communication with families on all matters related to school fees.
Maintain agreed service standards for response times and quality of communication.
Oversee the management of parent queries, including the maintenance of accurate records of interactions, complaints, and resolutions.
Act as the escalation point for complex parent cases requiring intervention.
Collaborate with internal teams to resolve parent concerns promptly.
Monitor parent satisfaction feedback and implement improvements where service gaps are identified.
Call centre / customer contact centre operations
Manage call centre and email operations (Zendesk) for the Nova Pioneer customer contact centre that managers fee related queries
Escalation for parent related fee disputes and queries.
Set performance benchmarks and drive performance for customer contact centre productivity, customer satisfaction levels, response times and resolution times
Stakeholder Management and Deliverables
Family Engagement
Model and promote a positive, empathetic, and professional approach when engaging with families regarding financial matters.
Ensure the team maintains agreed service level standards for responding to family queries across communication channels.
Encourage a supportive yet structured approach to collections that promotes a healthy payment culture within the school community
Manage call centre and email operations (Zendesk) for the Nova Pioneer customer contact centre that managers fee related queries
Escalation for parent related fee disputes and queries
School Leaders and School Teams
Provide school leaders with regular updates on campus-specific fee collection performance.
Highlight areas of financial risk and collaborate with school leaders to implement appropriate solutions.
Partner with school teams to implement collection initiatives that balance accountability with positive community engagement.
Provide school leaders with timeous and accurate information regarding the debtors book for their school
Calculate and provide financial termination listings / gating listings and support enforcement of these by school based teams
Finance Team
Work closely with the finance team to ensure family billing is accurate, timely, and clearly communicated.
Share feedback from families to support improvements in billing clarity and processes.
Collaborate on adjustments to family accounts, including approvals for statements and invoice updates.
Provide insights to support improvements in billing processes and operational efficiency.
Admissions Team
Support affordability assessments for prospective families where applicable.
Review and approve exceptions related to school fees, including prorated fees for mid-year enrollments and other special cases.
Partner with admissions and school leadership to ensure financial clearance processes for new families are smooth and timely during onboarding
Reporting and Performance Monitoring
Produce regular analytical reports on collections performance at both organisational and parent-account levels.
Provide school leadership teams with monthly updates on collections performance and areas requiring support or intervention.
Monitor and drive key service indicators such as response times, parent satisfaction scores, and communication volumes.
Maintain accurate records across databases, dashboards, and reporting systems used by the team.
Implement and enhance information systems and related processes to improve performance reporting and identify action areas to improve collection performance and service levels
Business Controls and Process Governance
Recommend and implement internal controls to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of billing and collections processes.
Approve operational processes such as refunds, prorated school fees, and exceptional family requests.
Management of the Nova Pioneer Foundation (Bursary Programme)
Develop bursary frameworks, including eligibility criteria, award rubrics, and programme terms and conditions.
Oversee documentation review and evaluation for bursary applications.
Award bursaries to qualifying families and ensure proper contracting and documentation.
Liaise with the finance team to ensure bursaries are correctly applied to family accounts.
Maintain accurate records of bursary awards and programme activity.
Produce reports on committed funds, make recommendations for annual budget based on expected requirements and monitor the foundation’s budget utilisation.
Reply to stakeholder requests pertaining to the Foundation
Team Leadership and Development
Provide clarity, support and accountability for the Global Parent Fees Support team.
Conduct weekly one-on-one meetings and regular feedback sessions with team members.
Set team performance goals and track progress against operational objectives.
Train, coach, and develop team members to build the capabilities required to deliver excellent service and operational performance
Develop and implement policies and procedures that support effective team performance and operational compliance
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Kenya
A Bachelor’s Degree (in Business preferred)
CPA (K) or Finalist or its equivalent (ACCA, CA etc)
South Africa
Minimum: BComm with majors in management accounting and / or accounting
CORE EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Experience
A minimum of 3 years experience managing a debt collection team with >1000 retail customers
A minimum of 3 years’ experience managing a customer-facing call centre / customer contact centre team, with the ability to provide clear direction, accountability, and support to drive strong team performance)
Skills
Proficient on the use of Excel for financial analysis, modelling and reporting
Competencies
Demonstrated ability to motivate and sustain team morale, particularly during high-pressure periods such as peak operational cycles such as the start of term.
Strong ability to manage complex or difficult customer interactions, navigating sensitive situations and achieving constructive, mutually beneficial solutions.
Experience working in fast-paced or entrepreneurial environments that require high levels of autonomy, ownership, and initiative.
Results-driven and goal-oriented, with a proactive approach to work and a strong sense of accountability for outcomes.
Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while consistently meeting deadlines and performance targets.
Experience: Advantageous but not essential
International team management experience
Primary and secondary or tertiary private education sector experience
Remote team management experience
ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS
You are excited about our organisational culture and in particular, you are fired up to challenge yourself by embracing mutual vulnerability and a firehose of feedback
Ability to treat all confidential information with the utmost professionalism
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