Background

Turaco is a micro-insurtech company changing healthcare financing in emerging markets. We provide simple, affordable health and life insurance to low-income earners, distributing our products through partnerships with leading businesses in Kenya and Uganda. Our mission is to act as a safety net, freeing people from the fear of health-related financial shocks.

Read more about this company

Role Overview

The Head of Commercial Operations is a senior role responsible for overseeing and optimizing the core operational pillars that define the customer journey and operational efficiency across the insurance value chain — including Customer Operations (Call Center & Claims), Customer Communication and Experience, and Policy Administration.

This role is accountable for ensuring that the company delivers a seamless, compliant, and customer-centric experience from policy issuance to claims settlement, while maintaining operational excellence and regulatory integrity.

Additionally, this leader will help with the digital and AI-based transformation of these functions to ensure we are radically increasing operational efficiency as we scale.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Operations (Call Center & Claims)

• Lead and manage the Customer Service and Claims Operations teams to ensure prompt, accurate, and empathetic handling of customer interactions.
• Oversee the end-to-end claims management process, from notification and assessment to settlement and recovery, ensuring adherence to SLAs, fairness, and regulatory standards.
• Implement best-in-class call center practices, leveraging technology (CRM, AI, analytics) to improve first-call resolution and service efficiency.
• Establish robust performance frameworks to monitor quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction across all service channels.

Customer Communication & Experience

• Implement and operationalize the typical customer communication and experience strategy, ensuring consistent execution across all channels and customer touchpoints.
• Translate strategic customer experience goals into clear operational actions, processes, and KPIs for service teams.
• Ensure all communications — digital, voice, and written — meet brand, and service standards.
• Monitor customer feedback, complaints, and NPS data to identify gaps in execution and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Product teams to ensure consistent message delivery, customer journey alignment, and brand integrity.

Policy Administration

• Oversee the policy lifecycle from issuance and cancellations, ensuring data accuracy and timely service delivery.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls and financial reconciliation requirements.
• Manage relationships with underwriting partners to ensure operational alignment and adherence to agreed service levels and policy administration standards.
• Oversee product setup and configuration within our system to ensure alignment with Policy Schedules, ensuring accurate data capture.

Strategic Leadership

• Champion operational excellence initiatives, including process optimization, cost efficiency, and automation.
• Build and mentor high-performing operational leadership teams with a focus on accountability, collaboration, and innovation.
• Serve as a key member of the leadership team, contributing to business planning, risk management, and growth initiatives.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Insurance, Finance, or related field.
• Experience: 10–15 years in operations with a minimum of 5 in operations leadership; ideal to have experience in customer service/success, claims processing, and/or policy administration.
• Proven record of implementing process automation, technology solutions, and customer experience initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with experience collaborating across underwriting, partnerships, IT, and legal functions.

Skills & Attributes

• Live Turaco’s values – Push boundaries, Work with excellence, and Profound respect for the individual
• Strategic thinker with commercial acumen and hands-on operational expertise.
• Strong leadership and people development skills with a focus on accountability and excellence.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication abilities.
• Deep understanding of customer-centric operations and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Willing to roll up one’s sleeves and dig into details to solve problems. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable leading change in complex environments.

• Lead and manage the Customer Service and Claims Operations teams to ensure prompt, accurate, and empathetic handling of customer interactions.
• Oversee the end-to-end claims management process, from notification and assessment to settlement and recovery, ensuring adherence to SLAs, fairness, and regulatory standards.
• Implement best-in-class call center practices, leveraging technology (CRM, AI, analytics) to improve first-call resolution and service efficiency.
• Establish robust performance frameworks to monitor quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction across all service channels.
• Implement and operationalize the typical customer communication and experience strategy, ensuring consistent execution across all channels and customer touchpoints.
• Translate strategic customer experience goals into clear operational actions, processes, and KPIs for service teams.
• Ensure all communications — digital, voice, and written — meet brand, and service standards.
• Monitor customer feedback, complaints, and NPS data to identify gaps in execution and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Product teams to ensure consistent message delivery, customer journey alignment, and brand integrity.
• Oversee the policy lifecycle from issuance and cancellations, ensuring data accuracy and timely service delivery.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls and financial reconciliation requirements.
• Manage relationships with underwriting partners to ensure operational alignment and adherence to agreed service levels and policy administration standards.
• Oversee product setup and configuration within our system to ensure alignment with Policy Schedules, ensuring accurate data capture.
• Champion operational excellence initiatives, including process optimization, cost efficiency, and automation.
• Build and mentor high-performing operational leadership teams with a focus on accountability, collaboration, and innovation.
• Serve as a key member of the leadership team, contributing to business planning, risk management, and growth initiatives.

• Live Turaco’s values – Push boundaries, Work with excellence, and Profound respect for the individual
• Strategic thinker with commercial acumen and hands-on operational expertise.
• Strong leadership and people development skills with a focus on accountability and excellence.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication abilities.
• Deep understanding of customer-centric operations and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Willing to roll up one’s sleeves and dig into details to solve problems. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable leading change in complex environments.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Insurance, Finance, or related field.
• 10–15 years in operations with a minimum of 5 in operations leadership; ideal to have experience in customer service/success, claims processing, and/or policy administration.
• Proven record of implementing process automation, technology solutions, and customer experience initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with experience collaborating across underwriting, partnerships, IT, and legal functions.