Job Description

Job Title: Lead: Taxpayer Services
Position Reports to: Regional Director: Taxpayer Engagement - KZN
Division: Taxpayer Engagement - KZN
Location: Durban - KZN
Date: 01 August 2025
About the Position
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is seeking a dedicated and service-oriented professional to lead its Taxpayer Service initiatives within the KZN region. Reporting to the Regional Director: Taxpayer Engagement, this role is crucial in ensuring that all taxpayers receive efficient and effective service through both Voice and Walk-in Channels, resolving any queries and ensuring compliance with tax obligations. As the Lead, you will oversee the development and implementation of strategies to enhance taxpayer services, fostering a culture of service excellence. You will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to align customer engagement goals with business objectives, ensuring high-quality service delivery across all channels. The role requires a professional with extensive management experience in the service-oriented environment.
Job Purpose
To ensure that all taxpayers are effectively and efficiently served through Voice and Walk-in Channels to resolve any queries while ensuring that Taxpayers fulfil their tax obligation. Responsible for overseeing and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of taxpayer services (Both Voice and Walk in) by fostering a culture of service obsession.
Education and Experience

• Relevant Honours Degree / Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration/StrategicManagement/Leadership and Management/Accounting/Taxation (NQF 8) or related AND 10 - 12 years' experience in a Customer service environment/Taxpayer Services, of which 3 - 4 years at a middle management level.

ALTERNATE:

• Relevant Bachelors Degree/Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Business Administration/Strategic Management/Leadership and Management/Accounting/Taxation or related AND 12 - 15 years in Customer service environment/Taxpayer Services, of which 3 - 4 years at a middle management level.

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• Relevant Honours Degree / Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration/Strategic Management/Leadership and Management/Accounting/Taxation (NQF 8)

OR

• Relevant Bachelor's Degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in Business Administration/Customer Service/Leadership and Management/Accounting/Taxation.

Minimum Functional Requirements
Job Outputs:
To ensure that all taxpayers are effectively and efficiently served through Voice and Walk-in Channels to resolve any queries while ensuring that Taxpayers fulfil their tax obligation. Responsible for overseeing and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of taxpayer services (Both Voice and Walk in) by fostering a culture of service obsession.
Process

• Develop tactical strategy and delivery plans in support of functional objectives in partnership with leadership.
• Direct, control, coordinate and optimise budgeted resources to meet specific objectives and deliver agreed results and productivity requirements.
• Ensure the development and implementation of multiple practices in alignment with operational policy and procedural frameworks.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to continuously improve all functions and systems in line with national, regional, and organisational changes.
• Plan for handling work outputs, pull together interdependent activities and specify priorities, standards and procedures to ensure tactical excellence.
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives; driving best practice solutions.
• Provide periodic reports on performance against plan and progress on medium-term initiatives and use to realign operating plan and objectives appropriately.
• Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, policies and procedures, and direct the implementation of change and innovation initiated by the organisation.
• Timeously communicate top-down policy modification, objective achievement progress and critical success factors to impacted stakeholders.
• Use the insights gained through integrated business reports to measure success and realign tactical strategy development objectives appropriately.
• Ensure the effective management of scheduled and unscheduled Branch Visits.
• Ensure the taxpayer services are provided in accordance with the relevant established standards and guidelines.
• Ensure the effective management of virtual engagements across Voice and Walk-in channels.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance service delivery.
• Lead the day-to-day customer interactions to ensure a delightful customer experience at all stages of the customer engagement.
• Manage a team, ensuring compliance with tax laws, and providing excellent service to taxpayers.
• Oversee the deployment and operation of mobile tax unit providing service to outlined areas.
• Stakeholder management, collaborate with internal stakeholders to align customer engagement goals with business objectives.
• Oversee the delivery of high-quality service through all channels.

Governance

• Implement governance, risk and compliance policy in own practice areas to identify and manage governance and risk exposure liability.
• Manage and or advise on the translation and application of policy in a specific functional area.

People

• Create a positive work climate and culture to energise employees and give meaning to work, minimise work disruption and maximise employee productivity.
• Develop and implement appropriate people capacity plans in line with delivery and efficiency targets, on budget and in partnership with specialised areas.
• Plan and develop enhanced organisational efficiency by identifying and addressing development requirements and providing tools for people resources.
• Translate performance expectations into specific metrics and goals to identify and provide effective services, solve problems and achieve objectives.

Finance

• Draw up a budget aligned to business unit delivery plans, monitor planned vs. actual, minimise expenditure and report on cost efficiency.
• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of accountability.

Client

• Build strong relationships and develop service level agreements that promote SARS with internal and external stakeholders. (I)
• Develop and ensure implementation of practices which builds service delivery excellence and encourages others to provide exceptional client service.
• Manage an integrated service excellence culture, which builds rewarding relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service.

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability (V)
• Fairness and Transparency (V)
• Honesty and Integrity (V)
• Respect (V)
• Trust (V)
• Leadership Competencies
• Nurtures Future Talent
• Develops teams and nurtures interdependency
• Inspires others to Positive Action
• Stewardship and Service Orientation
• Strong Results Orientation
• Values and Manages Diversity
• Ability to translate strategy into execution

Technical competencies

• Business Acumen
• Change Management
• Customer Liaison
• Customer Relationship Management
• Decisiveness
• Effective Business Communication
• Functional Policies and Procedures
• Managerial Budgeting
• Planning and Organising
• Planning, Management and Measurement
• Problem Analysis and Judgement
• Query Resolution
• SARS Systems Products
• Service Delivery
• Strategic Planning
• Tax Knowledge

Compliance Competency

• Security Clearance: GOC Confidential

Employment Equity
The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre-employment screening, case study, pre-assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.