Program Director - Service Delivery

Hugo•Village of Highland Falls, NY

About The Position

Hugo is a next-generation BPO built for today’s work. With a global team of over 4,500 people, we specialize in high complexity, judgment-led workflows where nuance matters and legacy playbooks break. Our teams deliver some of the world’s most demanding digital operations, including AI and model evaluation, multimodal trust and safety, crisis and escalation workflows, and advanced customer experience programs. We built our workforce to thrive in ambiguity. Our university-trained teams operate with AI-enabled workflows, strong analytical rigor, and a culture that rewards accuracy and ownership. Since 2017, we have scaled rapidly while maintaining exceptional retention and a reputation for world-class execution. We are enterprise-ready, but we deliver it differently. We maintain the full compliance, security standards, and operational rigor required to compete with the largest global BPOs, yet operate with the agility and intelligence of a modern, analytics-driven organization. Our teams think like consultants rather than traditional agents, pairing smart problem-solving with structured execution. This gives clients the reliability and sophistication expected from top-tier providers, while also bringing enterprise-level capability to smaller companies that typically cannot access it. Our mission drives everything. Outsourcing generates massive global value, yet only a small fraction reaches African communities. Hugo is changing that by channeling opportunity into Africa, building meaningful careers, and showing that African talent can power the future of the digital economy. The Program Director is a strategic delivery leader responsible for the end-to-end performance, growth, and client partnership of a complex, multi-site, multi-channel program. You will oversee 250+ agents (scaling to 500+) across Voice, Chat, and Email workflows in Lagos, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Missouri, ensuring operational excellence, SLA achievement, and client satisfaction. This role combines strategic account leadership, operational rigor, and executive client management, making it ideal for a seasoned BPO leader with a track record of scaling global operations and building high-performing leadership teams. At Hugo, we’re redefining BPO with operational excellence, innovation, and a people-first culture. As Program Director, you will: Shape strategic client programs: Lead a key global account, transforming customer experience and delivery models Lead globally: Manage multi-site teams across Africa and North America, building cross-cultural leadership capabilities Drive innovation: Champion AI, automation, and digital transformation initiatives Influence at the top: Partner with Hugo’s SVP and C-suite, shaping the business’s growth and expansion strategy Deliver impact: Balance operational execution with people development and client satisfaction

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred
10+ years in BPO/contact center leadership, including 5+ years in senior account/program management
Proven experience managing multi-site, multi-country operations with distributed leadership teams
Track record of scaling teams from 200+ to 500+ agents while maintaining quality and client satisfaction
Expert-level knowledge of SLA, AHT, FCR, CSAT/NPS, QA, productivity, utilization, shrinkage, cost-per-contact
Workforce management expertise and multi-site coordination
Proficiency with CRM, contact center platforms, and analytics/BI tools
Financial acumen with P&L responsibility, budget management, and commercial negotiations
Process improvement expertise (Lean Six Sigma preferred)
Executive presence and ability to influence C-suite stakeholders
Strong communication, presentation, and storytelling skills
Strategic thinker with operational rigor and execution mindset
Cross-cultural leadership with experience in Africa, North America, or other regions
High emotional intelligence and adaptive leadership style

Responsibilities

Serve as primary executive client contact, providing operational strategy, insight, and business growth guidance
Drive client satisfaction, retention, and expansion; lead QBRs/MBRs with actionable insights and innovation roadmaps
Translate client objectives into operational strategies, KPIs, and workflow priorities
Oversee commercial aspects of the account, including contract compliance, renewals, and pricing discussions
Ensure SLA and quality performance across Lagos, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Missouri
Standardize delivery while adapting to local labor markets, cultural contexts, and operational realities
Implement governance, KPI monitoring, risk management, and continuous improvement frameworks
Coordinate cross-site knowledge sharing, workforce optimization, and business continuity
Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing leadership team (Senior/Operations Managers)
Set performance expectations, decision rights, and accountability structures
Drive succession planning, coaching, and talent pipeline development
Foster a culture of operational excellence, client-centricity, and continuous learning
Partner with WFM and Recruitment for capacity planning, hiring, and scaling operations
Navigate labor frameworks in South Africa and the US, ensuring compliance and performance management
Champion employee engagement, retention, and development initiatives
P&L ownership for the account: revenue, costs, margins, and profitability
Optimize productivity, cost-per-contact, and resource allocation
Evaluate technology and process investments to enhance performance and ROI
Lead digital transformation initiatives, including AI/automation and CX innovation
Implement Lean Six Sigma or similar process improvement programs
Benchmark industry best practices to elevate Hugo’s operational model