About the Role
The Sales and Retention Manager leads a team of up to 8 in the sales contact centre, converting inbound leads from online enquiries and marketing campaigns, and driving proactive retention efforts for Doctors' Health Fund members.
Reporting into the Head of Service Experience and Delivery, you will oversee how the sales and retention function operates day-to-day, including process, performance and continuous improvement. You will hold responsibility for the entire application pipeline from quote, application, acceptances/declines, and manage onboarding through welcome calls, surveys, and periodic check-ins. The role requires translating strategic direction into clear, scalable ways of working, ensuring the function operates effectively without requiring detailed direction.
The role also supports vulnerable and high priority members, minimises sales-related complaints, and delivers exceptional service. You’ll partner in campaign design, develop retention strategies for all products/segments, and define targeted portfolio activities to maximise member loyalty.
This role is best suited to an experienced leader who has previously contributed to building or improving sales and retention capability and is now looking to take ownership of how it operates in practice.
Key Accountabilities
Sales Conversion and Retention: Drive lead conversion and proactive retention strategies across all member segments; ensure sales and retention KPIs are achieved while identifying and implementing improvements to increase conversion, retention and member value.
Application Pipeline and Onboarding: Manage and continuously improve end-to-end sales application process (quotes, applications, acceptances/declines) and deliver seamless onboarding through welcome calls, surveys, and periodic reviews.
Complaint Management and Compliance: Minimise sales-related complaints through root-cause analysis and process improvements; ensure compliance with health insurance regulations and internal policies.
Team Leadership & Coaching: Lead and develop a high-performing team, including succession planning and career development; define and reinforce what "good" looks like in sales and member engagement; embed coaching and quality assurance to improve sales effectiveness and member experience.
Campaign and Strategy Development: Collaborate on sales and marketing campaign design ensuring initiatives are operationally effective; develop and refine retention approaches, scripts and portfolio management strategies for vulnerable, at-risk, and corporate members.
Reporting and Insights: Monitor, analyse and interpret KPIs (CSAT, FCR, AHT, Abandon rate, ACW,) QA scores, complaint trends; provide actionable insights to optimise performance and member outcomes.
Operating Rhythms and Process Improvement: Establish and continuously improve team workflows, routines and ways of working; Identify inefficiencies or gaps in the sales and retention process and implement practical, scalable improvements; Ensure clarity, consistency and effectiveness in how work is executed across the team.
Internal Controls and Risk Management: Lodge and actively manage any risk incidents and issues; Participate in Risk and Control Self-Assessment (RCSA) reviews and updates; Responsible for reviewing and testing the effectiveness of controls to ensure they are designed and operating effectively and to amend controls as and where required. Support any risk activities and initiatives as assigned.
Continuous Improvement and Execution: Proactively identify opportunities to improve conversion, onboarding experience and retention outcomes; Implement improvements across process, scripting and ways of working; Work with internal teams to ensure initiatives are effectively executed and deliver intended outcomes.
Key Capabilities Required (Qualifications, Experience and Skills)
- Proven leadership experience in a contact centre sales environment, leading across sales and retention
- High level of ownership and judgement, with the ability to identify issues and implement improvement
- Demonstrated ability to translate direction into practical execution, processes and outcomes
- Strong knowledge of sales and retention techniques, processes, strategies, and KPI management, with demonstrated ability to improve or build these in practice
- Ability to lead, motivate and coach teams specifically through; process improvement, optimisation and change, and; to achieve high performance in sales and retention targets
- Skilled in handling objections, complaint resolution and building member loyalty
- Strong ability to interpret process and performance data, identify trends, and implement improvement strategies
- Experience with CRM systems, contact centre telephony platforms, WFM tools and digital channels
- Clear communicator with strong stakeholder engagement skills, able to work cross-functionally to deliver practice outcomes, including influencing campaign design and retention strategies
- Understanding of private health insurance regulations and commitment to ethical sales practices.
Preferred Capabilities
- Tertiary qualification in Business, Marketing (or related field).
- Experience in private health insurance or regulated financial services.
- Experience contributing to or leading improvements to sales or retention functions (e.g. process redesign, performance uplift or onboarding improvements).
- Experience working in environments with limited structure, where clear processes and ways of working need to be established.
- Demonstrated capability operating at Manager level in practice (not as a first-time promotion).
- Experience working in roles with greater ownership to test, implement and refine new approaches
About the Doctors' Health Fund
Doctors’ Health Fund is a leading provider of private health insurance exclusively for the medical community across Australia. As part of the Avant Mutual Group, we proudly support over 70,000 healthcare professionals, students, and their families. Our commitment to members is at the heart of everything we do - driven by our values, mission, and people-first culture.
Join an organisation with purpose, one that genuinely exists to support its members and improve healthcare in Australia. You'll work with committed, passionate colleagues in an environment that values both rigour and collaboration.
For further information, please contact Sue Allen, Talent Acquisition Business Partner on 0429 404 856.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Avant supports doctors so they can serve Australia's diverse communities. Having diversity in our workforce brings valuable perspectives and strengthens our ability to support healthcare professionals.
We therefore welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those with caring responsibilities.
Our inclusive workplace is somewhere everyone can succeed.
Ready to join us? If you're passionate about supporting Australia's healthcare professionals, we'd love to hear from you. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to contact us at
[email protected]