Synopsis:
Leading financial services provider based in Sandton requires suitably skilled and experienced Senior Consultant (Employee Benefits) to generate income by providing professional and quality service and advice to clients.

Minimum Requirements:

• Matric
• BCom (Econometrics, Insurance, Risk Management or similar) OR BA Law / LLB
• Minimum 5 years employee benefits consulting
• Minimum 2 years employee benefits consulting in management capacity
• FAIS compliant
• CFP (preferable)
• Strong knowledge of Employee Benefits industry
• Strong knowledge of pension funds, FAIS and related legislation
• Strong knowledge of client services
• Advanced relationship building and networking skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Job Description:

Suitably skilled and experienced Senior Consultant (Employee Benefits) to generate income by providing professional and quality service and advice to clients. Responsibilities include:

• Consulting with trustees / management committees of funds
• Assisting with daily management of funds within consulting portfolio
• Managing team of junior consultants with ultimate objective of providing overall assistance and support to Senior / Principal Consultant
• Managing portfolio of clients, including:
o Providing advice pertaining to investments, legislation and pending changes pertaining to potential impact on individual benefit programmes
o Compiling and agreeing on year-plan with clients
o Interface between members and clients, as well as client and internal departments
• Administration, including:
o Writing reports
o Daily administration to ensure efficient running of funds
o All written communication with clients and internal departments
o Calculating unit pricing of funds and benefit calculations
o Compiling and maintaining account summaries for all funds
o Ensuring standard documents, such as quarterlies, surveys, etc are issued timeously to clients
o Annual financial reviews
o Utilisation of file indicating rules of fund, financial statements, etc
o Amending , and updating checklists and access information when necessary
o Compiling fund rules
o Ensuring deadlines are met, e.g. financial statements, etc
o Ensuring timeous financial reviews
o Monitoring and ensuring risk benefit rates
o Conducting rebrokes by comparing rates with insurance companies

Managing overall administration of funds
o Coordinating benefit statements
o Compiling and distributing member communication
• Monitoring fees, including:
o Ongoing review of fees in line with changes and assessment of appropriate fee structures
o Ensuring correct fees are being charged and additional work is being charged
• Budgets and targets, including:
o Assisting with setting accurate budgets and targets for branch
o Evaluating and monitoring progress toward achieving budgets and targets
o Ensuring budgets are met within cost constraints
o Implementing and assessing action plans towards attaining set budgets and targets
• Financial management, including:
o Invoicing clients for additional work
o Collecting income timeously, including insured commission
o Controlling expenditure
o Generating optimal income for branch
o Monitoring commission schedules
• Clients relationships, including:
o Keeping clients updated on developments in employee benefits market
o Ensuring client employee benefit programme remains competitive and cost effective, and appropriate for client and profile of employees
o Providing trustee training as and when required
o Making presentations and conducting workshops for board of directors, members, clients and employees
o Maintaining and building ongoing relationships with clients
o Maintaining existing client base and ensuring client retention
o Following up on queries and resolving queries of clients, members and pensioners
o Daily informal and formal communication and correspondence with clients
o Ensuring timeous resolution of client queries and requests within branch
o Liaising with insurance companies, investment managers and other external p[arties as required

o Coordinating and following up on death benefits (advising trustees, meeting with families and sharing information with internal and external contacts)
o Keeping abreast of employee benefits developments within industry
o Managing entire branch work-flow process
o Ensuring service delivery and delivery of commitments to clients
•Trustee meetings, including:
o Ensuring agendas for meetings are collated, bound and distributed one week prior to meeting
o Attending trustee and sub-committee meetings, taking minutes and ensuring minutes are circulated within two weeks of meeting
o Matters arising to be auctioned within one month of meeting
• Facilitating and coordinating internal departments, including:
o Internal coordination and liaison to ensure ultimate client service and attainment of client objectives
o Delegating and instruction to internal departments
o Communicating with internal departments on issues pertaining to daily management of funds
o Drafting and circulating minutes to other departments
o Assessing and implementing effective operational systems, methods and resources to improve operations
o Liaising with administration department re withdrawals, retirement, death and benefit statements
o Liaising with actuarial departments
o Monitoring and following up on instructions and information requests
• Management and development of self and others, including:
o Remaining abreast of new developments, innovations and technologies within employee benefit consulting space
o Setting, communicating and implementing development plans for subordinates and assessing performance of direct reports
o Providing honest and timely feedback on delivery, areas of strength and areas for improvement
o Driving high performance team culture, managing team performance and holding team accountable for results
o Mentoring and coaching to facilitate improved employee engagement