Financial Planning Specialist

To assist and support financial advisors primarily with investment advice, but also estate planning and business planning as part of a Specialist Support Services division whose purpose is to complement trusted advisers’ value proposition to their clients (members and prospective members) so as to enhance the overall member experience.

• Commercial / financial degree with Accounting/Financial Management/Taxation as major subject; or
• Successful completion of RE representative exams.
• SAIPA or SAICA Affiliation-advantageous.

• 3 - 5 years’ experience in a Financial Planning/ Investment advice role.
• Experience in analysing complex investment client portfolios and advising thereon.
• Experience in private client or wealth environment advantageous.
• Experience in business assurance and/or estate planning advantageous.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Proven problem solver with analytical and numerical skills, coupled with the ability to analyse and interpret statistical information.
• Strong commitment to excellence and high attention to detail/Accuracy.
• Time management.
• Excellent communication skills – verbal and written.
• Must be client centric.
• High degree of professionalism.
  
  Strong organisational skills with the ability to multi-task and work under pressure.
• Ability to function independently & pro-actively.

• Providing technical advice to clients, with an emphasis on, but not limited to Investments.
• Assess clients’ financial circumstances in terms of Investments as it relates to the Graduate Professional market.
• Prepare financial proposals using financial planning software tools to support the development of each client’s financial strategy.
• Conduct research and analysis of products and services that are appropriate to each client’s financial circumstances, which may include planned fieldwork assignments of a Budgetary nature for clients in various industry sectors under the prevailing reporting frameworks (IFRS, GAAP).
• Propose and draft financial solutions that meet each client’s goals, needs and objectives.
• Work independently to facilitate an efficient support services process.
• Build solid working relationships with the Advisors and various Specialist Support Services teams to achieve results.
• Support the on-going relationship between the Technical Specialists, Advisors and the client by assessing the client’s changing financial priorities.
• Collaborate with colleagues and industry specialists to formulate practical advice
  Assist in the development of best practice and “house views”.
• To analyse complex issues for planners such as complex estates with offshore assets, trusts, complex tax issues etc.
• To do research on complex topics.
  
  E.g. foreign tax protocols for clients with Global portfolios.
• To help build solutions from a specialist perspective.
  
  E.g. complex estates, wills etc. test different scenarios and give recommendations on specific issues.
• To be client facing when required and provide in-depth discussion/knowledge.